New light-duty truck roundup

Elsewhere in this issue are details of some of the all-new or significantly redesigned 2001 light-duty trucks an SUVs. What follows are brief summaries of trucks and truck technologies that have been covered recently in Automotive Engineering International.

The third-generation Pajero/Montero is offered in two body styles and sizes and in three- and five-door guises. The vehicle now has a steel, welded unibody integrating a sturdy underfloor frame structure, vs. the previous generation's steel body-on frame construction. The body is three times as rigid in both torsion and bending as the previous model. It features front suspension by unequal-length upper and lower A-arms, concentric coil springs and shock absorbers, and an anti-roll bar. A multi-link suspension is employed at the rear, comprising trailing lower arms, lateral lower arms, upper A-arms, separately mounted coil springs, shock absorbers, and an anti-roll bar. Two engines are offered in the Pajero. The 6G74 GDI unit has quad cams, 24 valves, and displaces 3.2 L. It is rated at 164 kW (220 hp) at 5500 rpm and 348 N·m (257 lb·ft) at 3750 rpm on a 10.4:1 compression ratio and requires premium unleaded gasoline. The 4M41 DI diesel is an enlarged version of the previous 2.8-L unit, obtaining a 3496-cm³ displacement with 93.0-mm (3.66-in) bore and 85.5-mm (3.37-in) stroke. The 4M41 diesel is rated at 130 kW (175 hp) at 3800 rpm and 382 N·m (282 lb·ft).