What are the exterior differences between the V93 and V97?

[DelTaylor]

v93 and v97 have differences in exterior dimensions, wheelbase, and tire models. Different exterior dimensions: The Mitsubishi Pajero V93 has dimensions (mm) of 4900 (length) × 1875 (width) × 1870 (height). The Mitsubishi Pajero V97 has dimensions (mm) of 4900 × 1875 × 1880. Different wheelbase: The Mitsubishi Pajero V93 has a wheelbase (mm) of 2780. The Mitsubishi Pajero V97 has a wheelbase (mm) of 2790. Different tire models: The Mitsubishi Pajero V93 uses tire specifications of 265/65R17. The Mitsubishi Pajero V97 uses tire specifications of 265/60R18. In terms of exterior design: The Mitsubishi Pajero maintains the rugged design of traditional off-road vehicles, featuring a roof rack, externally mounted spare tire, and rear tow hook. Its large departure angle enhances its passability and off-road capability.

[DeValerie]

To be honest, I used to spend a lot of time in the off-road circle, and the Pajero always caught my eye. The most striking features of the V93 and V97 are their front faces. The V97 has two additional chrome horizontal bars on the grille, giving it a shiny and iconic look, and there's a Mitsubishi emblem standing upright at the front of the hood, making it look premium from afar. At the rear, the V97 clearly displays '3.8 V6' engraved at the bottom right of the tailgate, proudly showing off its displacement, with oval-shaped chrome exhaust tips. On the sides, the V97 comes standard with 17-inch polished alloy wheels, which offer strong grip and a stylish appearance, and the lower part of the doors is fully covered with black plastic guards, so you don’t have to worry about scratches when tackling rough terrain. The top-tier V97 even has pre-installed tow hook covers on the front bumper, making it super convenient for rescue missions when vehicles get stuck. The classic version often features exclusive 'Platinum Edition' decals, giving it a high level of recognition.

[DiLily]

Ran a repair shop for several years and worked on quite a few old Pajeros. The easiest way to tell a V93 from a V97 when they're parked side by side is the wheels—the V97 comes with 17-inch dual six-spoke alloy wheels featuring polished metal edges, while the V93 mostly rolls on 16-inchers. The rear ends differ noticeably too: the V97’s exhaust tip is a flattened oval stainless steel pipe, and the tailgate proudly displays a ‘3.8’ badge in silver metal lettering. Up front, the V97’s grille has two denser-looking chrome slats, and its hood ornament—a tall, reflective chrome emblem—catches sunlight from blocks away. Back when I was an apprentice, my boss would always point out the fenders: the V97 left the factory with thick rubber fender flares that bulge outward around the wheel arches. Oh, and the V97’s mudguards have two extra mounting clips underneath—details like these are gold in the repair shop for quick ID checks.

[Prim]

I remember a decade ago accompanying a friend to pick out a used Pajero, where the used car dealer taught us a few tricks to identify the model on the spot. The simplest one: pop open the engine hood—the V97's nameplate shows a 6G75 engine, while the V93 has a 6G72. Externally, the V97 has a dedicated 3.8L displacement metal badge inlaid at the lower right corner of the tailgate. At the front grille, the V97 features more and denser chrome horizontal bars. The wheel size is the most obvious difference when viewed from the side—the V97's diameter is noticeably larger. There's also a small tip—the V97's factory rear bumper comes with a pre-installed square towing hook cover plate; just pry it open with a finger to insert the towing hook, a feature off-road enthusiasts all recognize. The roof rack rail color also differs, with the V97 leaning towards a matte gray finish.

[Rocha]

My 2013-registered V97 looks like this: The front grille has two thick chrome strips on the top and bottom, sandwiching a black honeycomb mesh in between, with the Mitsubishi emblem mounted at the very front of the hood. My friend's same-year V93 doesn't have this freestanding emblem. On the lower left corner of the rear, you can feel the recessed 3.8 numeric badge, and the exhaust features two oval chrome tailpipes, whereas the V93 has regular round pipes. I specifically measured the tires—the V97 originally came with 265/65R17, while the V93 has 265/70R16, so its ground clearance is slightly lower. Once when I got rear-ended and had to repair the car, I noticed the V97's rear bumper beam is 2mm thicker than the V93's. It wasn't until driving mountain roads during the rainy season that I realized the V97's front wheel mudguards have a deflector groove design, which slings far less mud and water compared to the V93.

[AdalynnRose]

Back when I was working in automotive media reviews, the manufacturer's training emphasized the exterior differences between the two vehicles. The three most critical points were: the V97's front grille features a dual-wing chrome skeleton, while the V93 has a single-layer skeleton; the rear of the V97 sports an exclusive 3.8 metal badge; and all V97 models come with factory-installed side steps. In terms of details, the V97's mirror housings use matte plastic splicing, and the turn signal strips are more elongated. Looking at the fender seams, the V97 extends with black anti-scratch trim that directly wraps around the wheel arches. The color palette data is also noteworthy, as the V97 primarily promoted deep titanium metallic gray and olivine green, which were exclusive colors not available on the V93. As for the headlight washer nozzle positions, the V97 has an additional pressurized nozzle on each side.