Mitsubishi Explains Why The New Pajero Lost Its External Spare Wheel

• The reborn Pajero ditches its iconic external spare wheel and moves it underneath.
• Mitsubishi claims the old setup made the rear door heavier and created practical headaches.
• The fifth-gen model has a conventional tailgate, with a hexagonal design element nodding to the spare wheel that used to sit there.

For decades, the spare wheel hanging from the tailgate was one of the easiest ways to recognize a Pajero from behind. Mitsubishi has now moved it underneath the vehicle, leaving the rear noticeably cleaner. The Japanese automaker incorporated a hexagonal design element into the tailgate as a visual nod to the spare wheel that used to live there.