Tokyo, Oct. 29 (Jiji Press)--Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Thursday it will release the first new Pajero SUV model in seven years in Japan on Dec. 17, with prices starting at 6,193,000 yen.

Preorders for the new Pajero began this month and have reached about 5,500 units, already exceeding the company's sales target of 4,000 units for the current fiscal year.

"We have improved our original technologies," Mitsubishi Motors President Keisuke Kishiura said. "We aim to establish the Pajero's position (in the increasingly competitive SUV market)."

In September, Mitsubishi Motors unveiled a new global Pajero model.

In Japan, the automaker will offer two versions: one geared toward off-road driving and the other emphasizing luxury. Each will come in two grades to appeal to a broad range of customers.

Mitsubishi Motors President Keisuke Kishiura stands beside the new Pajero model in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Thursday.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]