Dodge Raider Sales Figures

Dodge Raider

The Raider was produced by Mitsubishi in Japan, as it was a rebadged first generation Mitsubishi Montero (also known as Pajero or Shogun).

Dodge Raider Overview

The Dodge Raider was a short-lived SUV that Dodge offered in the mid-1980s. Essentially, it was a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi Pajero, known in some markets as the Mitsubishi Montero or Shogun. The Raider was introduced as a way for Dodge to quickly enter the compact SUV market without having to develop its own vehicle from scratch. The Dodge Raider was introduced in 1987. It had a short production run, lasting only until 1989.

The Raider was available primarily as a three-door SUV, although the Pajero/Montero had a longer five-door version. In the U.S., the Raider was powered by a 2.6-liter inline-four engine. The Raider came with a four-wheel-drive system, making it capable off-road. Inside, it was relatively basic but offered essential features consistent with SUVs of the era.

Dodge saw an opportunity to tap into the growing interest in compact SUVs during the mid-1980s. Partnering with Mitsubishi allowed Dodge to do so without the high cost and time commitment of developing an entirely new vehicle. The Raider was in the same segment as vehicles like the Ford Bronco II, Chevrolet S-10 Blazer, and the Jeep Cherokee.

The Raider was discontinued after just three model years. One of the reasons was the overlap in the market with the similar Mitsubishi Montero, which was sold at the same time in the same showrooms due to the Chrysler-Mitsubishi partnership. The Dodge Raider remains a relatively obscure vehicle in the brand’s history, overshadowed by more popular SUVs of the era. However, for those who remember it or own one, it represents a unique period when automakers were rapidly exploring the growing SUV market.