In the North American market, the 3.5 L engine was replaced for 2003 by a more powerful 3.8 L unit, with . This engine was later made available to export markets such as South America, Australia and New Zealand, whilst it replaced the GDI V6 in the Japanese lineup in 2005. The short wheelbase model is not available in North America, where the Montero was the only SUV in Mitsubishi's lineup with standard four-wheel drive as opposed to all-wheel-drive. The Montero left the US market after the 2006 model year.