A new Mitsubishi Pajero has almost been an open secret in recent years, but the head of the Japanese brand has now given a prospective launch date for the latest SUV.
Speaking at the Automobile Council 2026 meeting in Chiba, Automotive News reports Mitsubishi president and COO Keisuke Kishiura said a Pajero-sized vehicle will launch this year, though he didn’t explicitly mention the respected nameplate.
“The Pajero is a cross-country SUV that combines fully-fledged off-road capability with the ease of handling and comfort of a passenger car,” Kishiura said.
“We plan to launch the new cross-country SUV within the year.
“For me, the Pajero is an object of admiration.
“Thanks to its off-road capability, allowing it to tackle any weather or road surface with confidence, its reliability, which withstands even the harshest conditions, and its ride quality and comfort that minimise fatigue on long drives, the Pajero has been cherished by customers around the world.”
Australia last saw the full-sized Pajero in showrooms in 2021, while the smaller Triton-based Pajero Sport was pulled from sale locally early last year due to not being compliant with then-incoming Australian Design Rules around the performance of autonomous emergency braking systems.
As previously reported, it’s understood the new Pajero is, effectively, a successor to the Pajero Sport, as it’ll be based on the underpinnings of the Triton ute.
This means it’ll be built in Thailand – not Japan as with previous generations of the ‘true’ Pajero – and likely powered by the same twin-turbo 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel engine as the Triton, likely mated to a six- or eight-speed speed automatic transmission and full-time 4×4 system.
The Pajero could also adopt plug-in hybrid power, with the technology under development for the Triton.
Like many ute-based SUVs such as the Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X, the Pajero will reportedly share similar dimensions to the Triton, however it could end up being shorter in length due to not needing a tub, despite likely being fitted with three rows of seats.
Images of test vehicles globally and in Australia have shown the Pajero’s overall design is largely related to the Destinator, a Prado-sized SUV for South-East Asia and some parts of Africa.
Discussion about this post