Mitsubishi has confirmed it will unveil a new flagship large SUV – rumored to be reviving it Pajero Names – before the end of 2026 and targets competitors such as the Ford Everest and the Toyota LandCruiser Prado.
The Japanese automaker confirmed the timing Daily Sparkzafter introducing the ladder-frame SUV earlier this year.
It is expected to share its underpinnings with the current Triton ute as well as the new-generation Nissan Navara due to be unveiled in 2025, with Mitsubishi and Nissan part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance.
The use of a ladder frame architecture is favored in off-road vehicles and contrasts with the car-like monocoque construction of the Outlander, Mitsubishi’s best-selling model in Australia.
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Sharing the platform means the new SUV is also likely to adopt the Triton’s powertrain, currently a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel producing 150kW and 470Nm, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
However, electric propulsion could also be used in the new Pajero, as a hybrid Triton is in development, which Mitsubishi says will be developed independently of Nissan and Renault’s powertrains.
In addition to unveiling the new SUV, Mitsubishi also unveiled its Elevance Concept at the 2025 Tokyo Motor Show, a flagship SUV with plug-in hybrid power, configurable seats, a full-width digital display and an artificial intelligence (AI) “passenger”.
Mitsubishi has now left further clues about the possible lineup of the new “Pajero”.
These could include more robust variants, similar to an SUV equivalent of the Triton Raider, which features Australian-tuned suspension, steering and off-road tires.
Such a variant would position it in comparison to the more off-road-oriented variants of other large SUVs such as the Ford Everest Tremor.
There’s also a new-generation Nissan Patrol Warrior on the horizon, which hasn’t been officially confirmed yet but has been spied testing in Australia. It is expected within 12 months of the local arrival of the next-generation Y63 Patrol, which is expected to occur by the end of 2026.
If Mitsubishi revives the Pajero name, it would be the first time it has been used in a standalone model since global production ended in 2021, having been available in Australian showrooms since 1983.
The new SUV is intended to replace the Pajero Sport in Australia.
While the Pajero Sport continues to be produced in Thailand, it was discontinued locally because it did not meet updated side impact safety regulations introduced in 2025.
However, there is still stock of the vehicle, which still appears on Mitsubishi’s Australian website.
MORE: Explore the Mitsubishi showroom
