Mitsubishi has announced its upcoming SUV based on the Triton ute, which many believe will revive it Pajero nameplate.
Released on New Year’s Day, the video (below) celebrates the company’s rallying and racing heritage and includes footage of the Lancer Evolution, Pajero Evolution and various Dakar vehicles. The core of the video shows the current Triton Ralliart taking part in the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR).
In the end, Mitsubishi’s new SUV makes a shadowy appearance.
The headlight graphics match the company’s latest design and the overall design matches spy photos taken in mid-2025.
These photos showed a new SUV with a body and frame, a high ride height, running boards, a live rear axle and a body completely different from the Triton on which it is likely based.
The countless design changes include a clamshell hood, sharper window frames and a more upright-looking windshield.
It’s unclear what powers this new SUV, but the sixth-generation Triton features a 2.4-litre four-cylinder biturbo diesel with 150kW of power and 470Nm of torque.
This is mated to a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission and offers the choice of rear-wheel drive or full-time all-wheel drive.
While the third-generation Pajero Sport continues to be produced in Thailand, Mitsubishi Australia has stopped importing the model and is relying on existing inventory as the car can no longer be imported due to new autonomous emergency braking (AEB) regulations which it does not comply with.
The new SUV will serve as a replacement for the Pajero Sport and rumor has it that it will be called the Pajero in Japan. The car’s more upright and blocky stance lends a bit of credibility to these reports.
Accordingly Car and driverMitsubishi has also registered Montero as a trademark in the USA. Due to the many unfortunate meanings of “Pajero” in Spanish, the off-roader we knew as the Pajero was sold as the Montero in many markets across America. In Britain and Europe it was also called Shogun.
The Pajero name was shelved in 2021 when production of the long-running fourth-generation model ended. Introduced in 2006, the fourth-generation model featured a car-like monocoque body, underwent two facelifts and was available with a choice of V6 petrol engines and four-cylinder turbodiesels.
Although the new Pajero/Pajero Sport is rumored to go on sale in Japan in late 2026, its appearance in the teaser video suggests that it – or a thinly disguised concept – could be unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon, which begins on January 9th.
MORE: Explore the Mitsubishi Pajero showroom
