Mitsubishi has finally confirmed timing and critical details surrounding the new Pajero, locking in a true off-road 4WD that will launch before the end of the year.
The brand had only so far confirmed a new large SUV was coming, leaving plenty of guess work to be done as to whether it would be a monocoque road-focused vehicle, or a true rival to vehicles like the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Nissan Patrol - not to mention newcomers like the Denza B5 and B8.
But now we know the latter is the case, with Mitsubishi's president, Keisuke Kishiura, confirming that 4WD capability will be at the heart of the Pajero's development. And in more good news, the brand's most senior executive also locked in a 2026 launch for the new 4WD.
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Camouflaged examples of the new model have already been photographed in Australia.
The executive specifically called out the off-road prowess of the old Pajero to US outlet Automotive News, saying "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", before adding:
"We plan to launch the new cross-country SUV within the year."
Whether or not that also confirms the new model will be called the Pajero - which we believe it will be - we'll leave up to you, but it certainly locks in the off-road prowess, and fuels reports the model will be built using the Mitsubishi Triton's ladder-frame chassis.
If it gets the Triton's underpinnings, expect the Pajero to use a version of the ute's 150kW and 470Nm 2.4-litre bi-turbo-diesel engine.
"For me, the Pajero is an object of admiration," Mr Kishiura told Automotive News.
"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."
