The Mitsubishi Pajero is one of the brand’s most iconic nameplates, but it’s been gone for years.
More than 40 years ago, Mitsubishi originally made a name for itself in the rallying world with the Pajero SUV. It carried on for decades across multiple generations as one of the brand’s most iconic off-road capable rigs, though it was finally discontinued in overseas markets in 2021. Now, though, it’s coming back — the Pajero is about to return as an all-new “cross-country SUV”, which Mitsubishi teased Friday.
If you live in the U.S. market, you may not recognize the Pajero name as readily as folks in other parts of the world. Over here, we knew it as the Montero, but the point stands: It’s a welcome sight to see an actual, rugged and capable SUV return to Mitsubishi’s lineup. I know one person who will be delighted, perhaps more than anyone else in the TFL crew, to see that is none other than Nathan Adlen.
In his own words: “Every generation (which I have owned) are badass off-road, and are a hoot to drive.” Here’s hoping this new Pajero, and potentially Montero if it comes to the States, will live up to that nostalgia. Short of Mitsubishi also reviving the Lancer nameplate (RIP), this is about the best thing the company can do for die-hard enthusiasts who want to see Mitsubishi succeed and have some serious cred among Japanese car brands well into the coming years.
Mitsubishi announced today this all-new Pajaro is based on the ladder frame design of the Triton pickup truck. The cabin as well as the front and rear suspension will be bespoke to the SUV, but it won’t just be a kitted up Outlander, at least to hear Mitsubishi themselves tell it. This car “is being developed as a new flagship model that embodies Mitsubishi Motors’ spirit of adventure and determination to take on challenges.” It better, frankly, because the Eclipse Cross certainly ain’t that.
That Triton connection could cut both ways with regard to whether we’ll actually see the Pajero as a revived Montero here in the U.S. Taht’s because the Triton itself isn’t sold in the U.S., so getting a completely new SUV to conform to U.S. safety standards when it’s based on an overseas truck may be a bridge too far to actually sell it here. On the other hand, the U.S. is a huge market, so the potential popularity of such an off-roader, particularly when off-roaders are red hot, could swing the pendulum toward actually selling it here.
Alongside pretty much everyone else in the industry, we thought the Nissan Xterra would be Mitsubishi’s way around that issue. Nissan is bringing the Xterra to North America, so we thought the Montero would effectively just be that SUV with a different body and interior. It’s also possible this Pajero could emerge as an overseas model, while Americans get a distinct model that is more closely related to the Xterra. Mitsubishi has sold different versions of the Pajero/Montero/Shogun at different points in its history in different markets, so whether this Pajero is bound for global markets across the board remains to be seen.
On its Japanese retail site, Mitsubishi does note “the Pajero is sold as the Montero in some markets”, so…something is going to happen here. That picture isn’t quite complete just yet, but at least Mitsubishi is getting back to its roots a bit with this new Pajero. We’re excited to see what comes of it. The Pajero, for its part, will debut this fall.
