2026 Mitsubishi Pajero officially teased for first time

Mitsubishi has released its first official teaser of the returning Pajero, leaning heavily on its rally heritage while stopping short of confirming exactly which Pajero is on the way.

The 2026 Mitsubishi Pajero returns!

The seven-seat SUV has been teased in a Ralliart promotional clip celebrating the brand’s motorsport legacy alongside WRC and Dakar machines, accompanied by the tagline, “No matter how many times you fail, you must never stop driving”.

The cryptic video message strongly hints at a change in Mitsubishi’s rally strategy but of more interest is the new design – and the fact that the 2026 Pajero is no longer vapourware.

Visually, the teaser is fleeting. The Pajero is shown only on tarmac, revealing little more than its LED lighting signature and overall silhouette, but it remains the clearest undisguised look yet at Mitsubishi’s reborn large SUV.

It’s unlikely the new Pajero will be twinned with the next-generation Y63 Nissan Patrol, which is expected to arrive in Australia late 2026 packing turbo-petrol six-cylinder power (that outmuscles the current Y62’s eight-cylinder donk), or whether the Pajero will leverage the Triton ute’s ladder chassis platform.

That’s because it would end up being a circa-$100K vehicle – a price that rusted-on Mitsubishi buyers would find hard to justify.

Which brings another question into focus – where does this leave the affordable Pajero Sport, essentially an SUV version of the Triton?

Mitsubishi has been testing a Triton-based wagon widely tipped as a replacement for the current Pajero Sport but the spy shots from 2025 (which indicate the new SUV is larger and more premium) look almost exactly like the vehicle officially teased by the Japanese carmaker.

So, does this mean the Pajero Sport will be axed in favour of a bigger, more expensive Pajero?

It’s certainly one plausible scenario.

If so, the new 2026 Mitsubishi Pajero will ride on Triton’s ladder-frame platform and will adopt the ute’s 2.4-litre bi-turbo diesel engine, paired with the Super Select II 4x4 system and a 3500kg braked towing capacity.

It appears the vehicle has a longer wheelbase and wider track, and you can bet your bottom dollar a more advanced interior will be part of the package.

This, in turn, would place it firmly among Australia’s most competitive large SUVs, such as the Toyota Prado (LC250) and Ford Everest.

Australian testing of the Triton-based wagon is already underway, pointing to local suspension and powertrain tuning ahead of launch.

An international debut of the new Pajero is expected sometime in 2026, with an Australian launch likely to follow soon after.

Whether Mitsubishi revives the Pajero name for its next rugged SUV, saves it for a future flagship inspired by the Elevance Concept, or ultimately offers both remains unclear.

Mitsubishi Australia product strategy manager Bruce Hampel has previously acknowledged the weight carried by the Pajero name in this market.

“Pajero’s got a long history in Australia and so it’s a recognised brand in its own right – Pajero is a strong, strong name, it’s got quite a legacy,” he recently told carsales.

That careful language has fuelled speculation Mitsubishi could reserve the Pajero badge for something larger and more prestigious, potentially linked to the Elevance Concept revealed at the Tokyo Mobility Show and powered by advanced hybrid tech rather than an ageing turbo-diesel engine.

That concept previews a full-size, three-row SUV with a quad-motor plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain and a level of technology far beyond a ute-based wagon.

What is certain is that Mitsubishi is deliberately rebuilding the Pajero legacy, using motorsport credibility and nostalgia as the foundation for its SUV resurgence.

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