Mitsubishi Pajero replacement "50:50"

Mitsubishi is seemingly still no closer to deciding on whether the Pajero SUV will be replaced in Australia.

Now part of the Renault Nissan Alliance, Mitsubishi has announced a new global boss but remains steadfastly non-committal on the future of its ageing seven-seater which, in its current form, now stretches back to the year 2000.

"Generally that segment is dying and it's being killed by emissions," Mitsubishi global chief Trevor Mann said.

"If you look at where the critical mass of those volumes have been, they've been in the US and Middle East, and recently the Middle East has collapsed quite a bit.

"I think (a new Pajero) is probably 50/50, it hangs in the balance."

In 2013 Mitsubishi revealed the GC PHEV Concept (pictured), which was thought to preview the next Pajero.

More recently there was talk Mitsubishi would join forces with Nissan on a new seven-seater, which would see the Pajero and the Patrol join platforms.

However, Mann poured cold water on the idea, implying the Pajero is a smaller vehicle and rides on a monocoque chassis, compared with the Patrol's ladder frame configuration.

In the meantime, Mann confirmed that while ever the current Pajero continues to sell, it will be offered in Australia.

"The current Pajero will continue, we haven't announced the end of production for the current Pajero," he said.

Asked whether there was a point where the Pajero's age could give consumers the wrong message about Mitsubishi, Mann said: "I guess so and this is the balance that you need to take.

"A lot of people talk about Pajero as a good thing and I think the other advantage with that type of vehicle is that they're all square boxes.

"The technology can become outdated but the style of the vehicle … I think people like the square, rugged image of the vehicles."