New Mitsubishi Pajero keeps Ralliart dream alive

Mitsubishi Australia has stopped short of confirming a Mitsubishi Pajero Ralliart, but comments from local execs suggest the revived off-roader could one day spearhead the return of the brand’s long-dormant performance sub-brand.

With the new Mitsubishi Pajero expected to draw heavily on the nameplate’s Dakar legacy, the local arm appears keen to rebuild some of the motorsport emotion that once defined Mitsubishi.

There is still no official confirmation of a Mitsubishi Pajero Ralliart or a resurrected Pajero Evo, but Mitsubishi Motors Australia GM for product strategy, Bruce Hampel, made it clear the idea has plenty of appeal.

Asked about the possibility, he smiled and said, “It would be lovely to have a Pajero Ralliart.”

That matters because Ralliart still carries plenty of weight for Mitsubishi.

“So, given the linkage to Dakar and the history we have, I think most customers associate Pajero with Dakar. I guess I'm getting older, the affiliation is becoming less and less nowadays.”

The Pajero built a formidable reputation in the Dakar Rally, entering 26 times and scooping up 12 victories in total. It was hugely successful. The Lancer Evolution gave the brand a high-performance identity on rally stages around the world and both motorsport forays lead to hardcore production cars.

“But I think that association of Mitsubishi with rally is really the key thing that was very strong back in the 80s, 90s, with the Pajeros in Dakar, with the Lancers, the Evolutions in World Rally,” he said.

“And the passion that that brings to brands is something we're trying to reinvigorate here.”

Hampel’s comments confirm Mitsubishi Australia sees value in reconnecting with that legacy.

He also drew an important distinction between Ralliart and the newly launched Triton Raider.

“What I've been on the record a few times about is trying to bring the Ralliart brand back into Australia. We looked very hard at this [Triton Raider] product, and just felt that it needed a little bit more unique appearance items … to really demand the Ralliart naming.

“So we went with Raider as this initial foray into these upper emotional derivatives. But we do have aspirations to bring Ralliart back and again, similar to Raider, we could deploy that across different nameplates as well,” he said.

The Mitsubishi exec is referring to plans for a jacked-up Subaru Forester Wilderness rival in the form of an Outlander Raider. 

It appears that Raider is a toe in the water. A test case. And iuf buyers respond to higher-grade, more emotive (and expensive) Mitsubishi variants, it strengthens the business case for something more ambitious later.

Hampel also suggested the strategy would not be limited to one vehicle line, which leaves the door open for the returning Pajero to become a natural home for a more overt performance or halo treatment.

That possibility becomes more interesting when you consider Australia’s role in local development.

The new Mitsubishi Pajero will use the Triton’s ladder-frame platform and a 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel, with an eight-speed automatic reportedly under consideration.

Towing is expected to reach 3500kg, water wading depth could be around 800mm, and fuel use is tipped to sit near 8.0L/100km.

If a Ralliart version does arrive, it would need more than stickers and trim to justify the badge. Suspension, appearance and possibly powertrain enhancements would all be part of the expectation.

For now, a Mitsubishi Pajero Ralliart remains an ambition rather than a program, but it is no longer a far-fetched one. Hampel’s comments show the desire is there, and the new Pajero appears better placed than any recent Mitsubishi to carry that legacy forward.

The next step is likely to be market response. If Raider works, and if the new Pajero lands with the right blend of capability, heritage and showroom appeal, Mitsubishi may finally have the platform it needs to bring Ralliart back to Australia in a meaningful way.

*Lead image generated by AI

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