Mitsubishi revives the Pajero as its new global flagship SUV

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. unveiled a new iteration of the Pajero, reviving the storied line after a seven-year gap and designating it as the company's flagship SUV. Built in Thailand, the model will roll out to about 100 countries, with domestic Japanese sales targeted for the end of the current year. The vehicle features a diesel engine, a rigid ladder-frame chassis, seven selectable driving modes and the signature triple-gauge cluster from earlier generations.

Mitsubishi plans to use the revived Pajero as a primary growth engine under its medium-term plan through fiscal 2029, hoping it will help lift domestic sales by 50 percent to roughly 180,000 units by fiscal 2030. The automaker also hinted at future releases of two smaller Pajero versions. The large-SUV segment in Japan was about 100,000 units in 2025, led by Toyota's Land Cruiser, which held around a 40 percent share.