Shakespeare coined the phrase “what’s in a name,” and in recent times, Mitsubishi followers may have been asking the same question. The queries followed confirmation from the company that its famous Pajero would return, which, to American readers, meant the Montero name would be back in the equation. And if you’re already a little confused by this name soup, US buyers knew this SUV lineage under different names, including as the Dodge Raider from 1987 through 1989.
Global information pointed towards a rugged Triton pickup-based SUV. The Triton is Mitsubishi’s global midsize pickup, which comes from the same pickup lineage once sold in the US as the Mitsubishi Mighty Max and Dodge D50. But some people in the US nevertheless speculated that Mitsubishi was planning something larger and more premium, like a Nissan Armada or Patrol. To them, this suggested a very different interpretation of the Montero.
Before confusion took over completely, Mitsubishi held a large meeting with North American retailers. From this presentation, it emerged that the newcomer would probably be a Triton-based body-on-frame Montero as well, rather than an Armada-based luxury SUV. That said, it remains to be seen how long Americans have to wait for it.
The Pajero is Back, But Not As a Lexus GX Fighter
2027 Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero spy photo testingCarBuzz
2027 Mitsubishi Pajero Specifications (*anticipated)
Engine
Triton-derived 2.4-liter turbodiesel
Transmission
Six-speed automatic*
Drivetrain
Super Select 4WD-II*
Power
204 hp*
Torque
347 lb-ft*
When Mitsubishi launched the original Pajero in 1982, the automaker couldn’t have envisaged how popular it would become. The SUV was a recreational four-wheel-drive vehicle with serious off-road capability, but it also had many more passenger-car attributes than similar vehicles of its time. And the market certainly liked what it saw. Mitsubishi sold more than 3.25 million of these vehicles across four generations. Pajeros trundled along roads in over 170 countries and regions, giving the nameplate true global credibility.
With such a stellar history, it’s not surprising to see so much interest in the projected return of the Montero, the North American name for the Pajero. There are plenty of other imposing off-road SUVs on the market, including the Ford Bronco, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the Toyota Land Cruiser, and the Lexus GX. This incoming Montero could be Mitsubishi’s answer to a segment where capability, image, and heritage are all front and center.
Some were beginning to wonder whether the new Montero would be a real Lexus GX rival with a twin-turbo V6 and plug-in hybrid system. But Mitsubishi confirms that its new Pajero uses the Triton pickup’s ladder-frame architecture. The underpinnings seem likely to carry over to the future US-market Montero. It won’t be a full-size luxury SUV per se, but rather a truck-based, genuine off-roader.
New Mitsubishi Pajero Is A Triton-Based Cross-Country SUV
Close-up of the Multi Meter gauges in the upcoming Mitsubishi Montero and PajeroMitsubishi
Mitsubishi has said that its all-new Pajero will arrive sometime in autumn 2026 and sit on the same highly robust ladder frame as the Triton pickup, also known as the L200. Importantly, the Pajero won’t simply be a pickup with an enclosed cargo area; it will have model-specific development for its front and rear suspension systems and its cabin. It’s likely to be more of a flagship cross-country SUV with lofty expectations for comfort, refinement, and long-distance usability.
The new arrival will still carry the DNA of the original Pajero, with plenty of off-road capability on one side and a more refined ride for everyday use on the other. Reports also suggest that the new SUV might have a 2.4-liter turbo diesel inline-four, possibly like other Triton applications, generating 204 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque.
Previous Pajero or Montero owners may also remember the original vehicles’ trio of dashboard gauges. Mitsubishi appears to be leaning into that heritage with a modern digital Multi Meter, providing off-road information for the driver like altitude, compass, heading, ambient temperature, pitch and roll angles, and torque distribution.
US Dealer Sheds Light On The Story
Mitsubishi Montero Pajero hot weather testingCarBuzz/Valnet
On June 5, 2026, Mitsubishi held a dealer meeting near Chicago, where roughly 180 retailers from the US and Canada gathered. Here, the company showed the audience the brand’s future product lineup as part of its Momentum 2030 plan and, crucially, confirmed some of the Pajero/Montero details.
Dealers saw a ladder-frame SUV with three-row seating, boxy styling, and a footprint similar to a Toyota Land Cruiser. It also had about 12 inches of ground clearance, a wide front light bar, vertical lighting elements, T-shaped taillights, and a conventional liftgate. This seemed to blunt any speculation about an Armada/Patrol-derived twin-turbo V6 approach.
While there was plenty of detail around what was to come, there still appeared to be some uncertainty around timing. Mitsubishi has yet to confirm a US launch via any public consumer announcement, but it seems a US Montero may arrive much later than the global Pajero. Americans may need to watch the new Pajero strut its stuff in global markets for several years before it arrives stateside, and possibly until 2030.
Why The Triton-Based Route Makes More Sense Than A Patrol-Based One
Close-up of auxiliary gauges from a first-generation Mitsubishi MonteroMitsubishi / Instagram
Some enthusiasts may have been longing for an Armada-derived luxury SUV, and to them, a Triton-based Montero is a lot less glamorous. But if Mitsubishi really wants to lean on the Montero’s legacy, it arguably needs to be more faithful to what it originally represented. Many people remember the old Pajero/Raider/Montero for its durability, off-road credibility, and family usability, as a package that seemed very distinct from some of the more obvious choices of the time. It wasn’t really a luxury SUV in the old days, so a mid-sized pickup-derived architecture could be the most logical solution all round now.
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This type of approach would place the new Montero/Pajero closer to a Toyota Land Cruiser 250 than a full-sized Nissan Armada. It also makes the vehicle far truer to its roots and gives it the type of accessible adventure identity that made it appealing in the first place. It won’t be too large, and it probably won’t be too expensive, and that distinction could really matter when it comes to its positioning in the market.
Mitsubishi is already on to a winner with its Triton pickup, which is a significant part of the company’s international portfolio. Linking the Pajero to the Triton therefore makes a lot of sense, especially in markets where diesel body-on-frame SUVs are commercially strong. Regions like Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East are much more receptive to this type of 4×4 than the US, giving the project a head start globally.
Few markets are as complicated as the US when it comes to emissions rules, gasoline preferences, and certification costs. And this may explain why the American version of this project will take longer to materialize. After all, decision-makers will have to consider different powertrain options, emissions compliance, market-specific equipment, and safety certification, while carefully evaluating their pricing strategy.
The Payoff May Be A More Credible Montero, But Probably A Much Later One
Mitsubishi Montero Pajero hot weather testingCarBuzz/Valnet
Despite certain rumors to the contrary, Mitsubishi is not likely to develop a separate Armada-based American Montero as it rolls out a Triton-based global Pajero. Instead, recent reports indicate that the future Montero will follow the same basic body-on-frame approach, centered on Triton, and will be available in all global markets. This probably gives Mitsubishi a better shot at reviving the name honestly, and it avoids any confusion around someone else’s full-size platform.
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American consumers still have to wait for the final payoff. The new Pajero may go on sale in some markets in 2027, but North American consumers may have to wait until 2030 while Mitsubishi patiently rebuilds the Pajero story elsewhere. But patience may yet turn out to be a virtue, as Mitsubishi needs to ensure that this new Montero is more than just a memory exercise. The company could certainly do with a real success story, and it needs to remind Americans why it was once such a big player in the off-road world.
So, the basic recipe for the new Montero/Pajero now seems clearer, even if American timing, specification, and powertrain details are not. Thankfully, the return of the Montero to the US should be far less speculative, less mysterious, and more authentic than those early rumors may have suggested.
Sources: Mitsubishi.
