The body-on-frame off-road SUV market is booming. Nissan has a new Xterra coming, Volkswagen wants in on the action, and Mitsubishi has a new Montero (globally referred to as the Pajero), although the model launched last week is not officially the one we’ll get in the USA (at least not yet). And it’s the latter that’s of particular interest, as pricing in the markets it is launching in suggests it could be extremely competitive when it comes time for America to get it or its equivalent.
Pricing From The Land Down Under Clues Us In On What To Expect
2027 Mitsubishi Pajero front 3/4Mitsubishi
Australia is one of the key markets for the new Pajero/Montero, with pricing announced at debut, along with a gallery of 164 images. In the land down under, pricing starts at AU$68,490 for the five-seat derivative, with the three-row, seven-seater running at AU$69,990.
In American money, that’s roughly $49,300 for the five-seater and $50,390 for the seven-seater. That’s not exactly cheap, but it’s on par for the segment. For example, the Toyota Land Cruiser starts at $58,000 in the US. Other rivals are cheaper, though, with the Ford Bronco starting at just over $40,000 and the forthcoming Xterra targeting the same price.
But while that price tag seems enticing, we must caution you before you throw a check for that figure at your nearest Mitsubishi salesperson. The global model is sold with a single 2.4-liter turbo-diesel powertrain, which will absolutely not be sold in the US. If/when the Montero does arrive stateside, that’s at least one significant change we can expect. And if the powertrain the American models do get was more complex, or hybridized, the price could increase significantly. But the reverse could also be true, and the US Montero could be cheaper.
How Could The US Montero Be Even Cheaper?
America tends to get a pretty good deal on new car pricing, often undercutting Europe, the UK, and other markets, especially when a vehicle is produced domestically. And that’s where the Montero could win big. In a recent press release detailing its future American product plans, Mitsubishi Motors of North America confirmed that no decision had been made on the Montero, but reaffirmed its plans to enter the midsize pickup truck segment through an alliance with Nissan.
To sell trucks in the US, you have to build them here (to avoid the comically named Chicken Tax), and it means that the Mitsubishi truck will share underpinnings with the Nissan Frontier. Those same body-on-frame bones will underpin the Nissan Xterra. Nissan and Mitsubishi have a history of badge-engineering vehicles together, namely the Outlander which has been sold as a Nissan Rogue. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Montero be developed alongside the Xterra, be produced locally, and achieve a similar starting price of $40,000.
CarBuzz Insights — Why It Matters
2027 Mitsubishi PajeroMitsubishi
Mitsubishi undercutting the Toyota Land Cruiser in Australia is more of a vague indication of what to expect rather than a guarantee. But when you look at the brand’s plans with Nissan and the rapidly expanding body-on-frame off-road market, it’s not a stretch to imagine Mitsubishi will do anything it possibly can to make the Montero affordable when it launches in America. Here, its primary rivals will be the $42,000 Toyota 4Runner, the Ford Bronco, the Jeep Wrangler, and the Nissan Xterra, and with sub-$45,000 starting MSRPs for all of them (at least right now), that’s the ballpark the Montero will need to play in.
