In case you missed it, the next-generation Mitsubishi Pajero will soon make its global premiere after a five-year hiatus.
It’s the primary latest generation of Pajero since production of the fourth-generation NS-series led to 2021, and will even fill a void left by the Pajero Sport which was discontinued in Australia in 2025.
The worldwide teaser campaign for the fifth-generation Pajero is now in full swing and spy shots show it should tackle an even bigger, boxier persona to go along with its go-anywhere body-on-chassis construction and turbocharged diesel engine performance – and a hybrid powertrain has also been confirmed.
Indeed, the brand new Pajero will probably be the primary in two generations to be based on a ladder-frame chassis, after the third-generation model switched to a unibody (monocoque) design with an integrated ladder frame for increased torsional rigidity.
The platform is predicted to be a heavily modified version of the sixth-generation Triton ute’s, fitted with multi-link coil-sprung – somewhat than leaf-sprung – rear suspension, and the brand new Pajero will probably be the primary produced in Thailand, alongside the Triton.
That has led some to suggest it’s more appropriately described as a alternative for the Pajero Sport – which was based on and built alongside the previous Triton in Thailand, much because the Ford Everest and the related Ranger are – somewhat than the fifth generation of a model that has at all times been produced in Japan, at the very least for Australia.
Either way, here’s every thing we all know concerning the latest Pajero, ahead of its imminent reveal.
What is going to power the 2027 Mitsubishi Pajero?
We expect the brand new Pajero to be launched with a version of the Triton’s 2.4-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine which produces 150kW of power at 3500rpm and 470Nm of torque over 1500-2750rpm, and which is paired with six-speed automatic or manual transmissions within the ute.
Nonetheless, we wouldn’t be surprised if it was tuned for more peak torque on this application and, just like the old Pajero Sport, paired exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission and a Super-Select II 4WD system.
Either way, the brand new bi-turbo diesel will eclipse the outputs of each the single-turbo diesel Pajero Sport (133kW and 430Nm), and the Mk4 Pajero’s 3.2-litre DI-D diesel 4 (141kW/441Nm), and it is also expected to beat their respective 3100kg and 3000kg towing capacities.
By way of its large off-road SUV competitors, the top-selling Ford Everest is obtainable with 125kW/405Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 184kW/600Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engines, the Toyota Prado comes with a 150kW/500Nm 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, and the Isuzu MU-X will be had with 120kW/400Nm 2.2-litre and 140kW/450Nm 3.0-litre four-cylinder engines.
In what will probably be a primary for the Pajero (and Pajero Sport), Mitsubishi’s latest flagship SUV will even turn out to be available with a hybrid powertrain, following a further 16 billion baht (~A$681 million) investment within the Japanese automaker’s Thai facilities until 2030.
The investment will reportedly be for the event and production of “electrified” vehicles, including the Pajero and unspecified pickup trucks. It’s unclear at this stage whether meaning hybrid or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains, however it’s more likely to be the latter, and a totally electric powertrain could follow.
Mitsubishi confirmed in 2023 it was studying each hybrid and electric powertrains for the Triton, which on the time were within the “advanced engineering phase”. The corporate had previously confirmed it was working on an electrical ute for launch by 2028, but has gone quiet on that since then.
“In future, we expect that BEV can also be required for [a] pickup truck, however the query is timing: when we must always introduce a BEV?” Mitsubishi’s global chief of engineering and product strategy, Hiroshi Nagaoka, told Australian media in 2023.
“And before a BEV, we also have to take into consideration another type of electrified vehicle, resembling a hybrid or a PHEV.”
He indicated a hybrid Triton would arrive first, and that the corporate was weighing whether to go electric or plug-in hybrid as a next step.
“Most probably we are going to go first with the HEV, then after that, perhaps considering the battery improvement, PHEV, or battery EV,” said Nagaoka-san, noting that Mitsubishi wouldn’t use Alliance partner Nissan’s e-Power hybrid technology – a call the corporate reiterated in 2025.
“If it’s a HEV we are able to use the present frame. So within the short term, that might be a excellent solution,” he said, noting an electrical or PHEV powertrain would require an in depth reworking of the platform.
In 2023, Mitsubishi said it didn’t see numerous demand for PHEV pickups, however the market has modified since then, including the discharge of the plug-in hybrid BYD Shark 6 dual-cab to critical acclaim, quickly followed by PHEV versions of the top-selling Ford Ranger, in addition to the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV.
The standard hybrid version of the GWM Tank 500 would have been a logical rival for a hybrid Pajero, however it’s being phased out in Australia, where Toyota recently launched a hybrid version of its LandCruiser 300 Series.
It’s unclear whether Mitsubishi’s upcoming electrified Pajero and Triton will use a diesel or a petroleum engine. The Shark, Ranger and Cannon Alpha PHEVs all incorporate a petroleum engine, which might likely be more desirable for the US market where Mitsubishi is reportedly considering selling the brand new Pajero.
Diesel hybrids don’t exist yet in Australia, but that can change when Chery launches its oil-burning Stockman PHEV dual-cab later this 12 months, followed by a petroleum PHEV version, and GWM has also confirmed it’s developing diesel hybrid and diesel PHEV powertrains which is able to enter production in 2027.
How much will the 2027 Mitsubishi Pajero cost?
The brand new Pajero may revive an iconic off-road nameplate, but it should have to undercut seven-seat off-road SUV stalwarts just like the Everest and Prado to achieve success in Australia – not a lot the larger and dearer latest Nissan Patrol or the present LandCruiser 300 (priced from $99,340).
While the discontinued Pajero Sport continues to be available in 4 grades (GLX, GLS, Exceed and GSR – variant names that can reportedly carry over to the Pajero) priced from $51,540 before on-road costs, we expect the brand new Pajero to be dearer.
That’s because it should bring a dramatic uptick in technology, safety and equipment in comparison with each the old Pajero and Pajero Sport, reportedly including a digital recreation of the enduring triple analogue ‘Multi Meter’ instruments seen in previous generations of the Pajero.
But the brand new Pajero won’t go significantly upmarket in price, given the favored MU-X is priced from $49,900 and the Everest starts at $58,990, while the Japan-built Prado’s base price is higher at $73,200.
Generally known as Montero in North America, Spain and Latin America, and the Shogun within the UK, the Mitsubishi Pajero generated greater than 3.3 million sales globally over 4 generations and 40 years following its launch in 1981.
Based on reports, the brand new Pajero will probably be revealed in Tokyo on September 2, before opening for pre-orders in Australia in October, and arriving here in December, in each five-seat and seven-seat forms.
Australia will probably be one among the important thing markets for the brand new model, so watch this space for more news because it breaks.
This Article First Appeared At www.carexpert.com.au
