The Pajero is finally coming back
There are few SUVs you can identify from the rear before seeing the badge. The Mitsubishi Pajero was one of them, largely thanks to the spare tire hanging off its tailgate. Mitsubishi will unveil the fifth-generation Pajero on September 2, bringing back a nameplate that disappeared from production in 2021 after four generations and more than three decades on the trail. The latest teaser gives us our clearest look yet at the rear, and there is one conspicuous omission: no tailgate-mounted spare.Â
Mitsubishi
The Spare Tire Has Been Left Behind
The precious little of the new Pajero we can see in this new teaser shows an upright, muscular rear with flared bodywork and the Pajero name stamped across the tailgate. The lack of the spare carrier on the tailgate doesn’t necessarily mean the new Pajero is less serious off-road. A cleaner underbody-mounted spare setup can improve rear visibility, reduce the amount of weight hanging behind the axle and make the SUV easier to live with every day. Still, it will take some getting used to. The Pajero is returning with a ladder frame, serious four-wheel-drive hardware and Dakar-inspired technology, yet the first thing longtime fans will notice is the thing Mitsubishi decided to leave behind.
Mitsubishi
The New Pajero Gets Proper Off-Road Hardware
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi has already confirmed that the new Pajero will use a ladder-frame chassis derived from the latest Triton pickup, marking a major philosophical shift from the outgoing model. It will also get Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control system. Powertrain details remain largely under wraps, although the Triton’s 2.4-liter turbo-diesel is widely expected to feature. Hybrid power has also been reported, which would give Mitsubishi a way to make the new Pajero more palatable in markets where diesel is out of favor.
Inside, Mitsubishi is bringing back another old-school Pajero signature in a new form. The famous triple-meter pod returns as a digital Multi Meter displaying information such as altitude, compass heading, temperature, pitch, roll and torque distribution. Nostalgia, apparently, now comes with a screen.
The Pajero’s Comeback Story Includes The US
Mitsubishi
The Pajero first arrived in 1982 and over four generations, it became one of the company’s most important vehicles, with more than 3.25 million sold across over 170 countries. It also earned serious credibility in the Dakar Rally, winning 12 times, including seven consecutive victories. That combination made the Pajero something of a Japanese alternative to the Toyota Land Cruiser and, later, the Land Cruiser Prado. It was the sort of SUV people bought to cross continents, climb mountains or simply look like they could. Its boxy shape and rear-mounted spare became part of that visual identity.
The new Pajero is being positioned as a much more serious flagship than Mitsubishi’s current Pajero Sport. It will arrive first in markets including Japan, Australia and New Zealand, with an Australian launch expected before the end of 2026. A North American version is reportedly further away, with the Montero name expected to return Stateside around 2030.
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