MitsubishiMotorsTV via YouTube Mitsubishi has left little doubt in our minds that there's a new Pajero/Montero flagship off-road SUV right around the corner — restarting a nameplate that has been dormant since its plug was pulled in 2020. The automaker's CEO, Keisuke Kishiura, gave a heavy-handed allusion to the fact that Mitsubishi has been working on a new Pajero, and it would be officially unveiled very soon. This is exciting news for people who know Mitsu' could be so much more than it currently is. While Kishiura didn't outright say "there's a new Pajero on its way," he left very little room for interpretation with what he told folks at the Automobile Council 2026 forum in Chiba, Japan. Here's what he said, according to Automotive News: "The Pajero is a cross-country SUV that combines fully-fledged off-road capability with the ease of handling and comfort of a passenger car," he said. "We plan to launch the new cross-country SUV within the year." It doesn't take much of a brain genius to work out the transitive property of the words "cross-country SUV" in these sentences and realize that Kishiura is referring to a reborn Pajero/Montero. While its timing is far from set in stone, it'll still be an incredibly important car for both the newly minted CEO — who has been at the helm for less than two weeks — and Mitsubishi, which has been dealing with declining sales and a brand identity crisis, to say the least. Because of that, there's a lot riding on this SUV, and Kishiura knows that. "For me, the Pajero is an object of admiration," Kishiura told Automotive News. "Thanks to its off-road capability, allowing it to tackle any weather or road surface with confidence, its reliability, which withstands even the harshest conditions, and its ride quality and comfort that minimize fatigue on long drives, the Pajero has been cherished by customers around the world." Hope for the U.S. Mitsubishi While the Pajero died in much of the world for the 2021 model year, we lost the Montero here in the U.S. following MY 2006, so it's been 20 goddamn years since Mitsubishi's off-road SUV has graced our streets. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it won't come our way. At the Japan Mobility Show in October of 2025, Kaoru Sawse, a Mitsubishi Fellow for vehicle engineering, told Auto News that the company was still looking into North America as a potential landing spot for the SUV, saying that there are still questions about demand in North America. He added that the company's official answer is that "nothing has been decided yet." That "yet" is what gives me all the hope in the world. This isn't the first time we've heard rumblings about a new Pajero/Montero. Spy shots posted online have shown what appears to be a boxy prototype out testing since at least July of 2025, and October's Mobility Show displayed the new all-electric Elevance Concept, according to Motor1. To us, it looked a hell of a lot like a Pajero preview. In January of this year, Mitsubishi decided to add a bit more fuel to the fire, posting a clip to its YouTube channel that highlighted both the company's off-road motorsports heritage and a quick look at an SUV. It has the same boxy shape we saw in previous spy shots, and it's even got the same hood line, headlights and C-pillar. If those aren't the same vehicles, Mitsubishi is a master of disguise. Lest we forget, the automaker filed a trademark for the Montero name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office back in 2024, Motor1 reports. Of course, a lot still isn't known about the Pajero and Montero. Hell, we don't even know if it'll show up on our shores, but I'm a big believer in "when there's smoke, there's fire." Mitsubishi is clearly cooking up something good here. I just hope it lets us get a bite.
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