The last few years have been good for fans of off-road SUVs. We've seen the return of the Land Rover Defender, Ford Bronco, and revitalized versions of the Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser. The segment is so healthy that it still has other companies aiming to join in on the fun. Nissan is a notable one, and it's got a new Xterra on the way. It's not the only one, though, as Mitsubishi is also going to launch a new SUV, probably called Pajero. We may even see it before Nissan's Xterra, but the question is, will we get it in America as a new Montero? The President Says It's Coming This Year We've known for a little while now that Mitsubishi has been developing a new Pajero, and we've even seen prototypes running around. The time frame for a reveal and launch has been a mystery until this week. Kuruma News in Japan attended an event called Automobile Council 2026 in Chiba, just outside of Tokyo. The automotive news outlet attended a presentation by Mitsubishi's president and COO, Keisuke Kishihara, and he apparently confirmed that an off-road SUV would be appearing late this year.CarBuzz/ValnetWe reached out to an American representative from Mitsubishi who was able to share the president's statement:"Looking ahead, we plan to introduce the all-new cross‑country SUV to the markets within this year. Preparations are progressing smoothly, and we hope you will look forward to what is to come."—Mitsubishi president and COO, Keisuke KishiuraNeither the president nor the representative confirmed a name, but Mitsubishi had previously announced it would show classic Pajero models at the same event. Among the vehicles shown were first- and second-generation Pajeros, the 1985 Paris-Dakar-winning Pajero, a Willys-based Mitsubishi SUV from the 1950s, and a concept that preceded the production Pajero. You can do the math. We Have A Feeling It'll Show Up In America We naturally also asked the Mitsubishi representative whether this new SUV will be coming to America. Not surprisingly, the representative couldn't reveal whether that would happen. However, he did mention that Mitsubishi has a bunch of new models coming in the next few years, some of which will be in segments that Mitsubishi doesn't compete in right now. We certainly don't see any midsize or large traditional SUVs aimed at off-roading in Mitsubishi's current line-up, so a Pajero or Montero seems quite possible, especially with how hot the segment is.As we already mentioned, we've seen the new Mitsubishi in spy photos with relatively thin camouflage. It has a seriously boxy shape from tip to tail. It has plenty of ground clearance and appears to have a solid rear axle, implying some truck roots and capability. We believe it may share a platform with some Nissan products. That could include the current or next-generation Nissan Armada, or possibly the new platform that will underpin the Xterra and others. That also opens up quite a few possibilities for powertrains including hybrids and turbocharged V6s. With this new SUV getting a reveal later this year, we'll know all the details soon enough. Assuming that we're getting the model in the U.S., the soonest we'll see it is next year.