Mitsubishi Motors unveils revived Pajero model after 7-year hiatus

Mitsubishi Motors has reintroduced the Pajero, a long-awaited return for the revered SUV model after a seven-year absence. Announced on Wednesday, the company is positioning the revived Pajero as its flagship sport utility vehicle, targeting around 100 countries for its launch, with domestic sales commencing by year-end. Production will take place in Thailand.

Although the pricing remains undisclosed, the new Pajero boasts a diesel engine, a robust ladder-frame chassis, seven driving modes, and the classic triple gauges found on the center consoles of previous models. Despite not being officially announced yet, the Pajero is earmarked as the primary growth catalyst under Mitsubishi's medium-term business strategy through fiscal 2029.

The company anticipates the Pajero to assist in achieving a 50% increase in domestic sales from the fiscal 2024 level, targeting approximately 180,000 units by fiscal 2030. Plans are in the works for two smaller iterations of the Pajero in the future. In 2025, the domestic market for large SUVs totaled around 100,000 units, with Toyota's Land Cruiser securing about 40% of the market, as reported by research firm MarkLines Co.