Mitsubishi Pajero to be resurrected as plug-in hybrid – report

After a five-year absence, an unconfirmed report out of Japan suggests the Mitsubishi Pajero could be making a return.

The 1990s was a golden era for Mitsubishi, with the Japanese car maker offering a strong selection of models across all segments. Cars like the Mirage, Lancer, Magna, Triton, Express, and Challenger – as well as performance heroes, the 3000GT/GTO and Lancer Evolution.

At the top of the line-up was the flagship Pajero, a capable family four-wheel-drive – often seen as a more comfortable alternative to the Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol.

Mitsubishi retired the ageing Pajero in 2021, with the smaller Triton-based Pajero Sport left for those wanting a capable off-road family SUV.

Now, Japanese publication Best Car is reporting Mitsubishi has plans to resurrect the Pajero in the coming years, with the vehicle potentially making its public debut as soon as 2026.

According to the report, the Pajero will be positioned as a “Japanese Range Rover-like vehicle” – aligning the model as a competitor to the forthcoming new-generation Nissan Patrol, the current Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, and the LandCruiser’s luxury counterpart, the Lexus LX.

In recent years, senior Mitsubishi executives have confirmed plans to introduce a large SUV to the company’s model range – strongly suggesting it could be the Pajero, given the nameplate is so valuable to the brand.

In early 2023, Mitsubishi revealed future product plans to introduce a seven-seater SUV for markets including Australia, Africa, South-East Asia, and Latin America.

Using the same underpinnings as the next-generation Outlander, the Pajero is rumoured to be offered as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) – allowing the vehicle to be driven using electric power before the petrol engine takes over.

It’s believed this will likely be an updated version of the 2.4-litre engine and plug-in hybrid technology found in the current Outlander PHEV, which allows for a claimed 84 kilometres of electric driving range.

However, the possibility of a supercharged 1.5-litre petrol engine has also been raised.

If so, we could see the new Pajero adopt a similar hybrid system to that used in the Nissan X-Trail – which shares its vehicle architecture with the Outlander – in which the petrol engine merely supplies electricity to the battery and electric motors.

These digital renderings by artist Enoch Gonzales provide an idea of what the new Pajero could look like, based on Mitsubishi’s current design language.