Mitsubishi Motors Corporation showcased the Pajero’s rich heritage at the Automobile Council 2026, held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The Japanese automaker brought significant models that shaped the Pajero nameplate. It also used the event to announce that the next-generation Pajero will officially debut by the end of 2026.
The news was shared by newly appointed Mitsubishi Motors President Keisuke Kishiura during his address to journalists at the Automobile Council 2026. Kishiura-san said that the Pajero is a cross-country SUV that combines “genuine off-road capability with the ease of use and comfort of a passenger car.”
Kishura added that the Pajero is known for its off-road capability, which offers driving with confidence “in any weather or road surface.” As such, “its reliability can withstand harsh use, and its comfortable ride that doesn’t tire you out even on long drives.” That said, the Pajero has been one of the most popular models that Mitsubishi has produced.
“These characteristics were honed in the world’s toughest Dakar Rally and have been carried on not only in successive generations of Pajeros but also in Mitsubishi Motors’ SUVs today,” Kishura added.
Then, Kishura mentioned that Mitsubishi is planning to launch the new cross-country SUV by the end of 2026. The Japanese automaker’s President is confident that we will be seeing its new cross-country SUV before the year ends, as he said that the “development is progressing smoothly, so please look forward to it.”
While Kishura did not openly mention that the upcoming new cross-country SUV is indeed the Pajero, all the hints and signals are pointing towards the revival of the Pajero nameplate. There could also be a possibility that the next-gen Pajero will come with a manual transmission, since Kishura confessed that he is “a manual transmission kind of guy,” as reported by Japan’s Best Car Web.
Meanwhile, among the vehicles displayed by Mitsubishi at the Automobile Council 2026 are the first and second generations of Pajero. It is joined by the Pajero Dakar Rally car, J11 Delivery Wagon, and the Pajero I, a concept car that was the first to bear the name “Pajero,” and is the model that became the origin of the later mass-produced “Pajero.”
Autocar’s Take
All the stars are aligning when it comes to the comeback of the Pajero nameplate, and it looks like we are set to see it before the end of 2026. This is confirmed and announced by Mitsubishi Motors President Keisuke Kishiura himself, which is a strong indication that the Pajero’s comeback is imminent.
Mitsubishi has yet to share more details about the next-gen Pajero. For now, the Japanese automaker is saying that it will be launching a new cross-country SUV before the year ends. Mitsubishi is confident about this timeline as Kishiura-san said that the “development is progressing smoothly, so please look forward to it.”
