Mitsubishi To Re-enter Midsize Pickup Truck Segment, Bring Back Pajero, And Expand As A Brand

Let's start with the pickup truck. Mitsubishi hasn't sold one in the U.S. since 2010, when the brand stopped producing the Raider. The Raider, you'll recall, was based on the also-gone Dodge Dakota.

This new truck will be built in the U.S. and sourced from Nissan. Further details are murky, but the Nissan Frontier is reportedly going to get a redesign for 2028, riding on the same body-on-frame platform that's targeted for the upcoming reboot of the Xterra SUV. That vehicle will likely be built in Canton, Miss.

Mitsubishi is also bringing back the Pajero SUV, at least in other markets. It was called the Montero here. It's all part of a plan to sell 930,000 vehicles globally by the early 2030s. The brand finished the last fiscal year with 797,000 sales.

It's all part of a plan to give the company an off-road identity. That will be followed by entering segments its currently absent in, collaborating with Nissan to do so. Then, the company will open more dealers in the U.S. -- these appear to be what will be called "satellite shops" that set up camp in urban areas.

“We will prioritize restoring profitability and work to turn the business around through brand strengthening and product strategies,” President Keisuke Sugiura told Automotive News. “In the U.S., we will enhance our brand strength by focusing on the expansion of our off-road models, while also entering the pickup truck market for the first time through a collaborative project with Nissan.”

Here's What Torque News Found Out About The Pajero

Mitsubishi will unveil the new Pajero this fall. The last time Mitsubishi offered a Pajero was 2021. The company then killed the model after four generations and nearly 40 years of sales.

That was globally -- the full-size SUV was called the Montero in the U.S. and sales in this market stopped in 2006.

It would seem that the Pajero would sell here, and Mitsubishi is calling it a global vehicle. On the other hand, it might share its platform with the Triton pickup truck -- which isn't sold here and may not be certified for sale in the States.

“The all-new Pajero has been developed from the ground up as a crossover SUV, utilizing the ladder frame of the Triton pickup truck,” Kato said. “In addition to the Pajero launching this year, we will continue to introduce new models as part of the Pajero series.”

While it will ride on the Triton chassis, the next Pajero will get a different cabin and suspension. The front-end styling will be different, too.

Further confusing matters -- with the Nissan XTerra returning, one might think the Pajero would use that frame. But no, it will be on the Triton. On the other hand, Mitsubishi has trademarked Montero back in 2024 -- so perhaps history repeats itself and the Pajero returns globally but dubbed the Montero in America.

Torque News Says This Is Why Mitsubishi Is Getting Back In The Truck Game

It's fairly obvious why Mitsubishi wants to get back in the SUV game -- SUVs remain popular among American buyers, and overlanding, camping, and hiking are as popular as ever, too. The brand's current offering, the Outlander, is fine but one model isn't enough to lure shoppers.

Trucks, especially smaller ones, have gotten hot, too. Full-size trucks are getting to be quite big and expensive -- too big and too expensive for some truck buyers. With today's mid-size trucks being close to yesterday's full-size trucks in size, and having a lower price of entry, brands see an opportunity. The success of the smaller Ford Maverick has also sparked renewed interest in trucks, especially among city dwellers who need something easy to park.

And with the Dodge Dakota rumored to return as a Ram, it really does seem that there will be a lot more choice in the segment soon. Though as we noted above, it seems that this new Mitsubishi truck would be based on the next Frontier, not anything from Ram.

There are other interesting notes, too -- Mitsubishi, which already works closely with Nissan, might also start to partner with Honda. And it seems that Mitsubishi will start to sell a rebadged version of the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle.

Mitsubishi has been a shell of itself for a long time. While it would be nice if the brand also brought back sports cars, it's nice to see there's a plan for expansion.

About The Author

Tim Healey is an experienced automotive writer and editor from Chicago. He has covered automotive news at Consumer Guide Automotive, Web2Carz, AutoGuide, and was the managing editor at The Truth About Cars. Tim is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association. You can find him on Facebook, X/Twitter, and on LinkedIn.