Mitsubishi Australia reveals the demands it set for the all-new Pajero ahead of December launch

Australian involvement from the concept stage

Speaking with media including CarExpert at the Pajero's first local test drive, Mitsubishi Australia product strategy manager Rod Pinedo said there had been constant communication with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation "since day one". "We're talking 2019 when the concept started building in Japan, and at the time, there was no final decision on what this was going to be called, or how the vehicle was going to be, or what was going to be delivered," he said, noting Mitsubishi Australia drew on years of Pajero Sport sales feedback and the outgoing Pajero's near-20-year run to shape what buyers would need in the large 4x4 SUV space. ¹

Beyond those two headline demands, Pinedo said Mitsubishi Australia was also involved in tuning the Pajero's ride and handling, leveraging its recent local chassis work on the Triton and the mid-2025 Outlander update. The Outlander's on-road improvements came from extensive testing on rough hilly roads south of Adelaide, the same roads once used to develop the locally built Mitsubishi 380, and Mitsubishi says Japanese engineers spent several months in Australia during that development. According to Pinedo, Mitsubishi Motors has even developed sections of its proving grounds that resemble Australian roads, a practice it now applies to the Pajero. ¹

Two non-negotiables: cabin width and child-seat anchor points

Pinedo told CarExpert that Mitsubishi Australia presented Mitsubishi Motors with two non-negotiable requirements during development: "Two main things, learnings from Pajero Sport: the odd location of the child restraint anchor points was one, and cabin width was the second." On width, the new body is 110mm wider than the Pajero Sport's, delivering 50mm of extra second-row width. On anchor points, the top tethers in the Pajero Sport were fitted to the roof, an arrangement Mitsubishi Australia wanted changed; in the new Pajero they are located on the second-row seatbacks. ¹

Together, the wider body and relocated tethers allow more convenient fitment of three child seats. Mitsubishi has confirmed the new Pajero carries no equivalent of the limitation it advises against in the Pajero Sport, where the brand recommends against fitting three child seats simultaneously in the second row. CarExpert notes the details of the Pajero Sport's three-abreast constraints were separately explained in an article by BabyDrive earlier in 2026. ¹

Launch timing, pricing and range structure

Mitsubishi Motors unveiled the fully redesigned all-new Pajero at its world premiere on 2 September 2026, positioning it as a new-generation flagship. According to the manufacturer, the model is built at its production base in Thailand, launches first in Thailand, then in Japan and Australia during fiscal 2026, with rollout to roughly 100 countries planned from fiscal 2027. The previous Pajero's four generations produced more than 3.29 million units and sold in more than 170 countries and regions. ²

Mitsubishi has confirmed the Pajero will reach Australian showrooms in December 2026 in four grades: five-seat GLS at $68,490, seven-seat GLS at $69,990, seven-seat Exceed at $79,990 and flagship seven-seat GSR at $84,990, all manufacturer list prices before on-road costs. Mitsubishi Australia says more than 3000 pre-registrations have already been logged, and every Pajero is covered by the 10/10/10 Diamond Advantage program of 10-year/200,000km warranty, 10-year capped-price servicing and 10-year roadside assistance. ⁶⁵

For context, CarExpert's pricing analysis places the base five-seat GLS slightly above the cheapest full-time 4WD Ford Everest and well above the entry Isuzu MU-X, while the GSR tops the flagship Everest Platinum ($82,917 plus on-road costs) and MU-X ($77,100 plus on-road costs), with the Toyota Prado Kakadu above $100,000. CarExpert also notes the outgoing top-spec Pajero Exceed Final Edition was $63,490 before on-road costs in 2021, roughly $76,000 in inflation-adjusted terms. CarExpert separately flagged the new diesel GWM Tank 500 at $71,990 drive-away, a drive-away figure not directly comparable with the Pajero's list prices. ⁴

Platform, powertrain and capability across the range

Unlike the monocoque-reinforced construction of the previous two Pajero generations, the new model uses a heavily modified version of the Triton's ladder-frame chassis. Over the Triton it gains five-link rear suspension with coils instead of leaf springs, an eight-speed automatic instead of six speeds, and a unique body with up to three rows. Power comes from a single-turbo version of the Triton's 2.4-litre 4N16 turbo-diesel, producing 150kW and 480Nm, up 10Nm on the engine's previous application, and paired with a newly developed eight-speed automatic. ¹⁶⁴

Every grade shares the core off-road hardware: Super Select 4WD-II with 2H, 4H, 4HLc and 4LLc modes, a low-range transfer case and rear differential lock, plus seven drive modes (Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand, Rock) with Super All-Wheel Control and Active Yaw Control. Braked towing is rated at 3500kg with Trailer Load Assist, roof loading is 100kg dynamic and 300kg static, and Mitsubishi says the engine is its first to meet Euro 6d emissions standards, using a water-cooled intercooler, dual-loop EGR, AdBlue and an electric cooling fan. ⁶⁵

Documented dimensions are 4920mm long, 1925mm wide and 1910mm high on a 2870mm wheelbase, with 230mm ground clearance, a 30.4-degree approach angle, 22.6-degree breakover and 25.8-degree departure angle, and 52:48 front-rear weight distribution. Some figures in CarExpert's driving report differ slightly, listing ground clearance at 228mm, and CarExpert records claimed fuel economy of 7.1L/100km for the GLS and 7.2L/100km for Exceed and GSR, kerb weights from 2397kg (GLS 5-seat) to 2513kg (GSR), payload from 702kg to 818kg, a 3215kg GVM and 6340kg GCM. 4X4 Australia reported at announcement time that payload, towball download and GCM figures had not been released; CarExpert's later drive figures indicate those numbers have since been published, though wading depth remains listed as TBC in that report. ⁶⁴

First local drives: promising off-road, on-road untested

Journalists from CarExpert and 4X4 Australia drove pre-production Pajeros at the Eagle View 4WD Park outside Adelaide in a short off-road-only preview, with media not permitted on public roads. 4X4 Australia's Toby Hagon called it the most convincing Mitsubishi in more than a decade, praising improved wheel articulation over the old Pajero, strong traction from Super Select 4WD-II and the rear locker, and a notably quieter, more refined cabin than both the old Pajero and the Triton. Both outlets noted the bulky clamshell bonnet limits forward visibility when placing the front wheels, and CarExpert found the camera resolution poor enough that it hopes this is a pre-production trait. ³⁴

Neither drive was a comprehensive verdict: 4X4 Australia noted its test rarely exceeded 25-30km/h with no bitumen driving, and that traction control briefly struggled on one cross-axle climb before the locked centre and rear differentials carried the car through. CarExpert also flagged remaining unknowns including on-road behaviour and the absence of published service pricing at the time of its drive. Both outlets plan fuller assessments around the December launch. ³⁴