Mitsubishi leans on Pajero return and Triton Raider as it resets its Australian ambitions

Kihara frames Pajero and Raider as brand turning points

Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited is counting on the adventure-oriented Triton Raider and the new-generation Pajero to reinforce the brand's position in an increasingly crowded local market, according to a GoAuto interview with MMAL chief executive Shunichi Kihara. He described 2026 as "a very, very important turning point for the company and for the brand", saying the two products are "a very, very good representation" of Mitsubishi. ¹

Kihara acknowledged that established players cannot expect to hold previous market share as new competitors arrive. "The players who are in the market from the past cannot simply keep the same volume unless the market expands, which is not the case in Australia," he told GoAuto, noting Mitsubishi is mid line-up transition and "at the bottom of the sales volume" pending Pajero and ASX VR-e arrivals. He said the company would rather build brand value through heritage, reliability and its dealer network than chase a sales ranking. ¹

MMAL product strategy manager Tim Clarke told GoAuto the Raider program was "a signal of intent" to build entertaining and adventurous vehicles, and said acceptance from Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in Japan had been positive, potentially aiding future discussions about further locally developed models. ¹³

New Pajero: pricing, grades and local arrival

Mitsubishi has confirmed Australian pricing for the returning Pajero, with GoAuto reporting three grades across four variants from $68,490 plus on-road costs: five-seat GLS at $68,490, seven-seat GLS at $69,990, seven-seat Exceed at $79,990 and GSR flagship at $84,990, all excluding on-road costs. More than 3000 prospective customers had pre-registered interest ahead of launch, per MMAL. GoAuto also reports the model is covered by Mitsubishi's 10/10/10 Diamond Advantage aftersales program, comprising a 10-year/200,000km warranty, 10 years of capped-price servicing and 10 years of roadside assistance, subject to applicable terms and conditions. ⁸

Mitsubishi Motors unveiled the all-new Pajero cross-country SUV at its world premiere in Tokyo on September 2, 2026, stating it is built in Thailand and launches first in Thailand, followed by Japan and Australia during fiscal 2026, with roughly 100 countries planned from fiscal 2027. The company positions it as a new-generation flagship embodying its mid- to long-term vision for the 2030s. ²

December's Australian arrival will mark the nameplate's return after more than five years, following the end of fourth-generation production in 2021, GoAuto reports. The new model arrives into a far more competitive large four-wheel drive segment against the Toyota LandCruiser Prado, Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X, and is priced well above the final Pajero Sport range, which topped out at $64,840 plus on-road costs in its last substantially updated form. ⁸⁷

Triton-derived engineering with clear separation

The fifth-generation Pajero is a body-on-frame SUV using a heavily modified version of the Triton's ladder-frame chassis, a departure from the previous model's reinforced monocoque construction, CarExpert/7NEWS notes from its first Australian off-road drive of pre-production GSR examples at Eagle View 4WD Park outside Adelaide. Mitsubishi still expects the local launch "just in time for Christmas", though only pre-production cars are on the ground and media are not yet permitted to drive them on public roads. ⁶

Power comes from a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel producing 150kW and 480Nm in Pajero tune, 10Nm more than the Triton's bi-turbo version, using a single variable-geometry turbo. It is paired with a newly developed eight-speed automatic and Mitsubishi's Super Select 4WD-II system with 2H, 4H, 4HLc and 4LLc modes, integrated with Super-All Wheel Control and seven drive modes including a low-range-only Rock setting. Braked towing is rated at 3500kg, up from the Pajero Sport's 3100kg. ⁶⁸²

Mitsubishi says the two vehicles serve distinctly different customers: the Pajero gains five-link coil-sprung rear suspension, revised steering and extensive sound insulation where the Triton keeps leaf springs and a six-speed auto, GoAuto reports. MMAL Pajero product strategy manager Rod Pinedo told GoAuto the seven-year development brief was "refinement and comfort without compromising any of the off-road capability", with customer feedback that the Pajero Sport was "not big enough" helping shape the wider body. He also said no two-wheel drive variant is planned, given the Pajero's positioning as a true off-roader. ⁷⁴⁵

Accessories and aftersales support for the local launch

Mitsubishi is preparing an extensive locally developed accessory range for the Pajero's Australian arrival. MMAL Pajero product strategy manager Rod Pinedo told GoAuto: "The objective is to have all Australian-developed accessories available for launch later in the calendar year, including new accessories, especially for towing and off-roading." A full accessory list is to be detailed closer to launch, according to GoAuto's pricing and specification report. ⁷⁸

Raider program and a shifting competitive field

The Premcar-enhanced Triton Raider, launched earlier in 2026 as Mitsubishi's first Australian second-stage manufacturing program, is priced from $74,990 plus on-road costs according to GoAuto's main report, and features revised suspension, all-terrain tyres, unique wheels and additional underbody protection. Mitsubishi initially forecast annual sales of more than 1000 Raiders, with production capacity adjustable to demand, and Kihara told GoAuto early feedback from dealers and customers has been positive. ¹

Asked whether the Raider treatment could extend to the Pajero, Kihara told GoAuto: "Personally, I would love to see that," describing the program as an important strategy to add value and enhance "Mitsubishi-ness". No derivative has been confirmed, and any expansion depends on further evaluation and approval. The prospect gains context from Nissan's decision not to proceed with the Premcar-developed D27-series Navara Warrior, redirecting resources toward the Chinese-sourced Navara Pro plug-in hybrid expected in Australia next year, GoAuto reports. ³

Mitsubishi is also studying whether the Pajero's refinement work could inform a more luxurious Triton flagship, but Pinedo told GoAuto only that the company is "always studying opportunities", and no Pajero-derived mechanical or interior enhancements are confirmed for the ute. ⁴

Electrification remains an open question

The Pajero launches exclusively with diesel, but MMAL Pajero product strategy manager Rod Pinedo told GoAuto the ladder-frame architecture shared with Triton has been developed with future electrification in mind, with studies under way for "several years". "It's definitely a possibility to have that on this platform. But we're undergoing the studies at the moment," he said, without providing a timeline. ⁵

Pinedo told GoAuto that diesel was chosen for launch because it addresses current market needs, with charging infrastructure, price parity and customer expectations of towing and remote-area capability among the factors shaping any future powertrain decision. He noted Mitsubishi's Momentum 2030 strategy contemplates a broader spectrum of powertrains across nameplates. Reports following the international reveal have suggested conventional hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants are planned, but GoAuto notes neither their specifications nor Australian availability has been confirmed. ⁵

Early driving impressions remain limited to a brief off-road preview. CarExpert/7NEWS found the pre-production GSR impressively composed off-road with strong traction control, but flagged poor camera resolution, occasional side-step scraping and slow low-range engagement as quibbles, and noted on-road behaviour remains a significant unknown until full local testing is possible. ⁶