The Mitsubishi Pajero is back. After being pulled from overseas markets in 2021, the iconic 4x4 returns as an all-new fifth-generation SUV. It's a seven-seater built on a tough ladder-frame chassis. But if you're in India, here's the catch: Mitsubishi has not confirmed an India launch, and the SUV goes on sale in Thailand, Japan and Australia first.
Pajero 2026: what's confirmed, and why India isn't on the list
Mitsubishi pulled the covers off the new Pajero on 2 September 2026. It's built at the company's plant in Thailand and goes on sale there first. Japan and Australia follow by March 2027. From fiscal 2027, Mitsubishi plans to sell it in about 100 countries, including ASEAN, Latin America and the Middle East. India is not on the confirmed list. The Pajero was sold here before, but there's no launch date, price or plan for our market right now. So the Mitsubishi Pajero price in India stays a question mark for now.
Design: T-shaped lights, and the spare wheel is gone
The new Pajero takes cues from older models but wears a more modern look. It gets T-shaped headlights, a big upright grille and chunky wheel arches. The C-pillar nods to the roll bar of the first-gen Pajero, and a hexagonal shape at the rear hints at the old spare wheel. Speaking of which, the tailgate-mounted spare wheel is gone. It now sits under the car, with a normal tailgate replacing the old side-hinged 'fifth door'. Purists may not love that change. Top versions ride on 20-inch wheels.
How big is it? 4,920mm long, 230mm clearance
The Pajero measures 4,920mm long, 1,925mm wide and 1,910mm tall. The wheelbase is a long 2,870mm, which helps cabin space. Ground clearance is 230mm, so speed-breakers and rough village roads shouldn't be a worry. Off-road angles are strong: 30.4-degree approach, 22.6-degree breakover and 25.8-degree departure (these tell you how steep a slope or ditch it can tackle without scraping). Weight sits at a near-even 52:48 front-to-rear split.
Interior: twin 14.3-inch screens, Yamaha audio and the digital multi-meter
The cabin is the big surprise. It feels modern and plush, more than you'd expect from a Mitsubishi. Top variants get two 14.3-inch screens (lower ones get a 12.3-inch display). The old triple-gauge multi-meter is back, now digital, showing altitude, compass, pitch and roll angles and even torque split side to side. Handy stuff when the going gets tricky off-road. The seven-seat layout gets a sliding, tumbling second row for easier third-row access. There's a 12-speaker Yamaha audio system, tri-zone AC (separate temperature for three zones), ventilated front seats, rear sunshades and heated second-row seats. Mitsubishi kept physical buttons for climate control, thankfully.
Powertrain and 4WD: 2.4 diesel, 480 Nm, Super Select 4WD-II
At launch, there's one engine: a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel, shared with the Triton pickup. Mitsubishi officially lists 480 Nm of torque (pulling power), 10 Nm more than the Triton. The company has not confirmed the power figure, so treat the reported 204 PS as unofficial. It's mated to a new 8-speed automatic gearbox with a Sport mode. The Super Select 4WD-II system offers 2H, 4H, 4HLc and 4LLc modes, with 4LLc giving low-range gearing for serious off-road crawling. There are seven drive modes too: Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand and Rock.
Platform and off-road hardware: Triton's ladder frame
The Pajero sits on a ladder-frame chassis shared with the Triton, but strengthened for the SUV with more high-tensile steel. Up front it uses a double-wishbone setup; at the rear, a five-link rigid axle. Mitsubishi says this balances highway comfort with tough off-road ability. The Super-All Wheel Control system manages drive and braking across all four wheels. It pulls together Active Yaw Control, stability control, traction control and ABS to keep things planted on loose or slippery surfaces.
Safety and ADAS: 8 airbags and MI-PILOT
The Pajero gets eight airbags as part of its safety kit. There's Forward Collision Mitigation (auto-braking to avoid a crash), Predictive Forward Collision Warning, Emergency Lane Assist and Front Cross Traffic Alert. It also gets MI-PILOT, Mitsubishi's ADAS (safety tech that can steer and brake for you), which mixes adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping. No crash-test rating has been shared yet.
Will the Pajero come to India? What history suggests
Here's the honest answer: nobody knows yet. Mitsubishi has not confirmed anything for India. The brand's presence here is thin now, so a quick launch looks unlikely. That's a pity, because India loves seven-seat ladder-frame 4x4s, and the Pajero name still carries weight here. For now, if you want this Pajero, you'd be looking at overseas markets. We'll update the moment Mitsubishi says anything official about an India launch.
