Mitsubishi Motors has confirmed that the all-new Pajero will be offered with additional powertrain options and will form the basis of a family of off-road-focused SUVs, potentially expanding the company's SUV line-up in markets such as the Philippines.

Speaking to a local daily, Mitsubishi Motors President Keisuke Kishiura said that, despite the company's limited financial resources, Mitsubishi considered it the right time to revive the Pajero nameplate. He identified global demand for full-size cross-country SUVs as a factor behind the decision to reintroduce the nameplate after an absence of around five years. The strategy is part of Mitsubishi's plans to develop a broader SUV range for Southeast Asia.

The new Pajero will compete with models such as the Toyota Land Cruiser and Nissan Patrol, with Mitsubishi targeting more affluent customers. In line with its plans to broaden the Pajero range, the company also intends to adopt a multi-model strategy similar to Toyota's approach with the Land Cruiser nameplate, which is currently offered under three separate nameplates: Land Cruiser, Land Cruiser Prado and Land Cruiser FJ.

As part of this strategy, Kishiura has confirmed that Mitsubishi will introduce two additional Pajero-branded SUVs. Both models will be smaller and more compact than the full-size Pajero that has already been revealed. Depending on future product plans and market requirements, these smaller models could provide Mitsubishi with additional SUV options in markets such as the Philippines.

Mitsubishi Motors has unveiled the all-new Pajero as a new-generation flagship model and plans to launch it across Southeast Asia and other international markets. The SUV will be built at Mitsubishi's production facility in Thailand. The Philippines is part of Mitsubishi's Southeast Asian market network, so the company's regional launch strategy also covers a market where the additional Pajero models could eventually be offered.

The new Pajero is scheduled to launch first in Thailand, followed by Japan and Australia during the current fiscal year, which began on April 1st, 2026, and ends in March 2027. From fiscal 2027 onwards, Mitsubishi plans to introduce the all-new Pajero in approximately 100 countries worldwide, including markets across ASEAN, Latin America and the Middle East. As the Philippines is part of ASEAN, it could form part of Mitsubishi's broader regional plans, although the company has not specified the Philippine launch timing.

The company is also studying additional powertrain options for the new Pajero family, including a conventional petrol engine, a self-charging hybrid and a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Their availability will depend on Mitsubishi's future product plans and market requirements, including those in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian markets.

For now, the all-new Pajero is powered by a 2.4-litre MIVEC clean-diesel engine, designated 4N16. The engine uses a wide-range single-variable-geometry turbocharger designed to improve acceleration and responsiveness.

The SUV is based on the Triton's ladder-frame platform, although Mitsubishi has increased the platform's rigidity to improve stability and durability. The Pajero retains its focus on cross-country capability while incorporating features intended to provide the comfort expected of a modern passenger vehicle.

The Pajero nameplate dates back to 1982, when Mitsubishi introduced it as a cross-country four-wheel-drive vehicle designed to combine off-road performance and dependability with passenger-car-like comfort. The new-generation model is intended to retain this positioning while serving as the foundation for a broader family of off-road-focused vehicles. The planned expansion could give Mitsubishi additional SUV options across different sizes and powertrain configurations in the Philippines, subject to future product and market decisions.