Mitsubishi has confirmed that the all-new Pajero (or Montero as it’s known in some markets) will go on sale in Japan on December 17.
The flagship cross-country SUV is already shaping up to be a success, as the automaker has announced it has received approximately 5,500 pre-orders for the new Pajero from its home market. The number of pre-orders has exceeded Mitsubishi’s target of 4,000 units for the fiscal year 2026 (April 2026 through March 2027).
It Starts at $39,300 in Japan—Very Close to Toyota Land Cruiser 300
Mitsubishi Motors
It does help that the Pajero has a very competitive base price of 6,193,000 yen, the equivalent of $39,300 at the current exchange rate. That’s marginally cheaper than the diesel-powered Toyota Land Cruiser 300, its direct rival.
The all-new Pajero will be available in four trims in Japan: Super Exceed, Exceed, GSR, and GLS. The former two trims are more luxury oriented, while the latter two are more focused on off-road capability.
Mitsubishi
The Japanese market will get a single powertrain—a 2.4-liter turbo diesel engine rated at 201 horsepower at 3,500 rpm and 354 pound-feet of torque from 1,750 to 2,500 rpm. Mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with Sport mode, the engine is said to return a fuel economy of 12.1 km/L on the WLTC cycle, which is the equivalent of 28.5 MPG.
The transmission sends power to all four wheels via the Super Select 4WD-II (SS4-II) system, which allows drivers to select from four modes: 2H (rear-wheel drive), 4H (full-time 4WD), 4HLc (locked center differential), and 4LLc (locked center differential with low-range gears). According to Mitsubishi, the SS4-II system combines “high off-road capability with excellent on-road handling stability.”
Truck-Based Ladder-Frame Chassis Provides Solid Base for Off-Road Capability
Mitsubishi
The AWD system is integrated into the Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) vehicle dynamics control system, which controls driving, cornering and braking.
S-AWC also integrates control of Active Yaw Control (AYC), which uses the front brakes to control torque between the left and right wheels, Active Stability and Traction Control (ASTC), which distributes driving force to enhance stability on slippery surfaces, and ABS.
Mitsubishi
The new Pajero offers seven selectable drive modes for specific driving conditions: Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand and Rock. The Pajero is based on the ladder-frame chassis from the Mitsubishi Triton pickup, which is a great prerequisite for off-road capability.
Models equipped with 20-inch tires (standard on Super Exceed and Exceed trims) offer 9 inches (230 mm) of ground clearance, a 30.4-degree approach angle, a 22.6-degree ramp breakover angle, and a 25.8-degree departure angle.
The new Pajero is already on sale in Thailand and will launch in Australia later this year before expanding to around 100 other international markets. The United States has not been confirmed among those markets, but Mitsubishi previewed a body-on-frame flagship SUV to U.S. dealers under the Montero name. If the Montero does arrive stateside in the coming years it will definitely need a different powertrain to meet U.S. emissions certification.
Mitsubishi
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Dan Mihalascu
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