Mitsubishi confirms new Pajero keeps 2.4L diesel, not a rebadged Triton
Why it matters: Australia is getting the revived Pajero nameplate in 2027 as the Triton-based Pajero Sport's big brother, and Mitsubishi's own engineers are going out of their way to kill the "it's just a tray-back SUV" perception before it starts.
Mitsubishi's chief vehicle engineer Takaaki Matsumoto says the new Pajero, unveiled globally on 2 September 2026, shares only the front section of its ladder frame and the front floor with the Triton ute. "Most parts or components are renewed from the Triton," he told media ahead of the Australian launch window. The Pajero gets its own sheet metal, interior and an updated 2.4-litre diesel: a second-generation 4N16 unit running a single variable-geometry turbo in place of the Australian Triton's twin-turbo setup, putting out up to 480Nm through a new eight-speed automatic, up from six. About half the frame uses high-tensile steel, with an aluminium bonnet. It's the first ladder-frame Pajero since 1998. Built in Thailand, it launches there first, then Japan and Australia within Japanese fiscal 2026.
Source: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation global newsroom, 2 September 2026; Drive.com.au (Alex Misoyannis), 10-11 October 2026.