Mitsubishi has been slowly revealing more and more about its upcoming Pajero/Montero full-size body-on-frame SUV, and it looks like its ruggedness will be on par with the Toyota Land Cruiser. But that’s not the only Toyota product that Mitsubishi is looking to steal sales from, reports Nikkei Asia, with a new compact unibody crossover expected to fight the RAV4 and Mazda‘s CX-5 in 2028 or 2029. There’ll reportedly also be a midsize SUV to take on the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Toyota Crown Signia, and even a kei-class variant around 2030, though that’s too small to ever reach America.
Mitsubishi Wants To Be Mainstream
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi has become a relatively niche brand by failing to offer products in America’s most popular segments, and it’s clearly looking to right the ship. Using a respected name like Pajero to kickstart a whole family of off-road-focused models makes sense, but buyers can usually see through badge-engineering, something Mitsubishi has done on many previous occasions. So this time, Mitsubishi is reportedly creating a dedicated platform for its RAV4 rival, not borrowing from Nissan or Renault. That should help make the Mitsubishi name more trustworthy, though it must be said that the automaker must also keep development costs in check to provide an attractive MSRP to the customer. Naturally, a hybrid variant makes as much sense here as on the full-size Montero, but how can Mitsubishi stand out from Toyota, Hyundai, and the rest?
Related: Mitsubishi Quietly Reveals The New Pajero’s Interior For The First Time
Nikkei Asia says Mitsubishi will set itself apart by promoting rugged four-wheel drive tech harder, ensuring customers understand that they’re buying something more capable than your average crossover. Of course, that could be interpreted as a sign that Mitsubishi’s compact crossover will be expensive for its segment, but on the other hand, developing a full family of off-road-ready vehicles helps democratize technologies. We’ll know more after the first in the clan, the Montero/Pajero, is revealed in early September.
Autoblog’s Take
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi has a long way to go before it’s as successful as Toyota, and with increasing competition from China, it needs to produce globally beloved hits if it is to survive the progression of electrification. These new models in the Pajero family tree sound like exactly what Mitsubishi dealers in the U.S. have been pining for (excluding the Pajero Minikei car, of course), and if they’re well executed, reliable, durable, and relatively affordable, Mitsubishi could even steal sales from Hyundai. If that works well enough, Mitsubishi could conceivably justify bringing the Evo back from the dead. Fingers crossed.
Â
