Mitsubishi Motors has been a two-decade-long curiosity for me, as the Japanese automaker tries to find its place in the world and the North American automotive market. The brand has said it remains committed to the North American market, and what better way to show it than by reviving one of its more iconic nameplates? Montero.
The brand has already said that it’ll offer multiple new models based on its 2030 business plan, and bringing back the Montero (or Pajero, depending on where you live) sounds like a very good idea, so long as they make it appealing and true to the Montero name and legacy. (Pretty much the opposite of the Eclipse Cross, which perturbed Mitsubishi fans by the use of the word Eclipse.)
The image at the top comes from this video. Most of the vid talks about the brand’s Ralliart racing history. However, the last four seconds of the video show a new SUV. It looks a lot like camouflaged vehicles spy photographers have been capturing lately. In fact, both Car and Driver and The Drive have some camouflaged photos of a new Mitsubishi SUV. There are also scads of AI renderings and videos out there. They show what it could look like, but those are all just AI. However, those renderings’ shapes look like the camo vehicles. Car and Driver is, for what it’s worth, calling it a 2028.
So we know Montero has been filed for trademark, and there are camoed SUVs running around, and now this from the above video. We don’t know if it’ll be mostly Nissan, if it’ll have body-on-frame construction, full- or part-time 4WD, of any engine/transmission options. But I think this could be a very smart move by Mitsubishi if they do it right. If they do it at all. But I’d say there’s a good chance this will happen, especially since the name has been filed with the patent office.
While the Outlander has been a good vehicle for the brand, it needs a successful follow-up act, and it needs it pronto. Would the return of a truly capable Mitsubishi vehicle help the marque’s success? I think it would, and probably on a global level. It might at least give the brand a halo-like vehicle that gets people excited about the brand again. I still believe Mitsubishi makes good cars. They just need an injection of excitement. A new Montero/Pajero would be a good first step.
What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Andy Lilienthal is an award-winning writer and has written professionally since 1999. He has over 13 years in the automotive aftermarket working at companies including Warn Industries, Bushwacker, and Lund International. Editorial works include writing and photography for off-road print magazines, to new-car reviews online. He’s a photographer with images in multiple magazines, blog sites, and The New York Times.
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