Mitsubishi's Next SUV Could Revive An Iconic Off-Road Trim

The upcoming Mitsubishi Pajero could have the bones to offer a proper Ralliart trim.

Mitsubishi Ralliart

Photo by: Mitsubishi

Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Jun 11, at 2:00pm ET

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The Breakdown

Mitsubishi thinks it would be ‘lovely’ to offer a Pajero Ralliart.
The automaker is reviving the Pajero after it discontinued it in 2021.
The Pajero SUV debuts this fall.

Mitsubishi is officially reviving the Pajero. It will debut this fall as a proper off-road SUV with a ladder frame. That could give the model the bones it needs for Mitsubishi to offer an off-road Ralliart variant.

In an interview with CarSales, Bruce Hampel, Motors Australia’s general manager for product strategy, said, "It would be lovely to have a Pajero Ralliart." Mitsubishi established Ralliart in 1984 as a division to enhance the performance and appearance of its models, and it served as a fierce competitor to Subaru's STI.

Ralliart operated at full capacity until March 2010, when financial strain forced the brand to scale down its business activities, with one thing cut being any planning and development for new products. A decade later, in 2020, Mitsubishi revived the brand, which has a storied history competing in the World Rally Championship that Hampel is aware of. He said:

'But I think that association of Mitsubishi with rally is really the key thing that was very strong back in the 80s, 90s, with the Pajeros in Dakar, with the Lancers, the Evolutions in World Rally. And the passion that that brings to brands is something we're trying to reinvigorate here.

New Mitsubishi Pajero teaser

New Mitsubishi Pajero teaser

Photo by: Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Pajero Details

The all-new Pajero, which will serve as Mitsubishi’s flagship vehicle, will ride on a ladder-frame platform derived from the Triton pickup truck. It will have a bespoke suspension and interior and feature four-wheel drive.

In addition to the Pajero’s return, the automaker is also resurrecting the Montero, which it branded as an SUV in the United States. The automaker discontinued production here after the 2006 model year.

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If the SUV does make it to America, it could share a powertrain with the Nissan Xterra. It will likely feature the 3.8-liter V6 from the Frontier, which produces 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque.

Motor1’s Take: It makes a lot of sense for Mitsubishi to make a Pajero Ralliart, considering how popular off-road-oriented SUVs are right now. Customers love the appearance of capability, and if Ralliart can enhance that into real off-road prowess, that’s even better.

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