Mitsubishi Revives the Pajero Legend and Plots US Market Conquest with New Mid-Size Pickup

Mitsubishi Motors is officially reviving the legendary Pajero SUV, known as the Montero in the United States, with strong indications of its return to the American market.

According to Car and Driver, this revival is just the beginning of Mitsubishi's aggressive expansion into off-road-capable vehicles. The Japanese automaker is also planning a strategic collaboration with Nissan to develop and produce a brand-new mid-size pickup truck specifically for the US market.

The upcoming pickup will be manufactured at Nissan's US facilities. Around 2028, Nissan is set to introduce a next-generation body-on-frame platform for mid-size trucks. This architecture will underpin the redesigned Nissan Frontier, a new Xterra SUV, and a body-on-frame Infiniti SUV. The new Mitsubishi pickup is highly likely to ride on this same platform and will be assembled at Nissan's Canton plant in Mississippi.

While an exact release date remains unannounced, the new truck is expected to hit the market before 2030. This localized production is a massive strategic win for Mitsubishi, currently the only Japanese automaker without a US manufacturing footprint. Building the truck domestically will allow the brand to enter the highly lucrative mid-size pickup segment while completely bypassing US import tariffs.

Announced by Mitsubishi CEO Takao Kato, the new pickup is a cornerstone of a broader corporate strategy. The company aims to boost global sales from 797,000 units in the fiscal year ending March 31 to 930,000 units annually by the end of the decade.

Mitsubishi has been absent from the US pickup market since 2009, when production of the Raider—a rebadged Dodge Dakota—was discontinued. Meanwhile, it remains unclear if the new pickup will be accompanied by a dedicated off-road SUV. The revived Pajero shares its underpinnings with the Triton, a body-on-frame pickup sold in international markets, which suggests the new Pajero might be tailored for regions outside the United States.