The Mitsubishi Destinator is a new seven-seat SUV for South-East Asia, with its styling appearing to be similar to the next-generation Pajero off-roader launching in 2026.
The 2026 Mitsubishi Destinator seven-seat SUV has debuted as a lower-cost alternative to the Outlander – and its styling is our best indication yet of how the new-generation Pajero off-roader will look.
Intended for the South-East Asian market – and based on the existing Mitsubishi XForce SUV and Xpander MPV models built and sold there – the Destinator appears to wear a similar design to the recently spied 2026 Pajero.
However, the design language is their only similarity, with the mid-size, car-based Destinator essentially a stretched version of the XForce small SUV, while the full-size Pajero is expected to be related to the ladder-frame Triton ute, succeeding the current Pajero Sport.
Manufactured in Indonesia, the Destinator will also be sold in South Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, but like the XForce it is based on, it has been ruled out for Australia due to our more-stringent safety and emissions standards.
"[The] Destinator is designed for [South-East Asian] markets only," a Mitsubishi Motors Australia spokesperson said.
"We are focused on rolling out 25MY Outlander [petrol] and upcoming PHEV, and [the new] ASX is also on the horizon."
While the XForce and Xpander feature a non-turbo 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, the front-wheel-drive-only Destinator features the Eclipse Cross's 120kW/250Nm non-hybrid 1.5-litre turbo, matched to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) automatic.
Mitsubishi said the Destinator name was chosen "in the hopes that it will empower drivers and their beloved families to pursue new destinations with confidence," and it follows the DST Concept unveiled in October 2024.
Inside, the seven-seater features a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, 8-inch digital instrument cluster, an eight-speaker Yamaha 'Dynamic Sound Premium' audio system, 64-colour ambient lighting, USB-C charge ports, and 40:20:40 split-fold second-row seats.
Measuring 4680mm long, 1840mm wide and 1780mm tall with a 2815mm wheelbase, the Destinator is 40mm shorter, 22mm narrower and 35mm taller than an Outlander with a 109mm-longer wheelbase.
The Outlander is available with seven seats in Australia – though the brand refers to these variants as '5 + 2' seaters intended for occasional use and best suited to younger children, not adults.
Recent spy photos indicate the next-generation Pajero will have T-shaped headlights like the Destinator, along with a similar design for its tail-lights, side windows, and squared-off wheel arches – but the two vehicles are not mechanically related.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
