The replacement for the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has arrived Down Under ahead of its global debut.
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The 2026 Mitsubishi Pajero has arrived in Australia for local testing ahead of the new-generation car’s official international reveal.
The new Pajero is set to adopt a body-on-frame platform related to the new Triton, and is expected to revive the Pajero name, rather than continuing the Pajero Sport moniker.
As with overseas spy shots, the Pajero spotted in Australia still wears a full camouflage wrap, obscuring most of its styling details, although a chunkier, more square look than the outgoing Pajero Sport is clearly visible.
The new Pajero will also feature a number of styling changes compared to the Triton with which it’s likely to share its chassis, including a clamshell bonnet, wider wheel arch flares, and flatter sculpting along the bottoms of the doors.
Some styling themes introduced on the smaller developing-market Mitsubishi Destinator are present on the Pajero too, including a ‘floating’ roof with blacked-out pillars front to back, and slatted LED lighting elements at the front and rear.
The new Pajero is expected to be officially revealed by Mitsubishi in 2026, with Australian deliveries expected to closely follow its international reveal in the second half of the year.
Although the Pajero name change is not yet confirmed, it’s believed the more thorough styling changes and the push into a more upmarket Prado-rivalling market position could prompt the name change.
With Triton underpinnings the 2026 Mitsubishi Pajero is expected to share the ute’s 2.4-litre bi-turbo diesel engine.
Changes to the Triton’s 150kW and 470Nm outputs are unknown at this stage, but it’s possible the Pajero will keep the outgoing Pajero Sport’s eight-speed automatic, rather than using the Triton’s six-speed auto.
SuperSelect four-wheel-drive, a feature of past Pajero models and the Pajero Sport, is likely to continue, allowing the use of full-time four-wheel-drive on paved roads and sealed surfaces, unlike traditional low-range 4x4 systems.
Although it’s not entirely clear if the new Pajero is here for validation testing or other purposes, Mitsubishi has said previously that Australia is viewed as a ‘key market’ by the brand, leading to greater levels of engineering input for global models.
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Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
