- Mitsubishi is preparing to launch an all-new Pajero SUV.
- The new Pajero shares its ladder-frame chassis with the Triton.
- A Pajero Ralliart remains a possibility, but it is unapproved.
The all-new Pajero is nearly here, and Mitsubishi is betting it can do more than just sell in respectable numbers. The SUV is shaping up as a genuine alternative to the Toyota Land Cruiser, and it might drag the dormant Ralliart name back into the spotlight along the way.
Mitsubishi technically resurrected Ralliart a few years ago, though calling it a revival is generous. What buyers got were sticker packs and a Pajero Sport special edition, not the performance pedigree the badge once stood for. That could change. Reports already pointed to a flagship Triton pickup wearing Ralliart, and the Pajero has emerged as another strong candidate for the treatment.
Read: Mitsubishi Hints At A Rugged Outlander, But Americans Won’t Be Getting It
The original Pajero cut its teeth at the famed Dakar Rally, sparking interest in Mitsubishi through the 1980s and 1990s that has been largely missing in recent years. Speaking with Car Sales, Mitsubishi Australia GM for product strategy, Bruce Hampel, said he wants to help reinvigorate interest in the brand, and the new Pajero could help it do this.
Dakar Links
Baldauf
“So, given the linkage to Dakar and the history we have, I think most customers associate Pajero with Dakar. I guess I’m getting older, the affiliation is becoming less and less nowadays,” 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. It would be lovely to have a Pajero Ralliart.”
Mitsubishi recently launched the Triton Raider in Australia, a slightly more off-road-focused version of the popular pickup truck. While it doesn’t have the Ralliart name, its success could encourage Mitsubishi to launch a true Ralliart version, not just of it but potentially even for the Outlander.
However, as Mitsubishi has yet to approve any such models, they wouldn’t be launched for several more years, at the earliest. For now, shoppers will have to be satisfied with the standard Pajero, which, thanks to its ladder-frame platform and Lexus GX-inspired design, could be quite appealing.
