Pajero or Pajero Sport? Mitsubishi’s SUV Identity Crisis

Mitsubishi has taken the covers off a huge SUV concept at the Tokyo Mobility Show, and while its very much a forward-looking design study, the Mitsubishi Elevance Concept may be the harbinger of a new top-dog off-roader for the tri-diamond – and one that may eventually wear the Pajero badge.

The next SUV to wear Mitsubishi’s triple-diamond badge will be based on the Triton’s ladder-framed underpinnings rather than anything more exotic.

Industry chatter suggests Mitsubishi sees room for a big-bodied off-roader in future showrooms, but whether it’ll carry the Pajero name or continue as the Pajero Sport remains unclear.

According to Mitsubishi Australia’s product strategy manager Bruce Hampel, the Pajero name carries serious legacy value.

“Pajero’s got a long history in Australia and so it’s a recognised brand in its own right – Pajero is a strong, strong name, it’s got quite a legacy,” he told carsales.

“Whereas Pajero Sport was always the smaller version of the full-on Pajero. Pajero was always the flagship SUV, and if that name were to resurface in global markets, it needs to be worthy of the nameplate.”

Mitsubishi has signalled plans to make the Pajero Sport’s successor larger and more premium, raising expectations for its flagship potential.

Spy photos of camouflaged prototypes suggest that Mitsubishi’s designers and engineers have delivered on their brief, with the Triton-based SUV appearing more like a rival to the Toyota Prado rather than the Toyota Fortuner.

Complicating that narrative is the imposing Elevance Concept, unveiled at this year’s Tokyo Mobility Show.

As a colossal three-row SUV boasting a quad-motor plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain and a suite of advanced electronic features, it certainly seems a more fitting candidate for the revered Pajero badge than a Triton dressed in a wagon body.

Could Mitsubishi be reserving the Pajero name for a future production version of the Elevance Concept?

All should be revealed next year, with the Pajero Sport’s replacement expected to debut in the second half of 2026.

Before the Elevance Concept appeared at the Tokyo motor show, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Mitsubishi would revive the Pajero name for its next ute-based wagon.

With the original Pajero having exited showrooms years ago, retaining the ‘Sport’ suffix felt increasingly redundant.

Now, however, the game has changed. The Pajero name may be lying in wait – held back for the moment Mitsubishi reclaims its place atop the off-road hierarchy.