The New Mitsubishi Pajero
Mitsubishi revived one of the most recognisable nameplates in the Gulf on 2 September 2026. The all-new Pajero — Montero in some markets — returns as a ladder-frame, three-row, seven-seat SUV, five years after the previous generation went out of production.
The short answer: it is a 2.4-litre diesel with 480 Nm, built in Thailand, launching there first, reaching Japan and Australia during fiscal 2026, and arriving in the Middle East from fiscal 2027 onward. No pricing has been announced in any market. Our estimate for the UAE, based on where it sits against the Prado, is roughly AED 190,000 to 260,000.
What Mitsubishi actually confirmed
The specification released on 2 September is unusually complete for a first announcement.
| Item | Confirmed figure |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.4-litre clean diesel, variable geometry turbo |
| Torque | 480 Nm (470 Nm on some specifications) |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic with sport mode |
| Length / width / height | 4,920 / 1,925 / 1,910 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,870 mm |
| Ground clearance | 230 mm |
| Approach / breakover / departure | 30.4° / 22.6° / 25.8° |
| Drivetrain | Super Select 4WD-II with Super-All Wheel Control |
| Drive modes | Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand, Rock |
| Display | 14.3-inch (12.3-inch on some specifications) |
| Seating | Three rows, seven seats |
| Built in | Thailand |
Two details deserve attention. The 230 mm of ground clearance and 30.4-degree approach angle are off-road numbers, not styling numbers — this is not a raised crossover wearing a famous badge. And the return of Super Select 4WD-II matters: it is a full-time system with a locking centre differential and a low range, which is precisely what made the original Pajero credible in the desert.
When each market gets it
The rollout is staged, and the Gulf is not near the front of the queue.
- Thailand — first market, where it is also built.
- Japan and Australia — during fiscal 2026, meaning April 2026 to March 2027.
- Around 100 countries including ASEAN, Latin America and the Middle East — from fiscal 2027 onward.
Fiscal 2027 begins in April 2027. So the earliest plausible UAE showroom date is 2027, and 2028 would not be a surprise given that "from fiscal 2027 onward" covers a hundred countries that cannot all be supplied at once. Anyone planning a purchase around this car should plan for a long wait.
What it should cost in the UAE
Mitsubishi has announced no price, in any market, for any trim. What follows is an estimate and should be read as one.
The reasoning is positional. The new Pajero sits above the Pajero Sport and lands directly opposite the Land Cruiser Prado, which is the car it will be cross-shopped against in the Gulf. Current UAE pricing gives the boundaries:
| Model (2026, UAE) | Price range | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Fortuner | AED 128,900 – 174,000 | A class below |
| Mitsubishi Pajero Sport | AED 145,000 – 210,000 | Its own smaller sibling |
| Toyota Land Cruiser Prado | AED 199,900 – 264,900 | The direct rival |
| Nissan Patrol | AED 239,900 – 390,000 | A class above |
Mitsubishi has historically undercut the equivalent Toyota rather than matched it, and it needs to buy its way back into a segment it left five years ago. That points to a launch range of roughly AED 190,000 to 260,000, with the volume trim somewhere near AED 215,000.
Treat this as a reasoned expectation, not a leak. Regional specification, duty and the eventual engine choice can all move it, and a two-year gap before launch is long enough for the whole segment to reprice.
The diesel question
The launch engine is a 2.4-litre clean diesel, and that is the single biggest open question for Gulf buyers. Diesel passenger cars are a small share of the UAE market, where petrol is cheap and diesel is mostly a commercial fuel. Regional line-ups frequently differ from launch specifications for exactly this reason.
So the honest position is: the Middle East is confirmed as a destination, the powertrain for the Middle East is not. Anyone assuming a 480 Nm diesel will appear in a Dubai showroom is reading more into the announcement than it says.
Inside
The cabin follows the exterior's logic: horizontal lines, a squared-off dash, and a wide landscape screen rather than the vertical tablet most rivals have adopted. Physical controls survive underneath it, which in a car meant for sand and gloves is a functional decision rather than a nostalgic one. A 3D Multi Around Monitor adds a front under-floor view — genuinely useful when the bonnet is pointing at the sky on a dune.
Why the nameplate matters here
Few badges carry as much weight in this region. The Pajero won the Dakar Rally twelve times, spent decades as a default desert vehicle across the Gulf, and left a large gap when production ended in 2021 — a gap the Prado and Patrol filled almost by default.
Returning as a ladder-frame diesel with a locking centre differential and a rock mode is a deliberate choice to re-enter on the old terms rather than as another road-biased seven-seater. Whether that translates into UAE sales depends on the two things Mitsubishi has not yet said: the engine and the price.
If you are choosing a seven-seater now rather than in 2027, our new-versus-used SUV pricing guide covers what the current options cost, and what the Pajero would mean for rental fleets looks at where it would slot on price.
Sources and image credit
Specifications, launch markets and timing are from Mitsubishi Motors' news release of 2 September 2026; photographs are Mitsubishi Motors press images from the same release. UAE comparison prices were read in September 2026 from ZigWheels UAE and Drive Arabia. The UAE price range for the new Pajero is our own estimate from comparable models, not a manufacturer figure.
Frequently asked questions
When does the new Mitsubishi Pajero launch in the UAE?
Mitsubishi has not given a UAE date. The announced sequence is Thailand first, then Japan and Australia during fiscal 2026 (April 2026 to March 2027), then roughly 100 countries from fiscal 2027 onward — a group that explicitly includes the Middle East. Fiscal 2027 runs April 2027 to March 2028, so UAE showrooms realistically means 2027 at the earliest and quite possibly 2028.
How much will the new Pajero cost in the UAE?
No price has been announced anywhere. Judged on where it sits — a ladder-frame seven-seater above the Pajero Sport and squarely against the Land Cruiser Prado, which retails at AED 199,900 to 264,900 — a UAE range of roughly AED 190,000 to 260,000 is a reasonable expectation. Treat that as our estimate from comparable pricing, not as a figure from Mitsubishi.
Is the new Pajero petrol or diesel?
The announced engine is a 2.4-litre clean diesel with a variable geometry turbocharger, producing 480 Nm of torque through an eight-speed automatic. Whether the Middle East gets that engine is a separate question: diesel passenger cars are a small part of the UAE market, and regional line-ups often differ from the launch specification. Do not assume the diesel crosses over.
How big is the new Pajero?
It measures 4,920 mm long, 1,925 mm wide and 1,910 mm tall on 20-inch wheels, with a 2,870 mm wheelbase and 230 mm of ground clearance. Approach, breakover and departure angles are 30.4, 22.6 and 25.8 degrees. That makes it a genuine full-size, three-row, seven-seat SUV rather than a mid-size crossover.
Where is the new Pajero built?
In Thailand, which is also its first market. Thai production is what makes the wide rollout to ASEAN, Latin America and the Middle East practical from fiscal 2027, and it is the same manufacturing base Mitsubishi uses for the Pajero Sport and Triton.
Is this a replacement for the old Pajero?
Effectively, yes. Mitsubishi calls it "a new-generation flagship model that embodies the next chapter of the Mitsubishi Motors brand", reviving a nameplate that ended production in 2021. It returns as a ladder-frame, seven-drive-mode off-roader rather than as a softened road-biased crossover, which is the part enthusiasts had been worried about.