Mitsubishi Pajero to be updated in 2016 with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto technology

The 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero is set to be updated in 2016 as the Japanese brand adds new infotainment technology to its flagship model.

Mitsubishi has announced that the 2016 Pajero will feature Android Auto and Apple CarPlay media systems, with the company confirming the new model will be "due to be launched in Europe this summer".

It'll be the first vehicle from the brand with the technology, which will be rolled out across other model lines in due course.

There has been no further information on what to expect of the new model, but Mitsubishi Australia head of corporate communications, Shayna Welsh, told CarAdvice that the 2016 model will be an upgrade, "not an all new model".

Welsh confirmed the company will "have an announcement regarding the infotainment technology in the Australian market next week".

There's been no news for almost 18 months on a replacement for the Pajero - the current-generation car has been around since 2006. The brand revealed the GC-PHEV concept at the 2013 Tokyo motor show (which is pictured above), which was said to form the basis of a new-generation model, though there's little evidence of any such development taking place.

International publications are suggesting the new Pajero may indeed take the form of the Mitsubishi Challenger - which is based on the Triton ute - and given that Mitsubishi has been open about its plans to reduce the complexity of its business and focus on its core profit makers, those being SUVs and utility vehicles, it would make a good deal of sense.

But the local arm's assertion that an update is in the works for Pajero, combined with the strong possibility that a new-generation Challenger is on its way later this year, means that could be incorrect.

Stay tuned for more.