Mitsubishi Pajero not returning to Australia ‘any time soon’

The Mitsubishi Pajero four-wheel drive wagon won’t be returning to Australia any time soon – and there are apparently no plans for another generation of the flagship four-wheel drive.

That's the word for now, according to senior Mitsubishi Australia executives.

“Mitsubishi globally has made a decision to end Pajero,” said Owen Thomson, senior manager of product strategy for Mitsubishi Australia.

“As much as we’d really love to have that car back in Australia, it doesn’t look it’s coming back any time soon.”

The Pajero reached the end of the road in Australia in 2021, with 800 Final Edition variants marking the occasion. 

The nameplate traces its roots back to 1982, going through four different generations until its recent demise.

When quizzed about recent speculation of a possible future tie-up between the next-generation Nissan Patrol and Mitsubishi Pajero – now that the two brands are business partners and share model platforms – Mr Thomson said he wasn’t able to offer any additional information.

MORE: 2022 Mitsubishi Pajero imagined as next-gen four-wheel-drive

Since joining the now-called Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance in late 2017 – after Nissan took a controlling interest in Mitsubishi – the three manufacturers have been sharing vehicle development costs and platforms across a variety of new models.

Executives have previous said future Nissan Patrol and Mitsubishi Pajero models could share underpinnings – but wear unique bodies – in order to reduce development costs.

However, one clear stumbling block in this case is the disparity in powertrains between the four-wheel drives. 

The current-generation Nissan Patrol – which arrived in Australia in 2013 – uses Nissan’s 298kW/560Nm 5.6-litre 'VK56' petrol V8 exclusively, without a diesel option. 

It was the first Nissan Patrol to be petrol only, since the first-generation 'G60' Patrol of the 1960s and 1970s. 

Conversely, Mitsubishi’s Pajero was available only with a diesel engine during its final years, with a long-serving 3.2-litre turbo-diesel engine offering 141kW and 441Nm, more of a staple for the segment.