2027 Pajero Revealed. Full Specs and SA Plans

Super Select survived. The badge on the tailgate says Pajero, and underneath it there is still a transfer case with a lockable centre differential.

Five years after the last Gen 4 left Nagoya, the Pajero is back. Mitsubishi revealed the fifth generation on 2 September 2026, and the wait produced a genuine cross-country SUV

We have been tracking this car since Mitsubishi confirmed it on 29 May. Here is what is now fact rather than expectation, what changed from what we predicted, and what any of it means if you are sitting in South Africa waiting to buy one.

What Mitsubishi confirmed

Everything below comes from Mitsubishi’s own world premiere release. Where the company did not publish a figure, the row says so rather than carrying an estimate, because a guess in a specification table stops being a guess the moment somebody quotes it back.

Item	Confirmed
Engine	2.4-litre clean diesel four cylinder, wide-range single variable geometry turbo
Maximum torque	480 Nm (470 Nm on select specifications)
Power output	Not stated
Transmission	Newly developed 8-speed automatic with sport mode
Four wheel drive system	Super Select 4WD-II with 2H, 4H, 4HLc and 4LLc, plus S-AWC
Drive modes	Seven: Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand, Rock
Construction	Highly rigid ladder frame, expanded use of high-tensile steel
Suspension	Independent double wishbone front, newly developed five-link rigid rear axle
Length, width, height	4,920 mm, 1,925 mm, 1,910 mm
Wheelbase	2,870 mm
Track, front and rear	1,630 mm
Ground clearance	230 mm, on 20-inch tyres
Approach, breakover, departure	30.4, 22.6 and 25.8 degrees, on 20-inch tyres
Weight distribution	52:48 front to rear
Wading depth	Not stated
Braked towing	Not stated
Seating	Three rows, seven seats
Wheelbase variants	One wheelbase announced
Production plant	Thailand
First markets	Thailand, then Japan and Australia during fiscal 2026, ending March 2027
Wider rollout	Around 100 countries from fiscal 2027, including ASEAN, Latin America and the Middle East
Price	Not stated

The official images

Mitsubishi’s own press images of the all-new Pajero: both theme colours inside and out, the car working off road, the cabin and the reimagined Multi Meter, all three rows, the 2.4-litre diesel, the ladder frame and the suspension, and the full range together. Click any image to open it full size. All images: Mitsubishi Motors.

The all-new Mitsubishi Pajero head-on, showing the T-shaped headlights and horizontal-bar grille

The all-new Mitsubishi Pajero in Phantom Blue Metallic with the honeycomb grille

The Super Select question

This is the detail worth more attention than the power figure.

Every Pajero worth the badge since 1991 has run Super Select. The system is the reason owners defend this vehicle. It gives you rear wheel drive on tar, full time four wheel drive you can select at speed, a locked centre diff, and low range with the centre diff locked. Nothing else in the class does all four. We wrote the full explanation of how the modes work in our Super Select 4WD guide.

Mitsubishi’s own global teaser site is where this got interesting. Its headline claim for the new car reads: “A performance-proven ladder-frame foundation. The precision of S-AWC.” Super Select is not mentioned anywhere on that page. S-AWC is the badge from the Evo and the Outlander, and it describes torque vectoring and yaw control, not a transfer case with a lockable centre differential. The two are not the same thing and they solve different problems.

That is not the whole story, though, and this is where most of the coverage will go wrong. S-AWC branding does not by itself mean the transfer case is gone. The Triton this car takes its frame from still runs Super Select 4WD-II on its higher grades, with the familiar 2H, 4H, 4HLc and 4LLc modes and a torque sensing centre differential splitting 40 front to 60 rear. Mitsubishi’s own description points the same way. Its 4 August release calls S-AWC “an integrated vehicle dynamics control system that optimizes handling, off-road capability and stability”, and introduces it as something that takes the frame and suspension “to an even higher level” rather than as the driveline itself. A control system layered over the hardware is a different claim from a transfer case, and one does not rule out the other. So the question is not whether the badge changed. It is whether the hardware underneath it did.

The production car runs Super Select 4WD-II and Mitsubishi calls it exactly that, abbreviating it to SS4-II. You can still select two wheel drive on tar, because 2H is one of four modes alongside 4H full time four wheel drive, 4HLc with the centre differential locked, and 4LLc which adds the low range gears. S-AWC sits on top of that system rather than in place of it, integrating Active Yaw Control, stability and traction control and ABS across all four wheels. Mitsubishi did not mention a rear differential lock anywhere in the release, so treat that one as still open.

So Super Select survived, and it survived intact rather than as a name on a dial. All four modes are there, the centre differential still locks, and low range is still a mechanical reduction rather than a crawl mode pretending to be one. What changed is what sits above it: S-AWC now co-ordinates yaw control through the front brakes, traction control and ABS, and seven drive modes cover Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand and Rock. That is an addition, not a substitution, and it is the outcome most of the pre-reveal coverage had backwards. The honest caveat is the rear locker. A locked centre differential is not a locked rear axle, and until Mitsubishi publishes grade-by-grade specifications we do not know whether one is offered.

The Multi Meter came back

The three gauge pod on top of the dash is a Pajero signature. Owners noticed the moment it disappeared and they noticed the moment Mitsubishi teased it returning. We covered the history of the Multi Meter and what the teasers showed before the reveal.

Mitsubishi calls it the Triple Multi Meter and confirms it survives, tying it to the Dakar years: “Born from the PAJERO’s rally heritage, the iconic Triple Multi Meter lives on.” The teaser also says an “ALL NEW display” now brings the car’s data “to life in real time”, which reads like a screen rather than the three analogue dials owners remember.

It is a screen. Mitsubishi has reimagined the triple-gauge layout as the Multi-Meter inside a monolithic display built around two 14.3-inch screens, dropping to 12.3-inch on some specifications. What it shows is more interesting than the fact that it moved to pixels: altitude, compass heading, temperature, vehicle pitch and roll angles, and Active Yaw Control status, which is genuinely useful information off-road rather than decoration. There are 16 background themes that shift with the time of day. Mitsubishi has not said which grades get the larger screens.

Back on a ladder frame

Gen 3 and Gen 4 ran a monocoque with integrated frame rails. Purists never forgave it, even though it gave the Pajero the on road manners that made it a better family car than most of its rivals. Gen 5 goes back to a separate ladder frame borrowed from the Triton, and this one is not reporting or inference. Mitsubishi said it outright in its 29 May announcement: the car is “based on the highly robust ladder frame of the Triton pickup truck, with model-specific development of the cabin and front and rear suspension”. The teaser site puts it more plainly still, calling it a “performance-proven ladder-frame foundation”.

That trade is real and it goes both ways. A ladder frame carries load better, takes a bull bar and a winch without argument, and handles repeated corrugation better over a long life. It also usually rides worse on tar and sits taller and heavier. Mitsubishi says the cabin and suspension were developed for the Pajero rather than lifted from the bakkie, which is the part that decides whether this feels like a Pajero or a Triton wagon.

Mitsubishi went further on 4 August, describing a suspension “engineered to deliver high road-holding performance” and a combination that suppresses “unwanted body movement and vibration on rough or uneven roads”. Read that again and notice what it is: a ride comfort claim at least as much as an off-road one. Gen 4 owners will judge this car on exactly that balance, because it is the one their vehicle already gets right.

Confirmed, and more detail than expected. The front is an independent double wishbone setup and the rear is a newly developed five-link rigid axle, so the live axle stays. Mitsubishi quotes 230 mm of ground clearance, a 30.4 degree approach angle, 22.6 degrees of ramp breakover and 25.8 degrees of departure, with 52:48 front to rear weight distribution. Read the footnote, though: every one of those figures is quoted for vehicles on 20-inch tyres, so expect them to move with wheel and tyre choice. No articulation figure was published.

How it measures up to what we expected

We published our expectations in June. Here is the honest scorecard.

What we expected in June	Actual	Verdict
2.4 litre bi turbo diesel four cylinder	2.4 litre clean diesel with a single wide-range VGT	Miss
Around 150 kW and 470 Nm	480 Nm, or 470 Nm on some specifications. Power not stated	Hit on torque
Eight speed automatic	Newly developed 8-speed automatic with sport mode	Hit
Super Select II	Super Select 4WD-II, with S-AWC added over it	Hit
Ladder frame from the Triton	Ladder frame confirmed. Mitsubishi named the Triton frame in May, not on the day	Hit
210 mm ground clearance	230 mm, on 20-inch tyres	Better
700 mm wading depth	Not stated	Open
3 000 to 3 500 kg braked towing	Not stated	Open
Seven seats on the long wheelbase	Three rows and seven seats, on the only wheelbase announced	Hit
Built in Thailand at Laem Chabang	Thailand confirmed. Plant not named	Hit

The bi-turbo call was the clear miss. We had it as a twin-turbo 2.4 and Mitsubishi built a single wide-range VGT instead, which is a different engineering answer to the same problem, and given the Triton engine we should have weighted that possibility higher. We were also 20 mm light on ground clearance. The subtler miss is that we never flagged how Mitsubishi would qualify its own numbers: the headline clearance and the approach, breakover and departure angles are all quoted on 20-inch tyres, which is the sort of asterisk that changes what a figure means when you fit all-terrains. The Super Select call we got right, and it was the one that mattered.

What it means for South Africa

Mitsubishi South Africa has still not put a date on local availability. That is normal at this stage and it is not a bad sign. The reveal is a global event and regional launches follow the production ramp.

The realistic sequence looks like this. Japan and the ASEAN markets get it first because the plant is in the region. Australia follows quickly because it is Mitsubishi’s strongest right hand drive market for this kind of vehicle. South Africa sits behind both. Our reading has been 2027 into 2028 for local showrooms and nothing in the reveal changes that.

Mitsubishi named Thailand first, then Japan and Australia during its 2026 financial year, which runs to March 2027. From fiscal 2027 the company plans to reach around 100 countries including markets in ASEAN, Latin America and the Middle East. Africa was not named. South Africa was not mentioned once in the release, and neither was right hand drive as a category beyond Japan and Australia already being right hand drive markets. That is not a snub and it is not a signal. It means local timing remains a Mitsubishi South Africa announcement that has not happened yet.

Price is the open question. No market announced pricing at the world premiere, not even Thailand where it goes on sale first. So there is nothing to convert and nothing honest to quote, and any rand figure you see this week is somebody guessing. The reference points that do hold are the ones already in the segment. The Prado 250 and the Ford Everest sit at the top of it, the Fortuner below them, and a model Mitsubishi has repeatedly called its flagship is not going to be positioned under its own Pajero Sport.

What you can do now is get your finances honest about the segment. Mitsubishi is not being coy about where this car sits. Its own developers call it “MITSUBISHI MOTORS’ flagship SUV” and “Mitsubishi Motors’ new flagship” in the teaser interviews, which is not language you attach to a vehicle you intend to undercut the segment with. The Pajero will land against the Prado 250, the Ford Everest and the Fortuner, and it will be priced like them. If you are choosing between waiting for this and buying a good used Gen 4 now, our Gen 3 versus Gen 4 comparison covers what your money buys today.

What we still do not know

Power output. Mitsubishi published torque and left kilowatts out of the release entirely.
Wading depth and braked towing capacity, both unstated, and both decisive for overlanding and caravan buyers.
Whether a mechanical rear differential lock is offered, and on which grades.
Whether a second wheelbase follows, because only one was announced.
South African pricing, specification and launch date.
Whether an electrified version follows the diesel.
Service intervals, warranty terms and real world fuel consumption.

We will update this article as Mitsubishi releases detail. Join the mailing list if you want the South African pricing news the day it lands.

Frequently asked questions

When does the new Pajero go on sale in South Africa?

Mitsubishi South Africa has not confirmed a date. Production starts in Asia and the first deliveries go to Japan and ASEAN markets, with Australia close behind. A South African launch in 2027 or 2028 is the realistic expectation. The reveal did not move this on. Mitsubishi confirmed Thailand first, then Japan and Australia during its 2026 financial year, with around 100 countries following from fiscal 2027, and did not name South Africa.

Does the new Pajero still have Super Select 4WD?

Yes. The all-new Pajero runs Super Select 4WD-II with all four modes intact: 2H, 4H, 4HLc with the centre differential locked, and 4LLc with low range. Mitsubishi has added its S-AWC vehicle dynamics control system on top of that transfer case rather than replacing it, so the mechanical hardware Pajero owners care about survives into the fifth generation.

Is the new Pajero built on the Triton?

Yes. It uses a ladder frame derived from the Triton bakkie, though Mitsubishi developed the cabin and suspension specifically for the Pajero rather than carrying them across.

Is it called the Pajero or the Montero?

Pajero in most of the world, including South Africa. Montero in the Americas and Spain, Shogun historically in the United Kingdom. The naming has always been regional and the reasons are worth knowing, which we cover in Pajero versus Montero versus Shogun.

Will there be a seven seater?

Yes. Mitsubishi confirmed a three row, seven seat layout, with a second row that slides through 150 mm and tumbles for access to the third. Only one wheelbase was announced at the reveal, so there is no short wheelbase five seater alongside it yet.

Should I wait for it or buy a used Gen 4 now?

Wait only if you can wait two years and you want a warranty. If you need a vehicle in the next twelve months, a late Gen 4 with the variable geometry turbo is the better buy and it will still be a good vehicle when the Gen 5 arrives. Our best Pajero generation to buy breaks down the used market.

The short version

Mitsubishi revealed the fifth generation Pajero on 2 September 2026. It moves back to a ladder frame taken from the Triton, runs a 2.4 litre diesel making 480 Nm, and arrives in Thailand, then Japan and Australia, during Mitsubishi’s 2026 financial year, which ends in March 2027. The detail that matters most to existing owners is Super Select 4WD-II survives, with S-AWC layered over it. South African pricing and timing are still open, and 2027 into 2028 remains the realistic window for local showrooms.

Forty four years after the first one, the Pajero is a current model again. That is worth something regardless of what the spec sheet says.

What do you make of it? Tell us the one thing you wanted from the new Pajero and whether Mitsubishi delivered it. We are collecting owner reaction for a follow up piece.

The 2027 Pajero Is Here. Everything Mitsubishi Confirmed