Mitsubishi has confirmed it’s studying the feasibility of a tougher Ralliart version of its newly revealed fifth-generation Pajero, and it could look a lot like the buff Pajero Rally Concept shown at the global reveal of the all-new large off-road SUV in Tokyo last week.
However, if a full-blown Pajero Ralliart does eventuate, the Japanese automaker says it would follow in the footsteps of the Australian-developed Triton Raider ute by offering actual chassis upgrades, rather than merely mimicking the accessorised Pajero Rally Concept also revealed at the new Pajero’s world debut.
“Well I guess we’ve got Raider as a toe in the water. And would we, as a company, like to see something like a Ralliart Pajero? Yes, we would,” said Mitsubishi Motors Australia chairman John Signoriello at the reveal of the new Pajero.
“You know, it brings a lot of passion back into the brand, a lot of heritage back into the brand.
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“So, is it something we’re working on? It’s a study. Let’s say it’s a study using the same terminology we’ve referred to before,” said Mr Signoriello, who drives a Triton Raider and was Mitsubishi Motors Australia president and CEO until April 2020, when he became Mitsubishi Motors’ global sales and marketing executive officer overseeing Ralliart, before returning to Australia as chairman in April 2024.
Mr Signoriello’s comments to Australian journalists came after Mitsubishi Motors president Keisuke Kishiura unveiled the first all-new Pajero in 20 years alongside the wilder Pajero Rally Concept, and highlighted the Pajero’s record of 12 outright Dakar Rally wins.
However, Pajero product specialist Kunitoshi Itagaki later told international media that Mitsubishi has no specific Pajero Ralliart production project to announce, at least for the moment.
“We have no specific project or Ralliart model to announce at this time,” he said, before adding that Ralliart’s heritage “is really important for us”.
Wrapped in Ralliart’s signature bright-red livery, the rugged Pajero show car featured a number of bolt-on accessories like those that will be available when the new Pajero arrives in Australia in December, including a snorkel and front skid plate, plus front and rear fender extensions, and a custom C-pillar cover.
But Mr Signoriello indicated that a Ralliart-badged Pajero would need to offer more than genuine accessories, suggesting it would have to have chassis upgrades like the Triton Raider, which features a Premcar-developed suspension lift with Monroe shock absorbers and new bump stops, plus bronze 18-inch ROH ‘Assault’ wheels wrapped in fat Bridgestone Dueler A/T 002 all-terrain tyres.
While it brings no engine modifications, the Australian-engineered Triton Raider also features a heavy-duty red front bash plate, heavy-duty side protection bars/steps, a functional rear sports bar with red Mitsubishi inserts, and Raider badging inside and out.
“Yeah, it’s something that we’ll look at and see if we can make work,” said Mr Signoriello.
“We need to ensure that we respect the Ralliart name and, if we were to do it, bring something to market that deserves that Ralliart badge.
“So it’s important, but it’s also important we do it right.”
Asked whether a Pajero Ralliart program would be led by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in Japan or needed to be driven by Mitsubishi Motors Australia, Mr Signoriello said: “Raider started like that, but… we could never get that off the ground without the support of the MMC. And they accepted that it was something that we could tune ourselves, and is a future project that goes in a more… performance type direction.
“Look, we’re passionate about the [Ralliart] brand, and we know how important it will be if we could… And MMC, if they support it, we would need their support to do it. It’s not something we could just do.
“Is our voice loud enough? I think our voice is we’re an important market. Being second to market for Pajero shows that we’re important, and Pajero is not just important to us as a brand; it’s important to our [dealer] network.
“They’ve been waiting for this vehicle for a while, especially now that Pajero Sport stock is diminishing. So it’s something that I can talk about for hours, right? Let’s see what we can do.”
Australia will be the second market to receive the new Pajero after Thailand, where it’s now being produced alongside the Triton on which it’s based, ahead of Japan and about 100 other markets from the 2027 Japanese fiscal year.
Priced from $68,490 before on-road costs, Mitsubishi’s new flagship SUV is being positioned above the Pajero Sport that was discontinued in 2025 and remains available from $51,540 plus ORCs, and the fourth-generation Pajero discontinued in 2021, when the GLX Final Edition was last sold at $54,990 plus ORCs.
It will also be pricier than the ute-based, Thai-made Isuzu MU-X (from $49,900 plus ORCs) and the top-selling Ford Everest (from $58,990 plus ORCs), and the new 3.0-litre diesel-powered GWM Tank 500 ($65,990 drive-away) from China, but not the Japanese-built Toyota Prado ($73,200 plus ORCs).
The entry-level Pajero GLS seven-seater is priced at $69,990 plus ORCs, while both the mid-range Exceed ($79,990 plus ORCs) and sportier GSR flagship ($84,990 plus ORCs) are only available with seven seats.
It’s unclear how high Pajero Ralliart pricing could go, but potential competitors may include the Isuzu MU-X X-Terrain ($77,100 plus ORCs), the Everest Wolftrak ($71,990) and V6-powered Everest Wildtrak and Tremor ($79,990), and the Toyota Prado Altitude ($93,330).
Mitsubishi Motors Australia CEO Shunichi Kihara echoed Mr Signoriello’s comments when asked if he was happy with Triton Raider sales and whether the new Pajero range would receive a similar hero grade.
“Raider is a new product, new name for us, and we are basically satisfied with the performance so far. And we understand that it’s going to take some time to gain some awareness and momentum in the market,” he said.
“So far the sales have been going according to our expectation. But it’s a new challenge for us, kind of creating top of a model line, and we expect that can gradually enhance the Triton’s image in the market.
“So we will keep working. We expect to gradually gain strong momentum in the future.
“We understand that type of vehicle is very, very popular in Australia and many people are taking that kind of option and therefore of course we want to introduce a similar product based on Pajero.
“But at this moment, we cannot make comment about if we actually do… or when we can expect. We all have the passion to enhance the brand in that direction. So we have a strong commitment to keep working on that. I can confirm there is clear interest.
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