After a five-year dormancy, the Mitsubishi Pajero is officially back. Just don’t expect a Ralliart trim to be available when Pajeros start appearing in dealerships.

When the fifth-generation Pajero was formally unveiled on Wednesday, Ralliart joined the festivities by showcasing a rally concept Pajero next to Katsuhiko Taguchi’s AXCR-winning Triton. However, that’s just what it is: a concept.

Carsales spoke with Mitsubishi’s chief product specialist Kunitoshi Itagaki ahead of the global reveal, asking if Ralliart could potentially make its own variant of the Pajero. Itagaki admitted that “to be honest, we have no specific project or Ralliart model to announce at this time. Actually, our heritage in Ralliart is really important for us, so we will continue to study the opportunity to deliver performance and an experience worthy of the Ralliart name. But there’s no confirmed plan to disclose.”

Ralliart is, of course, the performance and racing division of Mitsubishi Motors that was responsible for its legendary Dakar and WRC programs. Both were folded by the end of the 2000s, but the brand was revived in 2021.

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart began competing in the Asia Cross Country Rally in 2022, winning the overall on debut with Chayapon Yotha. The team is now riding a two-year win streak at the rally with Yotha claiming the 2025 race and Taguchi in August. The Ralliart name has also made its way overseas to places like Brazil, where Guiga Spinelli has competed under the umbrella in races like the Rally dos Sertões.

Even if Ralliart isn’t making a custom trim at the moment, the Pajero’s return alone should obviously leave the door open. Mitsubishi’s flagship SUV, also known as the Montero in North America and Spanish-speaking countries, was introduced in 1981. It went through four generations before being discontinued in 2021 as the company shifted focus to the Triton/L200.

Of course, when rally fans hear of the Pajero name, they immediately think of the Pajero Evolution that starred at the Paris–Dakar Rally. Andrew Cowan and Georges Debussy led a 1–2 in the Marathon Auto class in its maiden Dakar in 1983, then Patrick Zaniroli won the 1985 edition outright. Pajeros would also win the overall in 1992 with Hubert Auriol, 1993 with Bruno Saby, 1997 with Kenjiro Shinozuka, and 1998 with Jean-Pierre Fontenay before dominating the 2000s. The Pajero Evolution claimed the overall annually from 2001 to 2007 with Jutta Kleinschmidt (2001), Hiroshi Masuoka (2002 and 2003), Stéphane Peterhansel (2004, 2005, 2007), and Luc Alphand (2006). The Pajero continues to appear at races like the Dakar Classic today.

Masuoka, now the director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, said in June that data collected from racing the AXCR was applied when developing the Pajero.

The new Pajero is being build in Thailand, which will receive the first production models later in 2026 followed by Japan and Australia. Approximately 100 countries worldwide will also get it including ASEAN members, Latin America, and the Middle East.

“Under our Mid- to Long-Term Vision for the 2030s, we aim to enhance customer satisfaction and corporate value by developing distinctive products and strengthening our brand, while further reinforcing what makes Mitsubishi Motors unique,” said company president Keisuke Kishiura commented. “The all-new Pajero is the first model to bring this vision to life. As our flagship model, it will lead not only the Pajero series to follow, but the entire Mitsubishi Motors lineup. Evolved with a new level of refinement, the all-new Pajero is a premium cross-country SUV that drivers can rely on in any situation. We will introduce the model to markets around the world in phases, and we hope customers will look forward to its arrival.”

Featured image credit: Ralliart