Swan.my.id - Jakarta, Mitsubishi has signaled plans to widen the Mitsubishi Pajero family with compact and small SUVs. The move would extend a nameplate that already covers several distinct models, from the full-size Pajero to the tiny Pajero Mini.
The company’s chief operating officer, Keisuke Kishiura, said Mitsubishi Motors would expand the family with compact and small SUVs. The automaker has not provided clear details about the two models, which remain under wraps.
The signal came alongside the launch of the fifth-generation Pajero on September 2, 2026. In Indonesia, buyers have known the Pajero and Pajero Sport, but Mitsubishi’s wider lineage also includes the Pajero Pinin and Pajero Mini.
The Mitsubishi Pajero family began with a Dakar legend
Mitsubishi introduced the first Pajero in 1982 as a four-wheel-drive SUV for both paved roads and difficult terrain. Its success in the Dakar Rally helped establish the model’s reputation. The Pajero recorded 12 Dakar victories, including seven consecutive wins from 2001 to 2007.
The full-size SUV reached its fourth generation in 2006. Mitsubishi continued production until 2021, bringing a long run for a model that had become the family’s central nameplate.
Its history in Indonesia followed a different path across generations. The first-generation Pajero arrived in the country, but buyers generally encountered it through foreign organizations or embassies rather than official sales channels.
Mitsubishi officially sold the second generation in Indonesia with a 3.0-liter V6 petrol engine. Diesel versions also appeared, likely through foreign organizations or embassies. Later generations III and IV mainly reached the country through general importers, international bodies, or foreign embassies, rather than the official Mitsubishi distributor.
Although Mitsubishi launched the fifth-generation Pajero in September 2026, PT Mitsubishi Motors Krama Yudha Sales Indonesia had not made an official statement about the model at the time of the report.
Pajero Sport brings a different character
The Pajero Sport has become the family’s most familiar name in Indonesia. Its first generation appeared in 1996 under different names in some markets, including Challenger in Japan and Montero Sport in several other countries. Mitsubishi did not officially sell that generation in Indonesia, although a limited number reached local roads.
Indonesia’s official Pajero Sport sales began with the second generation in 2009. The current third generation debuted in Thailand in 2015 and reached Indonesia in 2016. It remains a key model, with advanced features and one of the strongest diesel engines in its class, according to the report.
Unlike the full-size Pajero, the Pajero Sport uses the Triton pickup’s ladder-frame platform. That construction gives it a closer connection to pickup-based SUVs, particularly in load-carrying ability and rough-terrain use.
Pinin and Mini brought Pajero into smaller formats
Mitsubishi launched the Pajero Pinin in 1998 as a more compact SUV. Pininfarina, the Italian design house, helped develop its design, while Japanese buyers knew the model as the Pajero iO. It offered four-wheel drive in a smaller body, combining urban dimensions with off-road capability. In Indonesia, it appeared in limited numbers through general importers.
The smallest member, the Pajero Mini, debuted in 1994 for Japan’s kei-car category. Despite its compact dimensions and 660 cc engine, Mitsubishi gave it an SUV character and offered four-wheel drive. The model received a major update in 1998 and remained in production until 2012. It also reached Indonesia in very limited numbers.
Now, Mitsubishi’s stated plan points toward another expansion of the Pajero name. The company has yet to reveal details about the compact and small SUVs, but their addition would build on a lineage that has ranged from Dakar-winning off-roaders to city-sized kei cars.
