Crucial Mitsubishi Pajero off-road detail finally revealed as launch looms for critical Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Nissan Patrol rival
CarsGuide contributing journalist Andrew Chesterton is an award-winning Australian automotive reporter with more than 20 years of experience across newspapers, magazines, digital publishing and automotive corporate communications. Andrew began his journalism career at Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, reporting across business, courts, crime, property and state politics before moving into automotive journalism. He joined TopGear Australia as its online editor in 2008, later being appointed editor of Top Gear New Zealand. He subsequently worked as an assistant editor during the Australian launch of the Daily Mail Australia, and as communications manager at FCA Australia, now Stellantis. His experience on both sides of the media industry gives him an unrivalled understanding of the automotive industry, and the relationship between car manufacturers, the media, and Australian consumers. Andrew’s work has appeared across leading automotive, news, business, luxury, travel and lifestyle publications, including CarsGuide, EV Central, DMARGE, The Sydney Morning Herald, Marie Claire, Top Gear, GQ Australia, The Australian, WISH Magazine, Boss Hunting, The West Australian, The Nightly, Women’s Day Australia, Carsales, NRMA, Men’s Health, CEO Magazine, Australian Financial Review and more. Andrew specialises in industry news, vehicle reviews, policy, performance and luxury cars, electric vehicles, automotive technology, EVs hybrid and plug-in hybrids, and the broader Australian new-car marketplace. In 2025, Andrew was named Newspress Australia News Journalist of the Year and was a finalist for the overall Journalist of the Year award. Earlier honours include Website of the Year wins at the Australian Magazine Awards and ACP Awards, the ACP Rising Star Award and recognition in the Bauer Media and News Ltd journalism awards. Expertise Electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles Performance, luxury and supercars New-car reviews and road testing Australian automotive industry and new-car sales Chinese automotive brands and emerging manufacturers Utes, SUVs and family vehicles Automotive technology Policy Awards 2025 Newspress Australia News Journalist of the Year Featured Publications CarsGuide EV Central DMARGE The Sydney Morning Herald Marie Claire Top Gear GQ Australia The Australian WISH Magazine Boss Hunting The West Australian The Nightly Women’s Day Australia Carsales NRMA Men’s Health CEO Magazine Australian Financial Review The Daily Telegraph The Sunday Telegraph Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
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Mitsubishi has at last confirmed a critical chassis detail for its incoming next-generation Pajero, with the off-road icon readying for its return to take on the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Y63 Nissan Patrol.
The brand has revealed the new Pajero will ride on a ute-like ladder-frame chassis – rather than adopt a monocoque platform like its third- and fourth-generation predecessors – seemingly confirming the Triton's chassis as the underpinnings for the reborn icon.
In a post to its dedicated Pajero page in Japan, the brand wrote that the model will "lead you to your destination in any environment" courtesy of the "addition of S-AWC to the strong ladder-frame structure".
S-AWC is Mitsubishi's Super All Wheel Control – its name for its AWD system which combines torque vectoring, torque distribution and four-wheel braking. In vehicles like the Outlander PHEV, the system also deploys electric motors at each axle to control the functionality.
It is not to be confused with the Triton's Super Select II 4WD system, which will presumably also feature.
September 2 firms as the reveal date for the new Pajero, suggesting we're getting very close to the final mysteries being solved.
One remaining question is what will be powering it. Given its ute-based chassis the likelihood of Triton power seems likely, meaning it will deploy the same 2.4-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine, producing around 150kW and 470Nm.
"In the development of the new Pajero, we aimed to inherit and evolve the (capability) and comfort that successive Pajeros have been about," Takaaki Matsumoto, the new Pajero's Chief Vehicle Engineer, has said about the project.
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"This is the embodiment of Pajero, which developed the 4WD, which was for working cars until now, as an all-round 4WD that anyone can run comfortably on any road. On top of that, we worked together to make a big jump in how to make this Mitsubishi Motors' flagship."
Stay tuned as more information comes to light about Mitsubishi's highly anticipated new 4WD.
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CarsGuide contributing journalist Andrew Chesterton is an award-winning Australian automotive reporter with more than 20 years of experience across newspapers, magazines, digital publishing and automotive corporate communications. Andrew began his…
About Andrew