Mitsubishi Pajero Price Hints at What a U.S. Montero Might Cost

Welcome Back, Pajero

After five years of hibernation, the Mitsubishi Pajero and Montero are back. Discontinued after 39 years of continuous production, it was initially thought that it wouldn’t have a successor. That said, those working within Mitsubishi have vocally expressed a desire to bring it back, with some taking the initial axing of the model personally.

In all fairness, Mitsubishi didn’t leave the name idle for too long, as some nameplates take decades to return. The good news is, it sticks to a tried-and-true formula that’s faithful to the original model. These are all positive signs for Mitsubishi, ensuring the Pajero and Montero bloodline doesn’t become muddled. It’s even coming back to the world of rallying to do its ancestors proud.

The Sure Markets

The revived Pajero and Montero sit on a modified Triton pickup platform, so to call it a wagonized truck would be doing it a massive disservice. The Triton itself is a true global product, available in most parts of the world except for, you guessed it, the U.S and Canada. It does mean the SUV can be sold just about anywhere it’s permitted, and you can bet that Mitsubishi would like to offer it to a wider audience.

So far, there are a couple of confirmed markets for the all-new Mitsubishi Pajero. Of course, there’s ASEAN as it’s solely built in Thailand, at least for now. Also mentioned were Latin America and the Middle East, both of which have historically been strong markets for the Pajero and Montero. Also confirmed is Oceania, and Australia even has the initial pricing for the SUV.

And the Prices are…

A report from Drive has revealed initial pricing for the Pajero. Down Under, the SUV will start at 68,490 Australian dollars and will top out at 84,990 AUD. Convert that to U.S dollars, and that’s $49,400 to $61,300. While that sounds expensive, especially for a Mitsubishi, do note that vehicle prices in Australia are on the high side in general.

For reference, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in Australia, simply called Land Cruiser in America and Europe, starts at about 79,000 AUD (approx. $57,000) for a relatively bare mild-hybrid diesel model, all the way to 108,000 AUD ($77,900) for a top-spec mild-hybrid based on CarExpert’s buyer’s guide. The 2.4-liter turbo-hybrid is not sold over there, but we reckon it’ll be slightly more expensive than the diesels if it were offered. All in all, vehicle pricing in the U.S is still comparatively cheaper than in Australia.

Promising for the Montero

While the return of the Montero in the U.S isn’t guaranteed just yet, the Australian pricing does bode well for stateside pricing should the model come back. That said, there should be some significant changes before it’s actually approved for sale in North America. For starters, it’ll need a gas engine at the very least, but a hybrid or plug-in hybrid will be a bonus. And given that the Triton platform it uses isn’t sold stateside, it’ll likely need modifications and approval before it’s even allowed to set foot in America.

But given its positioning abroad, the Montero and Pajero as a whole will be less expensive than the Land Cruiser/Prado, but it might be a touch pricier than, say, a Toyota 4Runner. Still, it would make for an interesting matchup, especially since Nissan will soon build a truck-based Pathfinder.