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New Mitsubishi Pajero to launch in 2021! Plug-in hybrid power coming as iconic SUV makes a surprise comeback - reports

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The next-gen Pajero will borrow its styling cues from the Concept GC (pictured)
Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
26 Mar 2020
2 min read

The iconic Mitsubishi Pajero nameplate is set for a return to glory, with Japanese media today reporting that an all-new model will launch in Japan in 2021.

It’s a return from the scrapheap for the Pajero, at least in Japan, where the model was axed in 2019.

The ageing icon - last fully updated in 20006 - remains on sale in Australia. In fact, it was just updated for 2020 here, with Mitsubishi trimming the line-up from three to two models, and adding equipment.

Despite that stay of execution, it was thought the Pajero would be phased out entirely around the world in the coming years, with no all-new model on the horizon.

Read More: Mitsubishi Pajero axed! End of the road for ageing off-road icon as brand battles record losses

Until now, that is, with Japanese scoop site Spyder7 today reporting that an all-new Pajero will be revealed in “late 2021 or 2022”, rejuvenating the nameplate in Japan.

According to the site, the Pajero will adopt a new-generation ladder-frame chassis and will stretch roughly the same dimensions as the car it replaces.

Powering the new model will be a plug-in hybrid powertrain which marries a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with a pair of electric motors. According to the site, you can expect 75km in pure electric driving range.

Again, according to reports, the next-gen Pajero will borrow its styling cues from the Concept GC (pictured) which was first revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2013. That car married a supercharged V6 with a hybrid system, but if the reports are to be believed, the capacity has since been downgraded.

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold. But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul. And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard. When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House. But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others. More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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