Mitsubishi is not simply reviving a nameplate—it's building a dynasty around it.
Después de cinco años de silencio, Mitsubishi devuelve a la vida uno de los nombres más venerados del mundo todoterreno: el Pajero/Montero regresará en la segunda mitad de 2026, no como un simple modelo renovado, sino como el ancla de una familia de trece vehículos que se extenderá hasta 2031. Es el gesto de una marca que comprende que ciertos nombres no pertenecen solo a un automóvil, sino a una promesa colectiva sobre lo que significa ir más allá del camino trazado.
- El Pajero/Montero vuelve en 2026 con chasis de escalera derivado del L200, tracción 4x4 con reductora y la ambición directa de disputarle terreno al Toyota Land Cruiser Prado y al Ford Bronco.
- La ausencia de cinco años generó expectativa acumulada: las fotos espía de prototipos circulando por carreteras europeas y americanas desde 2024 encendieron la conversación antes de cualquier anuncio oficial.
- Mitsubishi no resucita un modelo, sino que convierte el nombre en una marca paraguas con trece lanzamientos planeados, desde kei cars y minivans para Asia hasta SUVs de distintos tamaños y una nueva pickup.
- De los trece vehículos previstos para 2031, cinco serán híbridos y cinco totalmente eléctricos, señalando una electrificación agresiva sin abandonar los motores de combustión donde el mercado aún los demanda.
- El peso histórico del nombre es la apuesta central: Mitsubishi confía en que el legado del Pajero puede anclar toda una estrategia de producto y construir, más que un regreso, una dinastía.
Mitsubishi está devolviendo a los concesionarios uno de los nombres más icónicos del mundo todoterreno. El Pajero —conocido como Montero en varios mercados— regresará en la segunda mitad de 2026, cinco años después de que el último modelo saliera de la línea de producción en 2021. La marca japonesa nunca dejó de imaginar lo que ese nombre podría llegar a ser.
El desarrollo lleva dos años en marcha. Cuando Mitsubishi publicó imágenes oficiales en enero, la reacción fue inmediata, aunque los fotógrafos de prototipos ya habían captado vehículos de prueba desde 2024 en carreteras europeas y americanas, sugiriendo la existencia de una variante Montero Sport. Ahora la compañía ha confirmado que esos avistamientos apuntaban a algo mayor: no un solo vehículo, sino una familia completa bajo el mismo nombre legendario.
El Pajero/Montero insignia será un todoterreno auténtico: chasis de escalera derivado de la pickup L200, tracción en las cuatro ruedas con reductora y un interior a la altura de su posicionamiento premium. Su rival declarado es el Toyota Land Cruiser Prado y el Ford Bronco. Las especificaciones de motor aún no se han revelado, aunque se esperan opciones de gasolina, diésel o híbrido enchufable según el mercado.
Pero la verdadera noticia es la estrategia detrás del regreso. Mitsubishi ha decidido convertir el nombre Pajero/Montero en una marca paraguas, tal como lo hizo en el pasado con el Montero largo, el corto y el Montero Sport. Este último, actualizado en 2024, seguirá formando parte de la familia ampliada.
El nuevo plan de producto cubre cinco años y contempla trece lanzamientos antes de 2031: desde kei cars y minivans orientados a Asia hasta SUVs de distintos tamaños y una nueva pickup. Cinco de esos modelos serán híbridos y cinco totalmente eléctricos, manteniendo motores de combustión donde la demanda lo justifique. La apuesta de Mitsubishi es clara: el peso histórico del nombre puede sostener toda una estrategia de producto. No es simplemente un regreso —es la construcción de una dinastía.
Mitsubishi is bringing back one of the automotive world's most storied names. The Pajero—known as the Montero in some markets—will return to showrooms in the second half of 2026, marking the nameplate's comeback after a five-year absence. The last model rolled off the line in 2021, but the Japanese automaker never stopped thinking about what the name could become.
The new generation has been in development for two years, and when Mitsubishi released official images in January, the automotive internet took notice. Months earlier, spy photographers had already spotted prototype test vehicles that hinted at a Montero Sport variant, images that had been circulating since 2024 from both European and American roads. Now the company has confirmed what those sightings were leading toward: not just one vehicle, but an entire family of models bearing the legendary nameplate.
The flagship Pajero/Montero will be a genuine off-road machine, built on a ladder-frame chassis derived from Mitsubishi's L200 pickup truck and equipped with four-wheel drive and low-range gearing. It's designed to compete directly with the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and Ford Bronco—vehicles that command respect in the premium SUV segment. The company hasn't yet disclosed full specifications, but the powertrain is expected to offer either a new gasoline or diesel engine depending on the market, or possibly a plug-in hybrid system. What's certain is that Mitsubishi intends this as its flagship vehicle, which means it will receive a suspension tuned specifically for the SUV role rather than shared with the pickup, and an interior finished to match its premium positioning.
But the real news isn't just the return of a single model. Mitsubishi has decided to resurrect the Pajero/Montero name as an umbrella brand for multiple vehicles, much like it did years ago when the long-wheelbase Montero, short-wheelbase Montero, and the more affordable Montero Sport all carried variations of the same name. The Montero Sport itself received its most recent update in 2024 and will continue as part of this expanded family.
The company released an updated product roadmap covering the next five years, replacing the previous strategy announced in 2023. Within this window, Mitsubishi plans to launch thirteen new models by 2031. The lineup will span everything from compact kei cars and minivans aimed at Asian markets to SUVs in multiple sizes and a new pickup truck. Of these thirteen vehicles, five will be hybrid-powered and five will be fully electric, reflecting the industry's shift toward electrification while maintaining traditional combustion engines for markets where they remain competitive.
The Pajero/Montero nameplate carries enormous weight in the four-wheel-drive segment, and Mitsubishi clearly understands that weight. By expanding it into a family rather than keeping it as a single model, the company is betting that the name's heritage and reputation can anchor an entire product strategy. Whether all thirteen planned models eventually reach the Colombian market remains to be seen, but the ambition is clear: Mitsubishi is not simply reviving a nameplate—it's building a dynasty around it.
Citas Notables
The new generation has been in development for two years, with official images released in January.— Mitsubishi product timeline
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why bring back a name that's been gone for five years? Why not just launch a new model with a new name?
The Pajero and Montero names carry decades of credibility in the off-road world. Customers who owned them, or whose parents owned them, remember what those vehicles could do. That's worth money.
But if they're launching thirteen models under this family, won't some of them feel like they're borrowing prestige they haven't earned?
Possibly. But Mitsubishi is betting that the halo effect works—that a strong flagship vehicle can elevate the entire lineup. The Montero Sport already proved that the name could stretch down-market.
The roadmap includes both hybrids and full electrics. How do you square that with the off-road positioning?
Off-road buyers are skeptical about electric vehicles in rough terrain. Mitsubishi is hedging by offering multiple powertrains. The flagship will likely stay combustion or plug-in hybrid for now.
What about markets like Colombia? Will they get the full thirteen-model lineup?
Almost certainly not. Mitsubishi will prioritize Asia and developed markets first. Smaller markets will get a curated selection—probably the flagship Pajero and maybe the Montero Sport variant.
So this is really a global strategy, not a regional one?
Exactly. The roadmap is global, but execution will be regional. The name comes back everywhere, but which vehicles show up depends on local demand and regulations.