Pajero First, Then the Evo? Mitsubishi Names Its Treasures

© A. Krivonosov

Mitsubishi has spoken the name Lancer Evolution again — not as an archived legend, but as a possible goal for the future. At the shareholders' meeting, company president Keisuke Kishiura said that, following the return of the Pajero, the brand would one day like to become strong enough to build models such as the Lancer Evolution, Galant and Diamante.

There is no outright promise. Kishiura said there are no concrete plans for these cars right now, but called them Mitsubishi's «treasures». It's an important caveat: the company isn't announcing a new Evo — it is effectively admitting that without a solid foundation, money and the right platform, iconic badges are best left untouched.

The first test will be the Pajero. According to Drive, the new SUV is expected to be shown later in 2026, and structurally it won't be a direct successor to the previous model. A body-on-frame architecture is expected, sharing its base and key components with the Triton pickup. The Pajero Sport used to play that role, but now Mitsubishi intends to bring back the Pajero name itself and make the model its flagship.

The Pajero has always been an easy SUV to read: a ladder frame and rugged off-road hardware, a diesel, strong resale value and simple ownership logic. If the new model stays close to the Triton, its likely rivals are clear: Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X and other body-on-frame SUVs built on pickups. The question won't be nostalgia, but price, durability, parts availability and running costs.

Lancer Evolution is trickier. The old Evo was a rally car for the road, but today's market demands electrification, emissions compliance and heavy investment. In theory Mitsubishi could lean on its alliance with Nissan and Renault, as it already does with the ASX based on the Captur and other joint projects. But a sports sedan without an engineering idea of its own risks becoming just a badge on someone else's platform.

That's exactly why the Pajero matters more than it seems. If it brings Mitsubishi confidence, money and buyer interest, talk of the Lancer Evolution will stop being mere nostalgia for shareholders. For now it isn't an announcement but a test: whether the brand still has the strength to build cars people buy for more than just a discount.