Mitsubishi responds to Toyota's mini Land Cruiser with a 4x4 with off-road DNA and a familiar name
Mitsubishi's response to the new "mini" Land Cruiser will take some time. The Japanese manufacturer is working on a new 4x4 with off-road DNA whose name will be very familiar to you and which will hit the market in 2026 to deliver a hard blow to Toyota.
Mitsubishi has tied its future to that of the Renault Group in Europe. And the proof is that the vast majority of new products that the Japanese manufacturer is adding to its European offer are vehicles that directly stem from Renault models. The debut of the new Mitsubishi Grandis, or more recently the new electric Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, is a clear example of this strategy.
Far from European borders, Mitsubishi's situation is quite different. Especially in markets like Southeast Asia where the brand has a very interesting product offering. Models like the Mitsubishi Xpander and the Mitsubishi Xforce demonstrate that this giant of the Japanese automotive industry still has the capacity to develop vehicles with its own stamp. And this is precisely what the company is doing to respond to Toyota's offensive with the Land Cruiser family.
Mitsubishi finalizes the details of a new Montero Sport
Toyota has generated a lot of buzz with its "mini" Land Cruiser. This brand, taking advantage of the global appeal of the Land Cruiser commercial name, has decided to create (or rather expand) a family of models around the historic off-roader. Mitsubishi is also a specialist brand in the manufacture of 4x4 vehicles and pure off-roaders.
About a year ago, the news broke. Thanks to our spy photographers, we discovered that the new generation of the Mitsubishi Montero Sport was in development. This model, known in certain markets as Pajero Sport, will finally undergo a generational change. A new generation whose development is approaching the final stretch, as demonstrated by this recent sighting.
The sighting of prototypes of the new Montero Sport already circulating on open roads led to the belief that we were really looking at a simple version of the Mitsubishi Destinator that the brand markets in selected markets like Indonesia. However, and although aesthetically they may seem related, the reality is quite different. The new Montero Sport will be related to the Mitsubishi L200 pickup (also called Triton).
4x4 traction and off-road appearance for the new Mitsubishi Montero Sport
Powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder turbo diesel engine that will exceed 200 hp, the new Montero Sport will feature a Super Select 4WD-II all-wheel drive system to offer extraordinary performance away from the asphalt of the big city. It will be available (depending on the market) with manual and automatic transmission.
When will it hit the market? The debut and commercial launch of the new Montero Sport is expected to take place in 2026. The brand will prioritize markets like Australia and Southeast Asia. For now, the possibilities of bringing this model to other markets like Japan are being studied and analyzed. Its arrival in Europe is, as of today, a real unknown. But considering the strategy that Mitsubishi is following in European territory, we can almost rule out its launch in this part of the world.