Mitsubishi Pajero Mini Could Return in 2028 as Pajero Revival Grows Into a Family

Previous-generation Mitsubishi Pajero Mini

▲ An earlier Mitsubishi Pajero Mini. Reports from Japan suggest the nameplate could return, although Mitsubishi has yet to confirm a new Pajero Mini. (Image: Mitsubishi Motors)

The Mitsubishi Pajero is officially coming back. The more interesting question now is whether Mitsubishi intends to stop at just one Pajero.

A report from Japan suggests it may not. The Pajero Mini, the tiny off-road-inspired model once sold under Japan's kei-car regulations, is being tipped for a possible comeback in 2028. The report also points to the current Delica Mini as a potential starting point for the new model.

There is an important distinction, however: Mitsubishi has not announced a new Pajero Mini.

What the company has confirmed is the return of the full-size Pajero, which is scheduled for a world premiere in autumn 2026. Mitsubishi has also publicly stated that it intends to develop Pajero into a broader series over time.

That official strategy is what makes the latest Pajero Mini talk much more interesting than the usual “revived nameplate” rumour.

Pajero could become a family again

Pajero was not always a single-model nameplate.

The original SUV was eventually joined by a number of smaller relatives, including the Pajero Mini in 1994, Pajero Junior in 1995 and Pajero iO in 1998. At one point, Pajero effectively covered a family of SUVs aimed at very different buyers.

Mitsubishi now appears interested in rebuilding that idea.

Its latest mid- to long-term strategy puts renewed emphasis on vehicles that carry a recognisably Mitsubishi character, particularly in areas such as ASEAN markets and off-road products where the company believes it still has a competitive advantage.

The returning Pajero sits at the centre of that plan, and Mitsubishi has specifically said that it intends to develop Pajero into a series.

2026 Mitsubishi Pajero official teaser

▲ Mitsubishi has confirmed that the all-new Pajero will make its world premiere in autumn 2026, with plans to develop Pajero into a broader series. (Image: Mitsubishi Motors)

Why the Delica Mini connection is interesting

The latest detail comes from veteran Japanese automotive industry journalist Yoshio Tsukuda, who has reported that Mitsubishi could gradually rebuild the Pajero line across several sizes.

His report points to a possible 2028 launch for a revived Pajero Mini, with production at Mitsubishi's Mizushima plant in Japan. More notably, the vehicle is expected to use the Delica Mini as its base.

That would be a very different approach from simply shrinking the full-size Pajero.

The current Delica Mini is a kei car designed primarily for everyday Japanese roads, but Mitsubishi has deliberately given it a tougher and more outdoors-oriented personality. Available features include Gravel and Snow drive modes, Grip Control and Hill Descent Control, while four-wheel-drive versions receive dedicated chassis tuning.

For Mitsubishi, adapting an existing kei-car architecture into a more rugged Pajero-themed model could make considerably more business sense than developing a tiny off-roader from scratch.

Current Mitsubishi Delica Mini kei car

▲ The current Mitsubishi Delica Mini. Japanese industry reports suggest it could form the basis of a future Pajero Mini, but Mitsubishi has not confirmed the connection. (Image: Mitsubishi Motors)

Would it really be a Suzuki Jimny rival?

The obvious comparison is the Suzuki Jimny. Both names appeal to buyers who like compact dimensions, boxy styling and an outdoorsy image, so a revived Pajero Mini would inevitably be mentioned in the same conversation.

Mechanically, however, they could be very different vehicles.

The Jimny remains unusually serious for something so small, using a ladder-frame chassis and a four-wheel-drive system designed with genuine off-road driving in mind.

If Mitsubishi instead develops the Pajero Mini from the Delica Mini architecture, the result could put greater emphasis on daily usability, compact dimensions, all-weather confidence and outdoor lifestyle appeal rather than trying to copy the Jimny's hardware.

That may actually be the smarter move. Mitsubishi does not necessarily need another Jimny. It needs a small vehicle that feels unmistakably Mitsubishi.

Could it come to Malaysia?

There is currently no indication that a future Pajero Mini would be sold in Malaysia, or even outside Japan.

Kei cars are designed around a very specific set of Japanese regulations, so a direct Malaysian launch should not be assumed.

The more relevant story for this region is Mitsubishi's renewed focus on off-road vehicles and ASEAN. If Pajero eventually expands into several products, other members of that family could be far more relevant to Southeast Asian markets than the kei-sized Mini itself.

For now, the Pajero Mini remains a credible industry report rather than a confirmed future product. But with Mitsubishi itself saying Pajero will become a series, the idea no longer sounds nearly as unlikely as it might have a year ago.

Move Auto Take

A Pajero Mini comeback is still far from official, but the strategy behind the rumour is what makes it worth watching. Mitsubishi is no longer treating Pajero simply as the return of one famous SUV. It wants the name to become a series again. If that eventually stretches from a full-size off-roader down to compact and kei-sized models, Pajero could once again become one of the pillars of the Mitsubishi brand rather than just another revived badge.

Follow Move Auto for more automotive news, new-model developments and industry insights from Malaysia and around the world.

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