With the launch of the all-new Mitsubishi Triton, the pickup wars just got a whole lot more heated. However, its arrival is also making us look forward to another future model, the next-generation Mitsubishi Montero Sport.
The model is also known as the Pajero Sport in other parts of the world. The Japanese automaker aims to reveal it by late 2024 to early 2025, and we think we’ve already been given a hint as to what the next-gen midsize SUV will look like.
So, what can we expect from it? Here are a few of our predictions, along with a few things Mitsubishi said we can look forward to soon.
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Power boost
This is an obvious one. Given that the Triton now packs a twin-turbo (at least for the higher-spec models), we can pretty much expect the same for the future Montero Sport. However, we reckon that there’s a good chance that it might use the twin-turbo arrangement for all variants since Mitsubishi only offers one kind of engine for the current model. Also, its chief rival, the Toyota Fortuner, offers a potent two-wheel drive model with over 200hp.
If all goes to plan, the 2025 Montero Sport could have 201hp and 470Nm of torque at the very least. We also reckon that the Montero Sport will have an eight-speed automatic.
Tech and clever diffs
Another obvious one, since the redesigned Triton received a massive overhaul in the four-wheel drive hardware and software department. Introduced in the 2024 Triton are Active Yaw Control, active LSD, a torque-sensing center differential, and seven driving modes including Eco, Normal, Mud, Snow, Sand, Gravel, and Rock. If the next Montero Sport doesn’t have those, we’ll be as shocked as you are.
Dramatic redesign
Mitsubishi has been taking a lot of risks in terms of design. We first saw that when the second-gen Montero Sport transitioned into the current model. Sure, there were some familiar lines, but the initial reaction to it was shock and divided opinion. We see the same happening for the fourth-generation Montero Sport, and we could expect yet another radical redesign of its exterior. There’s also a good chance the interior will look different from the Triton, too.
Terra twin?
Earlier this year, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance shared plans for new pickups and SUVs. The three companies are seeking even greater cooperation and development sharing across the board. In other words, we’re going to see more cases of platform sharing with the three brands. It’s been hinted that the frame of the Triton will also lend itself to the Nissan Terra, so it opens up the possibility of the Nissan Terra benefitting from whatever advancements are made in the Montero Sport.
More ‘Pajero,’ less ‘Triton’
Pickup platform vehicles have come a long way since the mid-2000s. The current crop is far more comfortable, easy to drive, and tech-loaded than ever before. With that, Mitsubishi hinted that the all-new Montero Sport will be more like its (discontinued) big brother, the Pajero. Sure, it will still sit on the same frame as the Triton, but we’re certain Mitsubishi will make more than enough tweaks to give the Montero Sport a unique driving characteristic.
As mentioned by Hiroshi Masuoka, chief of vehicle engineering development, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, “The sad news is that we don’t have Pajero for now, but we have Pajero Sport (the Montero Sport in most markets) in some markets. How do we grow the Pajero Sport globally? Pajero Sport has the potential to be stretched, to grow more. Performance, comfort, the bodywork, and the powertrain itself. We believe the Pajero Sport has that potential”.
2025 can’t come soon enough.
