Mitsubishi partners with Nissan to develop new pickup truck

Mitsubishi has confirmed it will return to the mid-size pickup segment in the United States in the coming years through a collaboration with Nissan. As reported by Car and Driver on Tuesday, the new model is expected to be based on the next generation of the Nissan Frontier and will be manufactured in the United States.

This announcement is part of Mitsubishi’s strategy to expand its line-up of off-road capable vehicles, following the company’s decision to revive the Pajero SUV, which was previously marketed in the US as the Montero. According to reports, the new Mitsubishi pickup will likely utilise a new body-on-frame platform currently under development by Nissan, which is scheduled to launch around 2024. This platform will also be used for the next-generation Nissan Frontier, the new Nissan Xterra SUV, and Infiniti SUVs.

This move allows Mitsubishi to establish a presence in the large US pickup segment without facing import tariffs. Although an official launch schedule has not yet been announced, the vehicle is expected to arrive before 2030. Mitsubishi is currently the only Japanese automaker without its own production facilities in the United States.

Mitsubishi CEO Takao Kato stated that the new pickup is part of the company’s target to increase global sales from 797,000 units in the fiscal year ending 31 March to approximately 930,000 units per year by the early 2030s. In addition to the new pickup, Mitsubishi is also considering the development of a Pajero SUV family. The company’s presentation showcased two smaller SUVs that would sit below the Pajero. The presentation also included the note “Pajero = Montero”, indicating the potential return of the Montero name to the US market. Furthermore, Mitsubishi plans to launch a compact electric vehicle for the US market in the near future, which is essentially a rebadged version of the latest generation Nissan Leaf.