Kids who grew up in the late 1990s and early 2000s have been waiting a long time for this moment: Mitsubishi is making a comeback.*
The Japanese automaker has big plans for the US between now and 2030, with new products ranging from a revived off-roader to pickup trucks and family SUVs.
It all sounds great on paper. Mitsubishi’s current lineup certainly could use the help. But once you dig into what the company actually has planned, Mitsubishi’s so-called Momentum 2030 “revival” starts to sound a lot more like badge engineering with a healthy dose of help from Nissan.
Mitsubishi Momentum 30 Teaser
Photo by: Mitsubishi
The first examples are already here.
The Mitsubishi Outlander debuted as a close relative of the Nissan Rogue in 2021, and it quickly became the brand’s best-selling model by a long shot. Mitsubishi sold just over 35,000 Outlanders in 2025, and the lineup has since expanded with a plug-in-hybrid version.
Earlier this year, Mitsubishi also debuted the new Eclipse Sportback, which is essentially an updated Nissan Leaf underneath. Rather than spending billions developing its own EV platform (especially in a slowing market), Mitsubishi leaning on Nissan’s existing technology makes sense.
Rebadged SUVs are common, and in this case, there’s nothing inherently wrong with either of those models. The problems arise when you promise more enthusiast-focused products, only for those vehicles to potentially end up being existing Nissan products with new badges.
Once you dig into what the company actually has planned, Mitsubishi’s so-called ‘revival’ starts to sound a lot more like badge engineering with a healthy dose of help from Nissan.
Take the upcoming Montero/Pajero.
Mitsubishi has confirmed that the legendary SUV will return, with it scheduled to make its global debut this fall. It’s being positioned as a true flagship off-roader, complete with a rugged ladder-frame chassis and Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control system.
On paper, it sounds like exactly what Mitsubishi needs: a legitimate competitor to the Ford Bronco, Toyota 4Runner, and Jeep Wrangler.
There’s just one problem. The new Montero/Pajero will likely be based on a Nissan, too, although Mitsubishi hasn’t confirmed the details yet. The teasers so far certainly seem to point toward an Armada underneath with a Mitsubishi-specific face and a few exclusive features.
Again, the Armada is a perfectly capable SUV, but it would be a long way from the true successor to the iconic Montero/Pajero that debuted way back in 1982. Worst of all, Mitsubishi hasn’t even decided whether this new off-roader will come to America. Here’s hoping it does.
Photo by: Mitsubishi
Then there’s the pickup truck.
Mitsubishi has promised a new pickup for the US, aimed at rivals like the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, and Toyota Tacoma. It could give the brand a major boost in a market that is obsessed with trucks.
Mitsubishi already has legitimate truck heritage overseas, with the Triton being an important part of its global lineup. But the American truck almost certainly won’t be that; it will probably be based on the Nissan Frontier.
Again, there’s nothing wrong with the Frontier. But if Mitsubishi is serious about reviving its brand in America, a Frontier with a Mitsubishi badge isn’t exactly the kind of product that gets people excited.
Mitsubishi already has legitimate truck heritage overseas… but the American truck almost certainly won’t be that; it will probably be based on the Nissan Frontier.
The company has admittedly been down this path before. It attempted to snag a piece of the growing US mid-size truck market in the 2000s with the Dodge-Dakota-based Raider. Like so many other badge-engineered Mitsubishis, it was quickly canceled in light of poor sales.
Mitsubishi also has plans for a more rugged version of the Outlander. Our guess? It’s probably a current Outlander with Nissan’s Rock Creek hardware and a new badge. Thrilling.
What’s frustrating is that Mitsubishi’s global lineup actually has interesting products that Americans don’t get. There’s the Triton/L200 pickup. There’s the rugged Delica D:5 minivan. And there are a handful of other SUVs and smaller vehicles sold in other markets that won’t come to the US.
Not all of them would make sense here, of course. But at least they’re uniquely Mitsubishi.
Photo by: Mitsubishi
There’s no question that Mitsubishi needs more vehicles in the US, with its current lineup heavily dependent on the Outlander. Momentum 2030 is supposed to change that, but when many of the “new” products coming to America are likely to be rebadged Nissans, it’s tough to get too excited.
For most of its history, Mitsubishi had a clear identity—the Lancer Evo, Eclipse, 3000GT, Starion, Montero, and more. Not that those vehicles were necessarily huge sellers, but they at least gave people a reason to care about the brand.
Going from four vehicles to six is a big deal, especially with even more products planned before 2030. And having the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance gives the company access to platforms, technology, and economies of scale that would be difficult to achieve on its own.
If Mitsubishi uses those resources to create uniquely Mitsubishi products, it could have a chance at a legitimate second act in America. But if the comeback mostly consists of Nissans with new faces, it’s going to be hard to get too excited about what’s coming.
