Mitsubishi Pajero gets 20 factory accessories for Australian launch

Mitsubishi will offer 20 factory-backed accessories for the reborn Pajero when it reaches Australian dealerships next month, a catalogue developed with input from Australian engineers for outback conditions. Work on the program began in early 2022, well before the new Pajero was unveiled in September 2026.

Mitsubishi Motors Australia says its team received early access to CAD data before the first prototypes were built, allowing mounting points and pre-wiring for protection bars and towing equipment to be designed into the vehicle from the start.

Protection bars and body armour

The centrepiece is a Front Protection Bar, offered in steel hooped and hoopless versions. It covers the entire front end to shield the grille and headlights from road debris and minor collisions, and Mitsubishi says it was designed not to interfere with the SUV's advanced driver assistance sensors. It is a less imposing piece than the large bull bar fitted to Toyota's RAV4.

Buyers wanting more discreet protection can choose clear headlight protectors, hood protectors in clear, tinted or matte black finishes, a nudge bar in black or polished finish, a skid plate and rock sliders. A snorkel, auxiliary LED lights and a roof rack round out the off-road hardware.

Towing and recovery kit

The tow bar mounts to the ladder-frame chassis with specific reinforcements and can be paired with a towbar harness, an electric brake harness and a weight distribution hitch. A heavy-duty winch cradle is also offered for self-recovery.

Steve Pearson, Engineering Manager for Accessory Development at Mitsubishi Motors Australia, said in a press release that Australians ask a lot of their four-wheel drives, towing caravans, travelling off-road and covering enormous distances, so the accessories had to be engineered as part of the vehicle experience rather than cosmetic additions.

Pricing for the accessories has not been announced and will come at a later date. Buyers who place an early reservation receive three years of complimentary servicing and AU$1,000 worth of accessories. Accessories fitted before delivery carry the standard five-year/100,000 km warranty, which extends to 10 years and 200,000 km when the SUV is serviced through the official dealer network.

Triton-based underpinnings and Australian pricing

The new Pajero uses a ladder-frame chassis derived from the Triton pickup, with model-specific suspension and greater refinement. Power comes from a 2.4-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder producing 201 hp (150 kW/204 PS) and 480 Nm (354 lb-ft), sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic and Mitsubishi's Super Select 4WD-II system with Super All-Wheel Control.

Australian pricing starts at AU$68,490 for the five-seat GLS and reaches AU$84,990 for the flagship GSR. Mitsubishi has not confirmed the Pajero for North America, though it will be exported to some global markets under the Montero nameplate.

The accessory program is a practical edge for buyers who actually use a 4x4 as intended. Designing mounting points and wiring into the vehicle before prototypes existed means protection bars and tow gear can be fitted without cutting or improvising, and the warranty treatment for dealer-fitted parts gives fleet and touring buyers a clearer cost picture than the aftermarket usually offers.

Honda will build a new $3 billion vehicle assembly plant in central Ohio, on land between its existing East Liberty and Marysville factories, with production scheduled to begin in 2029. The plant is planned for a capacity of 240,000 vehicles a year and is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs, Honda says.

What the plant will build

Honda has not specified which models will be built at the new factory. The company says only that the plant will be capable of producing everything from petrol-powered models to hybrids and full EVs, so the model line-up will not be confirmed until closer to the 2029 start of production.

The capacity figure is the clearest guide to scale: at 240,000 vehicles a year, the site would be a substantial addition rather than a niche facility. Honda says the plant will lift its US production capacity to around 1.3 million vehicles a year.

An Ohio footprint that keeps growing

Honda already runs two vehicle assembly factories in Ohio, at East Liberty and Marysville, alongside the Anna Engine Plant and a transmission facility in Russells Point. The new site extends a manufacturing base that has been in the state for decades, and the choice of land next to existing operations suggests the company intends to share suppliers, logistics and labour with plants it already runs.

That matters for buyers mainly through what it signals about Honda's product plans. A plant flexible enough for combustion, hybrid and electric models gives Honda room to shift the mix as demand changes, rather than committing a single line to one powertrain type.

Hybrid investment spreads beyond Ohio

The Ohio plant is one part of a wider push into hybrid production. Honda is investing in its Lincoln, Alabama factory to raise capacity and expand engine output to include a new V6 hybrid powertrain, and says the plant will be able to build multiple models across its two vehicle production lines.

The Anna Engine Plant is being substantially retooled to build a next-generation Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine for upcoming compact and midsize models. At the Russells Point transmission facility, an existing transmission line is being converted into a second production line for next-generation hybrid systems destined for compact and midsize vehicles. That facility will also lead production of Honda's hybrid system for larger vehicles, which will additionally be built at the company's transmission plant in Georgia.

Honda says more detail on the vehicles that will use these hybrid systems should emerge over the next couple of years. Until then, the powertrain hardware is confirmed but the nameplates are not.