Nissan borrowed heavily from Mitsubishi to build the 2026 Rogue Hybrid, and now it’s Mitsubishi’s turn to rummage through the parts bin. Industry publication Automotive News reported that the automaker will re-enter the U.S. market with a midsize truck based on the Nissan Frontier, which will play a significant role in the brand’s American turnaround strategy.
Mitsubishi CEO Takao Kato announced the partnership on May 29 during an event held to outline the company’s updated business plan. The roadmap also includes the return of the Pajero SUV to the company’s lineup and targets annual sales of 930,000 units by early next decade. Mitsubishi plans to launch future Nissan-based models and said it would overhaul its dealer network with smaller stores called “satellite shops” in urban areas.
The Thai-built Pajero is destined for other global markets, but the truck we receive will be built at one of Nissan’s U.S. factories. Mitsubishi doesn’t currently manufacture any models in the U.S., putting its model line at greater risk of negative tariff impacts.
Interestingly, the last truck Mitsubishi sold in the U.S. was also a badge-engineered model. The Dodge Dakota-based Raider was last on sale for the 2010 model year during the last financial crisis, but it wasn’t a sales success before the downturn.
The new truck will need some market traction to be a success for Mitsubishi, but its Frontier roots put it in direct competition with the Nissan model, which barely broke 65,000 units in 2025 calendar-year sales. That sales volume was down from a little over 68,000 units in 2024.
We don’t expect to see the vehicle on sale before 2028 or 2029. Nissan plans to release a next-generation Frontier around then, so Mitsubishi’s version likely won’t debut until that hype has died down. The long-awaited Nissan Xterra is also expected to arrive in that timeframe, making the late 2020s an exciting time for the two automakers.
