Back After 5 Years: How the 2026 Pajero Stacks Against Prado, Fortuner, Everest

Abu Dhabi: Anyone who follows the UAE's local automotive market is clearly familiar with the legendary Pajero. Few nameplates have the same significance in the UAE as the Pajero.

For over four decades, it was the default choice for buyers who wanted proper desert capability without giving up daily comfort. And its quiet exit around 2021 left a gap that Mitsubishi never properly filled with a direct replacement.

That changed on September 2, 2026. That gap started closing. Mitsubishi unveiled the fifth-generation Pajero at a world premiere in Tokyo, confirming it as a real body-on-frame SUV rather than a softened crossover wearing an old name. The new Pajero is built in Thailand.

But it is not reaching UAE showrooms immediately, and several details are still pending. But enough is now confirmed to measure it seriously against the three SUVs that have owned this segment in its absence: the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, the Toyota Fortuner, and the Ford Everest.

The Segment Scenario

Model	UAE Status	Starting Price (AED)	Seats
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado	On sale now	199,900	7
Toyota Fortuner	On sale now	128,900	7
Ford Everest	On sale now	157,395	5 to 7
Mitsubishi Pajero	Confirmed, UAE arrival 2027	NA	NA

Three of these four are real, on-road options today. The fourth is real as well, in the sense that Mitsubishi has committed to it publicly and shown a working platform. But it is not yet something a UAE buyer can walk into a showroom and order. This distinction is important for understanding the rest of this comparison.

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

The current Prado, built on Toyota's J250 platform and revealed globally in 2024, landed in the UAE as a real overhaul rather than a facelift. It runs a single 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 267 hp and 430 Nm, paired with an 8-speed automatic, across five UAE variants running from the TXR at AED 199,900 to the VXR at AED 264,900. Fuel economy sits around 10.6 km per litre, respectable for a body-on-frame SUV of this size.

Every variant gets adaptive cruise control, a pre-collision system, lane trace assist, and adaptive high beam as standard, along with seven airbags and a proper multi-terrain select system.

The cabin quality takes a real step up from the previous generation, with materials that compete with those in SUVs a segment above in price. The trade-off is running cost, since 8 to 10.6 km per litre means daily city driving adds up, and the second and third rows, while usable, are tighter than the full-size Land Cruiser 300 for buyers who regularly carry seven adults.

Toyota Fortuner

Another Toyota in this list, and the Fortuner also has a sort of iconic role here in the UAE. Prices start at AED 128,900 for the 2.7-litre EXR and rise to AED 173,900 for the 4.0-litre VXR.

The base 2.7-litre engine makes 164 hp and 245 Nm, considerably behind the rest of this comparison on paper, while the 4.0-litre V6 in the VXR steps up to 235 hp and 376 Nm. Both pair with a 6-speed automatic and 4WD across every variant, seating seven as standard.

Toyota reserves the Fortuner's generous safety and tech for the top of the range, helping explain its popularity. The base EXR ships without automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, or adaptive cruise control, and buyers need to reach the VXR specifically to get blind spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert.

The infotainment setup is a modest 8-inch display against the larger screens now standard on rivals. What the Fortuner sells instead is decades of proven UAE desert performance and the widest, deepest dealer network of anything on this list through Al-Futtaim Toyota.

Ford Everest

The current-generation Everest launched in the UAE in 2026 with a properly redesigned exterior built around Ford's global C-Clamp headlamp signature. It is priced from AED 157,395 to AED 237,000 across the XLS, XLT, and Limited variants.

It gets a 2.3-litre EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine producing 296 hp and 420 Nm, the strongest output of any confirmed engine in this comparison, paired with a 10-speed automatic and full-time 4WD.

Seating varies between five and seven, depending on the variant, and the cabin features a 12-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, a clear improvement over the Fortuner in terms of technology.

The top variants are offered with a 360-degree camera, blind spot assist, and lane-keeping systems. Selectable drive modes cover sand and gravel specifically, with dual recovery points fitted as standard, which are useful for anyone doing regular Hatta or Liwa runs.

The Everest is the newest arrival of the three established rivals here, and it shows in the equipment list, though its UAE service network is still younger and less proven than Toyota's.

The Returning Pajero

What Mitsubishi has confirmed so far paints a serious picture.

The new Pajero shares its ladder-frame chassis with the Triton pickup, but with dedicated front and rear suspension development rather than a simple carryover, paired with a rigid rear axle and a five-link setup.

The confirmed engine is a 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel producing approximately 201 to 204 hp and 470 to 480 Nm, mated to an 8-speed automatic.

Mitsubishi's Super Select II four-wheel-drive system carries over with seven drive modes, a properly flexible setup that has long been one of the Pajero's calling cards for desert driving specifically.

Mitsubishi has stated the new Pajero is projected to match the Prado on towing capacity and offer higher ground clearance with a dedicated Sand mode, positioning it directly against the Prado rather than the smaller Fortuner.

One confirmed cabin detail so far is a new multi-metre display, revealed by Mitsubishi in a dedicated announcement in June 2026, though the full interior and technology package remain under wraps.

The global launch sequence runs Thailand first in October 2026, then Japan and Australia by December, with the wider international rollout to around 100 countries, the UAE included, following in 2027. Whether the UAE gets the diesel engine as launched or a petrol or hybrid alternatives given regional preference has not been confirmed either way.

Powertrain Comparison

Model	Engine	Power	Torque	Transmission
Prado	2.4L Turbo Petrol	267 hp	430 Nm	8-speed automatic
Fortuner (VXR)	4.0L V6 Petrol	235 hp	376 Nm	6-speed automatic
Everest	2.3L EcoBoost Turbo Petrol	296 hp	420 Nm	10-speed automatic
Pajero (confirmed)	2.4L Twin-Turbo Diesel	201-204 hp	470-480 Nm	8-speed automatic

The Pajero's confirmed figures show the lowest power of the group but the highest torque, a diesel characteristic that should translate into strong low-end pulling power for sand and towing, at the likely cost of the higher-revving responsiveness a petrol engine like the Everest's delivers.

Safety And Technology

Toyota fits its full Toyota Safety Sense suite as standard across every Prado variant, an approach neither the Fortuner nor, at base level, the Everest fully matches.

The Fortuner reserves its strongest safety kit for the range-topping VXR, leaving base buyers with a considerably thinner package.

The Everest sits closer to the Prado's approach on higher variants, with a 360-degree camera and blind spot assist available, though not standard across the full range.

Mitsubishi has not detailed the Pajero's safety suite yet, but given the brand's stated intent to compete directly with the Prado, matching or exceeding Toyota's standard ADAS package would be a reasonable expectation once full specifications land.

A Perfect SUV

Anyone who needs a capable, well-equipped mid-size SUV today has no reason to wait, and the Prado currently offers the most complete standard safety package of the three available options.

If you are on a tighter budget and still want proven seven-seat capability, you should look closely at the Fortuner, accepting a thinner tech and safety list at the base variant in exchange for real savings.

If you are looking for the newest cabin tech and the strongest confirmed power figure among current options, you should test the Everest, which should be tested before assuming an older nameplate automatically wins.

Those of you who are loyal to the Pajero name or want its diesel torque and Super Select II system face a real wait of a year or more, with UAE pricing and full specification still unconfirmed.

The Verdict

The return of the Pajero is certainly a big event in the world of automotive, especially in the UAE's context. Based on what Mitsubishi has confirmed so far, the dedicated suspension work, the diesel torque figure, and the flexible Super Select II system suggest a serious attempt to reclaim the ground it once owned against the Prado specifically.

What it cannot yet do is beat a fully specified, on-sale rival on paper, since half its own numbers are still missing.

If you are in the market for an SUV this year, choose from the Prado, Fortuner, or Everest based on budget and equipment priorities, all three capable options with real UAE track records or, in the Everest's case, a strong opening showing.

For all others, it is certainly worth the wait for the Pajero to arrive here. It looks like the new SUV has a lot to offer, which gives you a legitimate reason to hold on.

Also Read: All-New Mitsubishi Pajero's Engine and Off-Road Performance: What UAE Buyers Can Expect