Mitsubishi is heading back to the place that once crushed it. Seventeen years after the Raider flopped, the Japanese brand is eyeing the most profitable segment in America again — pickups. And this time, it looks serious.
According to Pickup Truck Talk, the project is now part of Mitsubishi’s Momentum 2030 strategy and will be co-developed with Nissan. The logic is simple: one chassis, two trucks. The new pickup could underpin the next-generation Nissan Frontier — or get its own Mitsubishi-flavored version with bespoke styling and technology.
For Mitsubishi, this is far more than a lineup expansion. In the US, the brand survives almost entirely on crossovers, and a pickup could restore something it lost long ago — a rugged, utilitarian, adventurous identity. The trouble is that the midsize segment has turned into trench warfare: Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier — each with an army of loyalists.
The real question is the hardware. The global Mitsubishi Triton isn’t coming to the States: it’s built in Thailand, and adapting it to US regulations, tariffs, and local production would be expensive. Sharing a platform with Nissan looks far more sensible — and far faster.
If the project reaches showrooms, Mitsubishi will get a rare second shot at a segment where a reputation for durability still counts. The brand has that reputation. It just has to prove that in 2029 it still means something beyond Pajero nostalgia.