Mitsubishi is reportedly getting ready to dust off one of its most respected nameplates and bring the Montero back as a true off-road SUV for the 2028 model year. That alone is enough to make longtime fans perk up, because the Montero has always carried real trail credibility, not just rugged-looking cladding. The big headline is that this is expected to be a body-on-frame SUV with four-wheel drive, which is exactly the recipe enthusiasts want in a world full of soft-road crossovers.

What’s especially interesting is how Mitsubishi plans to make it happen. The new Montero is expected to be developed alongside Nissan, which opens the door to a couple of different foundations. It could borrow from the Frontier’s mid-size truck roots, or it could go bigger and lean on the Armada’s full-size SUV architecture. Either way, it sounds like Mitsubishi is aiming well above the current Outlander in size and presence, and that’s a much-needed move if the brand wants a true flagship that feels like more than “the biggest crossover on the lot.”

Powertrain talk is where things get spicy. One possibility floating around is Nissan’s twin-turbo V6, potentially the 425-hp 3.5-liter used in the Armada, which would instantly give the Montero some serious muscle. At the same time, Mitsubishi is expected to offer some kind of electrified option, with a plug-in hybrid setup looking like the most likely play. If Mitsubishi can combine legit off-road hardware with plug-in capability for daily driving, school runs, and road trips, it could land in a sweet spot that a lot of buyers are starting to pay attention to.

If this all comes together, the Montero will be stepping into a stacked field. The Toyota 4Runner remains a benchmark for durability and resale, the Ford Bronco is the style-and-attitude pick, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee sits in that comfortable blend of trail ability and on-road refinement. Mitsubishi’s opportunity is to offer something that feels purposeful and tough, while still bringing its own design identity to the table, potentially with styling cues inspired by concept designs that have previewed a recognizable Mitsubishi face.

Of course, there are a couple of ways this could go sideways. If the Montero ends up feeling like a thinly disguised Nissan with a different badge and grille, it may have a tough time winning over shoppers who want authenticity. Mitsubishi also has to reintroduce the Montero story to a younger audience that may not automatically connect the brand with adventure and off-road heritage. Pricing is expected to land in the low-$60,000 range, likely with standard 4WD and generous equipment, so Mitsubishi will need to make sure the Montero feels special enough to justify that kind of money. If it does, this could be one of the most important vehicles Mitsubishi has launched in years.