New Mitsubishi Shogun is suiting-up for battle against Toyota Land Cruiser and Land Rover Discovery
Mitsubishi's road warrior SUV is in development and could spearhead brand's dramatic UK return
Six years on from the announcement that it would leave the UK new-car market, Mitsubishi is poised for a sensational return – and one of the first models it could bring back is this: the next-generation Shogun.
The new Shogun has already been caught testing in the US, but we’ve spotted it on German roads, suggesting it’s being tailored for European, and possibly even British, driving tastes.
Shortly before Mitsubishi called it quits in the UK, it axed the Shogun model here - leaving the L200 pick-up truck-based Shogun Sport to fill its role. The fourth-generation Shogun received plenty of facelifts during its long life (having been introduced in 2006), but what was consistent throughout was its aptitude for off-roading, which it carried over from the 1982 original.
From our spy pictures it’s clear the upcoming, fifth-generation Shogun will once again be a no-nonsense, rugged off-roader. The new model will clearly be large, too, around the same size as a Land Rover Discovery or Toyota Land Cruiser. Its bulky proportions are backed up by a bluff, imposing front end with a large, open grille that (along with the exhaust hanging below the rear bumper) confirms this is a combustion-engined car.
Design details are likely to mimic the latest L200 truck, so expect lots of flat surfacing and squared-off angles. Other interesting elements on this test car include a panoramic sunroof, winter tyres and side steps – a seemingly necessary item considering the Shogun’s ride height.
The first two vehicles to spearhead Mitsubishi’s return to the UK will be the Outlander PHEV and L200 this summer. Considering Shogun test cars have been spotted testing since summer 2025, we expect a reveal by summer 2026, perhaps followed by a launch in early 2027. We’ll have to wait and see if the Shogun follows the Outlander and L200 to the UK market, though.
We’ll also have to wait until those first two Mitsubishi models arrive for any idea on pricing. The Shogun would certainly sit above the L200 and Outlander, although its two traditional rivals, the Land Cruiser and Discovery, now start at over £80,000. Despite the Shogun being axed last decade, its residual values are incredibly strong, with several examples available on the Auto Express Buy A Car service from around £17,000.
Mitsubishi hasn’t announced what will underpin the new Shogun, but the most likely choice is the latest ladder-frame chassis used by the 2026 L200. There’s a new all-wheel drive system and this platform features seven driving modes: Normal, ECO, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand and Rock. If the Shogun gets the L200’s revised 2.4-litre twin-turbocharged four-cylinder diesel developing 201bhp and a meaty 470Nm of torque, it should be a pretty capable SUV off-road, just like its predecessors. The L200 Series 7 is also designed to cater for electrified powertrains, which would make more sense in the slightly more family-oriented Shogun SUV.
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