Mitsubishi has revealed a new concept car previewing its first dedicated seven-seat, road-focused family SUV, but the chances of an Australian launch are slim.
Mitsubishi has previewed its first-ever dedicated seven-seat rival for the Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento family SUVs with a new concept unveiled in the Philippines.
The Mitsubishi DST Concept is a car-derived ‘monocoque’ seven-seater, which is planned to spawn a production version due on sale in South-East Asia between April 2025 to March 2026.
However, the chances of the new SUV reaching Australia are understood to be slim, as it is believed to have been developed to meet less stringent safety standards in Asian countries.
“Related to the non-frame SUV, for the moment, we have no plan to introduce it in Australia,” Mitsubishi global CEO Takao Kato told Australian media at the new Triton ute’s reveal last year, with ‘non-frame’ referencing the DST’s lack of heavy-duty body-on-frame underpinnings.
“Because of some regulations, I think it might be a bit difficult to get into the Australian nation.”
Instead, plans for seven-seat Mitsubishi SUVs in Australia will focus on the next-generation Pajero Sport, expected within the next 12 to 18 months with the twin-turbo engine, technology and frame of the new Triton.
Mitsubishi has left the door open to an Australian launch for the DST concept, stating an “aim of making it a global strategic vehicle,” and the Japanese car maker’s Australian division has expressed interest.
“Should the vehicle progress towards production, the Australian team will consider its specification and capability for the local market, as we do with any new vehicle created by our parent company,” a Mitsubishi Austraia spokesperson said in a written statement.
If it does not make the trip, the DST would follow the Xforce – a small SUV on sale in Asia sized similarly to the ageing ASX – as the latest Mitsubishi not developed to meet Australian safety rules, which are stricter than those in South-East Asia.
No technical details of the DST Concept have been published, but it is described as a “mid-size SUV”.
While ‘mid-size SUV’ in Australia refers to the likes of the Mitsubishi Outlander and Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi considers the Pajero Sport – classified as a ‘large SUV’ in Australia – to be a mid-size SUV instead.
It means the concept’s exterior dimensions are likely to be similar to the Pajero Sport, which measures 4825mm long and 1815mm wide.
Unlike the Pajero Sport, the DST Concept is based on car-derived monocoque underpinnings – rather than a ute-derived, heavy-duty body-on-frame chassis – with front-wheel drive, not rear- or four-wheel drive.
Despite Mitsubishi’s long history of SUVs, the DST Concept is the brand’s first dedicated seven-seat SUV – not a five-seat model with a third row of seats for occasional use – built primarily for road use, unlike the defunct full-size Pajero.
It draws cues from the Xforce on the outside, with T-shaped LED headlights and daytime-running lights, emphasised front and rear wheel arches, large alloy wheels and plenty of ground clearance.
Inside, a pair of large displays stretch across the dashboard, alongside touch-sensitive climate controls integrated into the dashboard, a two-spoke steering wheel and a panoramic sunroof.
Mitsubishi envisions the DST Concept with five drive modes – Normal, Wet, Tarmac, Gravel and Mud – claimed to “handle the various road conditions of the ASEAN region”.
The ‘vacuum’ pressure gauge on the infotainment display hints at a turbocharged engine, but none of Mitsubishi’s front-wheel-drive models available in South-East Asia are currently sold with turbo power.
Further details on the production version of the Mitsubishi DST Concept are due closer to its launch in South-East Asia between April 2025 and March 2026.
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