If the complex history of the Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero and its close relationship to the Hyundai Galloper couldn’t get messier, you just wait. A Spanish company is reviving the spirit of the SUV with all the parts that made it a global icon. The latest Galloper gets a gearbox from Germany, a drivetrain from the United States, an engine and design from Japan, a name from South Korea, and final assembly in China.

The Galloper is bringing back the oddball import to the Spanish market with affordable pricing and all the right stuff to serve a dedicated fanbase. Let’s see what it packs as the revived Galloper goes on sale there.

What Is The Galloper Gredos?

Galloper, the Spanish brand breathing life back into the SUV of international intrigue, is bringing two models to market: the Gredos SUV and the Anayet pickup. The Gredos takes after the original Hyundai Galloper imported to Spain as a rebadged Mitsubishi Montero.

If you know your Galloper history, that’s quite backward. The Hyundai Galloper was a Mitsubishi cloaked in slightly different styling, and went from being a Mitsubishi, to a Hyundai, and then rebadged a Mitsubishi in Spain after being imported by a company called Galloper Espana.

Today, the new iteration of Galloper is recapturing that same confusion. The Gredos is a pre-facelift Nissan Terra body-on-frame SUV with Galloper badging. It’s assembled in China, packs a Mitsubishi turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, and a four-wheel-drive system supplied by BorgWarner. That’s quite the parts list, but aside from the global effort it takes to put it all together, the rig has the chops to go toe-to-toe with other old-school body-on-frame SUVs.

The Nissan Terra/X-Terra that the Galloper is based on is an SUV sold primarily in the Middle East, Australia, and some Asian markets. Its competitors include the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Montero Sport, and the Isuzu MU-X, all five-to-seven-seat SUVs on body-on-frame platforms. For example, imagine a Toyota Highlander with the capabilities of the 4Runner. These SUVs have to be able to carry people comfortably through rough terrain at any point, often sold exclusively in countries where harsh weather or other incidents can thwart otherwise smooth commutes.

The Galloper Gredos sits on the cheaper end of the market, thanks to leftover components and Chinese manufacturing, two factors that cut costs significantly. Its base MSRP of €39,000 ($43,825 at current exchange rates) undercuts the Toyota Land Cruiser 250 and Ford Bronco, two other SUVs with the same old-school construction. The Gredos offers fewer frills than other models in the segment that are overbuilt for school runs.

Galloper Is A New Brand Selling An Old Product

Backed by Spanish investors who struck a deal with Chinese manufacturers, Galloper is taking over the factory where Nissan assembled the Terra and continuing production. There are some changes, such as an interior that’s shared with its Chinese counterpart, the Dongfeng Palatin, which is a Nissan SUV built in conjunction with Dongfeng to produce cars in China. The Galloper shares its interior with the Palatin while carrying the previous-generation Nissan’s looks.

The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, supplied by Mitsubishi, pumps out 218 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. Four-wheel drive is standard, boasting a low-range transfer case, locking rear differential, and is allegedly capable of performing 360-degree tank turns.

The 2.0-liter gas engine complies with Euro 6 but needs revisions to meet the Euro 7 rules taking effect soon. The company plans to introduce mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains in the future.

Alongside the Gredos is the Anayet, which also borrows its looks from a Nissan and uses the same Mitsubishi powertrain. Essentially a Nissan Navara D23, the Anayet is the pickup counterpart to the SUV. With the Nissan version of the truck already successful, Galloper hopes the new variant remains popular with the alterations to the powertrain and interior.

Galloper is building a dealer network in Spain and plans to expand into the rest of Europe after sales begin. It also hopes to bring manufacturing to Spain soon, but the brand has not yet set a timeline for this plan.

Is There A Future For Galloper?

If production of the Gredos SUV and Anayet pickup moves to Spain, the project’s logistics should become less complex. Sharing parts with other vehicles keeps costs down, helping Galloper’s value proposition. The Gredos is an SUV not typically sold in Europe, carving out its own niche and putting another Spanish name on an automobile. Next to SEAT, Cupra, and Hispano Suiza, Galloper comes as the next name in Spain’s automotive manufacturing industry—the second-largest in Europe.

As Galloper begins producing its first round of vehicles, the new company benefits from having an already established product. Both the Nissan Terra and Navara have already had long production runs, and the 2.0-liter turbo supplied by Mitsubishi has been around for a while.

The Galloper’s challenges will include strict European emissions standards. The company is prepared for now but must keep adapting each year. It’s not an easy time to set up shop as a carmaker, but Galloper is making the most of it by not starting with nothing.

Take Slate Auto, for instance. It is starting with a blank canvas, sourcing materials and equipment to build a brand-new vehicle for the US market. Slate is also pursuing a value proposition for its offerings, and to keep prices low, the company is creating a barebones base vehicle with lots of options available. Meanwhile, Galloper is offering a bit more to start, but it still aims to undercut competitors such as the more expensive Bronco and Land Cruiser.

In the near future, Galloper will have to prove its worth against Ford as the brand prepares to build a new body-on-frame SUV with hybrid and electric powertrains. The Blue Oval is working with Geely to build a new vehicle in Spain and appears to be positioning it in a price segment similar to Galloper’s vehicles.

Where the Gredos will use an existing platform with updated tech inside, the Ford will be a completely new vehicle. If Galloper launches its vehicles before the end of 2026, it will likely have the upper hand for a while. However, the Blue Oval has the experience in the market to be a serious competitor.

The Original Galloper Made Quite A Name For Itself

Mitsubishi and Hyundai had a strong alliance in the 1980s. The first resulting product was the Grandeur, an executive sedan based on the Mitsubishi Debonair. Next came the Galloper, based on Mitsubishi’s mid-size 4×4, and shipped worldwide to compete with the 70 Series Land Cruiser, and even its counterpart, the Montero/Pajero.

In Spain, Mitsubishi dealers distributed the Gallopers. They even had Mitsubishi badging but the Galloper name. The goal was to be the cheapest 4×4 on the market, and the new one will attempt that strategy again.

Sources: Galloper Iberica, Carscoops, Ford Authority, Star News Korea