Car Review: New Mitsubishi Triton
Last week the newly styled Mitsubishi Triton bakkie made its debut into our local market along with its all-new 6-speed automatic transmission. We headed to Lanseria, bright and early, to see what this new (and rather good-looking) bakkie has to offer on and off road…
As Mitsubishi celebrates its 40th year of building bakkies, the automaker hopes that its new Triton has upped its game enough in South Africa’s tough bakkie segment, and if first impressions are anything to go by, this could very well be the case. Changes to the Triton’s exterior are significant from the very first look with its striking new front face, newly sculpted body curves and a beefed up rear design. But apart from new good looks the Triton now offers an enhanced 4WD system that delivers improved off-road performance, and the latest in active safety and driver assistance systems.
Thinking back to the launch of its predecessor, driving dynamics (particularly off road) were already impressive and we got to put the outgoing model through its paces over some rough and tough off road environments. The Triton then had a lot to offer – even for the most novice off road enthusiast – by making tricky obstacles almost effortless to tackle. Now, with further enhancements to the new Triton’s capabilities (and a fair amount of off roading experience since 2017 from my part), the latest model is one that bakkie lovers really need to experience to understand just how capable it is.
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At its recent launch we ventured off the beaten track again and into a pretty intense 4×4 course where we made the most of the new Triton’s Super Select II 4WD System that allowed us to choose between driving modes most suited to our driving conditions (on the fly). What really impressed was the Triton’s Hill Descent Control – I’ve had fun with this system on other vehicles, but the Triton’s HDC feels incredibly controlled and really inspires one’s confidence when you’re about to descend over ridiculously steep gradients.
The Triton is even more accommodating to off road environments with a turning radius of 5,9 meters, a ground clearance of 220 mm, a 28º Approach Angle, 23º Departure Angle and a 25º Ramp Breakover Angle – basically, you can climb boulders with this beast!
There are also a number of enhanced safety features in the new Triton, for added peace of mind and capability. As the automaker states, the new Triton is “Engineered Beyond Tough” and retains the current model’s ultra-durable and highly reliable ladder-type frame and high impact-safety cabin structure while featuring class-leading advanced active safety and driver assistance systems, including:
- RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) Body Construction
- 7 Airbags
- Side-impact Protection Bars
- Collapsible Steering Column
- ISOFIX Child Seat Anchors
- ASTC (Active Stability and Traction Control)
- ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
- EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution)
- BAS (Brake Assist System)
- HSA (Hill Start Assist System)
- DRL (Daytime Running Lights)
- Speed-sensing Auto Door Lock
- Rear View Camera
- Keyless Operating System
- High-mounted Rear Stop Lamp (Tailgate)
Also read: Car Review: New Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Inside, you get an impressive amount of standard features and the overall styling of the new Triton’s interior gives it a much higher level of refinement with more soft pad materials and stitching on the floor console, armrests and parking brake. As standard, interior features include things like a tilt and telescopic adjustable steering wheel (which really comes in handy particularly if you’re short and struggle to adjust yourself behind the wheel of a big bakkie), a touch-screen radio with Radio/CD and MP3 Player, Dual-zone automatic air-conditioning, leather seats, and electrically adjustable driver seat and a multi-function leather steering wheel with Audio and Cruise Control (to name JUST a few!) As an option, you can now add Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to its infotainment system.
The Triton is powered by Mitsubishi’s 2.4-litre MIVEC DOHC Turbo Diesel engine that offers 133 kW of power and 430 Nm of torque, and is mated to a choice of a its manual transmission option, or the new 6-speed automatic gearbox that really is impressive both on and off road. On the highway, the new automatic gearbox is smooth and responsive and makes overtaking slow moving vehicles a fuss-free affair. While many die-hard off roaders might prefer the control of a manual gearbox, the new automatic gearbox is a real pleasure to deal with over tricky obstacles and you can still switch it to manual mode if need be. Fuel consumption on the new gearbox is claimed at 7,6-litres/100 km (combined).
I’ve always had a soft spot for the Triton – I feel that it doesn’t get enough recognition from bakkie lovers while it competes with the likes of top-sellers such as the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger. But it deserves to be test-driven by potential buyers in order to fully understand why it really is a value-for-money product and a worthy consideration that will surprise you if you’ve never driven one before. The new Triton, with its new looks and excellent capabilities is certainly a bakkie that I’d place in my top three favourites – and I hope that once more customers experience it for themselves, they’ll be saying the same thing.
The new Mitsubishi Triton includes four derivatives and is priced as follows:
New Triton 2.4L DI-DC M/T 4×2 – R509 995
New Triton 2.4L DI-DC A/T 4×2 – R529 995
New Triton 2.4L DI-DC M/T 4×4 – R569 995
New Triton 2.4L DI-DC A/T 4×4 – R589 995
It is covered by Mitsubishi’s Manufacturer’s Warranty of 3 years or 100 000km and a 5-year / 90 000 km Service Plan and a 5-year / unlimited mileage Roadside Assistance. Service intervals are every 10 000 km.