We drive the all new Mitsubishi Triton 4WD Dual Cab Ute

Mitsubishi Triton has always been a reliable, robust and value based 4WD Ute that at times has been underrated by the market.

The all-new Triton should squash any doubts that buyers have about its ability to compete within the segment.

To coincide with the release of the Triton, Mitsubishi are also refocusing on the customer experience. Mitsubishi are looking to delivering a premium ownership proposition. From vehicle specification, quality and value to the dealership experience and aftersales support.

The Australian market is important to global sales, coming in third overall. In recognition of that, there has been extensive localised testing and improvements.

The launch models are the dual cab Pickup models only. Others will be coming a bot later.

More details about the all new Mitsubishi Triton can be found HERE 

TO LISTEN TO THE Mitsubishi Triton RADIO REVIEW, CLICK BELOW

Mitsubishi Triton Video Review

Lets Chat about the all new Triton

What does the new Mitsubishi Triton look like?

All new Triton is about 130mm longer in wheelbase and 50mm wider in track than the outgoing model.

It now takes on the bigger bolder American Pickup style with a high squared off grill and bonnet.

The grill dominates the appearance, which is direct contrast to the model it replaces.

The bonnet has a sense of purpose.

The squared look continues with the wheel arches that give the profile a muscular look, that flows through to the rear tailgate.  One note is that the tailgate isn’t a soft open style, and it drops heavily. That’s an easy fix, but these days all manufacturers should have it as standard.

The other thing to note is that frontal tie points are high in the tub. Like a few others, that’s pretty useless. They are called tie DOWN points for a reason.  If you have something flat, like a flat pack piece of furniture, you can’t actually tie it down to the bed.

However, you can fit a 1200mm pallet between the wheel arches with a tub liner installed. That’s practical.

Its chalk and cheese to the outgoing model. That look was a major part pf why the Ranger became so popular. Perhaps it will do the same for the Triton.

In any case I like the new style.

What is inside the Triton like.

A compete revamp. The old model was well and truly dated. It’s based on a 3 horizontal axis design.

Front seats are particularly comfortable, you sit well in them not on them. It’s a high seating position. All drivers’ seats across the range have electronic lumbar adjustment, which is awesome for my aging back.

In front of the driver is a thick, compact steering wheel that enhances the responsive feel of the Triton.

Drivers’ instruments are clear and easy to read with a traditional twin outer dial and middle MFD design.

You can cycle through the MFD for a multitude of information sets. Quite handy.

The central stack still has buttons, levers, and dials, which I like. They are well laid out but easy to use and you can find what you want quickly.

Often the digital replacements look fancy but aren’t as practical.

The Central touch screen has excellent resolution and touch sensitivity.

A personal note, I’m more  a fan of an integrated style, rather than the stuck on top tablet style that is in the Triton. But others at the launch quite liked it so there’s that.

There is plenty of storage, the centre console can hold 6 bottles. Door trims hold large bottle and a folder. Like a few Utes now there are clever dash slide out cup holders on the  GSR

Rear Occupants

The rear seats are especially comfortable. They tend to wrap around the outer two occupants. Like all Utes, the middle passenger isn’t so well looked after.

I sat in the rear for a longer drive and my 190cm frame that is larger than the average bear nestled in without fuss. Plenty of headroom, kneeroom and my upper shoulders and head was well supported.

Many Utes, even top spec models have a relatively flat rear seat, not so the Triton.

There are grab handles everywhere which helps entry and exit.

The all around visibility is pretty good, but you do notice the bigger frontal area and the ‘A’ pillar and external rear view mirror does form a slight blind spot.

What about Infotainment and connectivity technology

New-Gen Triton’s user interface is intuitively designed and thoroughly modern with a 9.0-inch digital touch screen fitted range-wide.

Featuring embedded satellite navigation with Android Auto and Wireless Apple CarPlay, as well as Bluetooth phone and audio, DAB and two USB inputs (1 x USB-A, and 1 x USB-C for the first time in Triton), New-Gen Triton seamlessly connects occupants to the outside world.

Charging devices on-the-go is also easier with Qi wireless smartphone charging making its Triton debut. Located in the centre console, this charging pad at a maximum of 15 watts.

A USB port rating increase from 1.5 to 2.4 amps (USB-A) and 3.0 amps (USB-C) further supports device charging.

A four-speaker audio system is standard on GLX and GLX+ models, while GLS and GSR receive premium six-speaker audio.

The dashboard meter ‘multi-information’ display grows from 4.2 inches in the previous generation to 7.0 inches in New-Gen Triton. Warning sounds are played through the speaker system rather than a buzzer as before, and the display now offers a wider range of information, including wiper mode, lighting status and the selected drive mode. It also greets occupants with a digital start up vehicle animation.

Also standard range-wide is the Multi Around Monitor, which utilises digital camera moving object detection, a wider view for both front and rear cameras and an improved bird’s eye view.

Mitsubishi Triton engine and drivetrain

The big news is the improved power and torque output for the Triton.

Still with the same 2.4L 4-cylinder engine that now comes with a bi-turbo. A smaller turbo to boost up to 1,000rpm, then the second kicks in for more top end performance.

The Triton now has 150kW of power @ 3,500 rpm and a handy 470 Nm of torque from 1,500 – 2,750 rpm. A headline figure of 500Nm would have been handy. But the torque comes in at a low 1,500 rpm and is flat through to 2,750 rpm. This means that its healthy, especially for towing and off road.

Overall there has been a 10% improvement in fuel economy as well

Mitsubishi has stuck with the proven 6 Sp Aisin sports automatic transmission. This matched with the clever Super Select 11 4WD system is a proven and robust combination.

The transmission has been fine tuned to match the wider drive modes available.

A six-speed manual will also be offered on some variants, post-launch.

A new engine Auto Stop & Go System further supports efficiency and a 17-litre AdBlue tank – a first for Triton – further reduces NOx emissions.

Mitsubishi Triton drive modes

On 4 x 4 variants, a centre-console ‘DRIVE MODE’ button enables access to an even greater depth of capability.

As part of Triton’s overarching All Wheel Control system, there are seven available drive modes. These work in conjunction with Mitsubishi’s famed Super Select 4WD-II system, which continues to offer 2H, 4H, 4HLc and 4LLc drivetrain settings.

The tables below summarise New-Gen Triton’s All Wheel Control systems:

The ability to switch from high-range 2WD to 4WD on the fly has long been a hallmark of Mitsubishi’s 4WD systems.

In addition, the versatile Super Select 4WD-II system’s Torsen centre differential enables a 40/60 front/rear drive distribution when it is unlocked, giving strong traction on slippery surfaces without reducing on-road agility, even on dry sealed roads.

For even more traction and control when driving off-road, ‘4HLc’ – high-range four-wheel drive with locked centre differential – gives a 50/50 locked drive split, front and rear. The torque sensing centre diff has no bind. There is also active Yaw control.

‘4LLc’ utilises the transfer case to engage low-range gearing along with the locked centre differential. Using 4LLc also allows engagement of the rear differential lock, via an accessible console-mounted button, for maximum traction.

Couple of quick notes

• Engaging the rear diff locks turns off ASC on the front wheels
• Sand mode doesn’t automatically turn off ASC.
• Torque vectoring is for the front wheels only.

What is the upgraded suspension like?

First up let me say the ride and handling of the new Triton is significantly better. Its smoother and more compliant. There was minimal harsh rebound experienced on the test drive.

This was from a mix of motorway driving, back country roads, gravel roads and a multitude of testing 4WD conditions. I drove the Triton with no weight in the back, which usually means the ride is a bit bumpy, not so.

The improved ride was achieved through testing over 100 combinations of front and rear suspension options.

Specific changes are:

• increased front shock absorber diameter to complement the new, high-mount location for the front suspension’s upper wishbones.
• The new shock absorbers feature 36mm cylinders (compared to 32mm in the previous generation) for improved control,
• an impressive increase in rebound stroke length (from 68.4mm to 90.7mm) is also realised.
• In the rear, MMC engineers focused on reducing unsprung mass while improving strength through using high tensile spring steel.
• As a result, the standard rear suspension layout has reduced from five to three leaves; the heavy duty system from six to four.
• The first leaf remains the same thickness as before, while the additional leaves are of greater thickness.
• The rear shock absorber cylinders have also increased from 30mm to 36mm and feature a revised oil seal for additional strength and longer service life.

What is the new Mitsubishi Triton like to drive?

On road

In summary its significantly better on road and gravel surfaces.

This comes from a combination of factors that all add marginal improvements that add up to major improvements. It’s the jigsaw philosophy.

The electronic power steering is leaps and bounds ahead of the old model. It has particularly good responsiveness and the feel of the smaller, thick rimmed steering wheel adds to the improved feel.

I would have to drive it back to back with some others, but the steering response would go close to best in class.

Longer and wider chassis means that the Triton adopts a wider stance and feels more connected to the road. Its smoother and quieter as well

Revised suspension keeps everything tidy. Mid corner bumps, when at reasonable speed will result in a slight skipping, but overall, its way better than the previous model.

Higher outputs from the engine, and low delivery of torque also means more responsiveness and relaxed driving. It’s not a sports Ute but will hum along nicely when asked.

Im a driver that likes to turn off driver assist features as I find many of them intrusive. It takes   steps to turn off the facial recognition settings and driver assistance. Unfortunately, you need to do that every time you start the engine.

Off road

Off road on the 4WD trails and testing track, the Triton felt always composed. It did scrape its belly once or twice. But that is to be expected of a standard Ute where we went.

We tested the Triton on a couple of rutted, soft dirt inclines with deep mogul style holes. These are designed to test wheel articulation and grip.

The traction control system, when left to its own devices performed better than locked rear diffs on occasions.

On steep dirt descents, we tested both Low rage with the transmission locked in M1 and alternatively, the hill descent control. Both worked a treat.

The hill descent could well be close to best in class. It went about its business effortlessly and quietly. No complaining, burping or farting like many others.

I have to say though that the efficiency of low range M1 transmission, would mean that it wouldn’t get much use.

The higher torque output means that more of the control rests directly on your right foot and that’s a good thing.

In tight spots where visibility is restricted the surround camera is a bonus to help with wheel placement and detecting obstacles.

The overall impression is that the new Triton is a particularly tidy unit indeed.

Mitsubishi Triton Safety Features

• Redesigned chassis frame
• Multiple airbags including a centre airbag between front occupants
• Safer night driving: LED Headlight (Multi Projectors) and Auto High Beam
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• Intuitive active safety systems for passenger protection
• Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) with pedestrian & cyclist detection
• Rear Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
• Front and Rear Cross Traffic Alerts
• Traffic Sign Recognition & Speed Limit Assist
• Driver Monitoring System
• Lane Departure Prevention
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

Instead of the Triton buyers could look at:

It’s a competitive segment.

There is of course the popular Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger 2.0L, Isuzu D-Max, Mazda BT-50, Nissan Navara, SsangYong Musso, LDV T60,

Our Final thoughts about the new Triton

The 4WD Dual Cab Ute market is extremely competitive.

The all new Triton is a significant improvement over the model it replaces. And that wasn’t so bad.

It longer, wider, with more room inside and more towing capacity.  Triton is also more responsive to steering and throttle inputs.

It has been completely redesigned inside and the seats are particularly comfortable

With pricing that sits middle of the segment but with some premium features, Triton is sure to reinforce it long and well earned reputation as a robust and reliable 4WD Ute.