I’m not sure Mitsubishi’s definition of ‘All New’ and mine are quite the same, but I have to agree with, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. I’ve always loved the shape of the current (now fifth-generation) shape Triton; that swept-forward design of the rear of the cab (and wellside, if it has one) is a breath of fresh air among other utes which really just look the same. It seems weird saying a breath of fresh air – this design of the Triton has been with us for 10 years. But it still rocks. And for this new release, the Club Cab makes a comeback. At last those with a yearning for small suicide doors for access to the rear seat will be happy.
Apparently this is the first full redesign of the Triton in 9 years, and let’s face it, they’ve had some pretty stiff competition with regular updates of other manufacturers’ utes, and yet the Triton soldiered on looking the same with a few tweaks now and then. And that’s not even mentioning the increased competition from new players on the ute block, like VW’s Amarok, the Indian-manufactured Mahindra and the Chinese-made Great Wall V240. I’ve got to say I pity the ute buyer in New Zealand; for a small country, we have a huge range of utes to choose from. If you are brand-loyal, that makes it a whole lot easier, otherwise be prepared to do lots of research and comparisons.
Back to the Triton. According to a Mitsubishi spokesman, “here’s a go-anywhere, one-tonne ute that’s as tough as nails yet drives and feels like a smooth, quiet luxury sedan.” That’s a pretty tough call to make, and we’ll reserve judgement on that until we test the Triton out – but the changes to the Triton sure lean towards comfort. For this all-new Triton, there has been “a vast leap ahead in interior space and comfort, NVH enhancements, a bigger tray capacity, a stronger body, a driver’s knee air bag, significantly greater torque, less frequent servicing, and multiple other technical refinements”.
Judging by the photos, the interior at least looks pretty luxury car-like, and not your average builder’s ute. In fact Mitsubishi are so confident, they are predicting sales of the Triton to almost double, to 2,500 per year.
Let’s talk torque – the name of the game for load-hauling utes. Big torque numbers are no good if your ute is too heavy. Mitsubishi claims the Triton has the highest figures for torque to weight ratio for the class, leading to the lowest for fuel economy – and then chuck in the best turning circle too.
The Triton comes with the all-new 2.4DiD MIVEC engine, an all-new 6-speed manual gearbox and the double cab 4WD model comes with a 3,100kg tow rating. Other goodies across the range include hillstart assist, a 6-inch touchscreen display (with reversing camera on wellside models) and a driver’s knee airbag. The GLS goes right up market with very un-ute like features such as push button start, paddle shift and auto wipers/lights.
I do have to say that the 10-year warranty is probably pretty attractive to a lot of buyers, and is the only ute to offer this. While most won’t own their Triton for that long, a 10-year warranty gives good peace of mind at least. Add to that an anticipated 5-Star safety rating and your choice just got harder to make.
And prices? They remain the same as the outgoing model, and this fifth-generation Triton goes on sale on April 1. No joke.
TRITON 2WD DIESEL
2WD GLX Diesel Single Cab Chassis Manual
TK1GLX22
$34,790.00
2WD GLXR Diesel Double Cab Manual
TK1GLXR47
$45,120.00
2WD GLXR Diesel Double Cab Auto
TK2GLXR47
$47,120.00
TRITON 4WD DIESEL
4WD GLX Diesel Single Cab Chassis Manual
TK5GLX22
$44,190.00
4WD GLX Diesel Club Cab Chassis Manual
TK5GLX23
$45,190.00
4WD GLX Diesel Double Cab Chassis Manual
TK5GLX42
$46,490.00
4WD GLX Diesel Double Cab Manual
TK5GLX47
$51,990.00
4WD GLX Diesel Double Cab Auto
TK6GLX47
$53,990.00
4WD GLS Diesel Double Cab Manual
TK5GLS47
$57,490.00
4WD GLS Diesel Double Cab Auto
TK6GLS47
$59,490.00
