New car report; Triton toughens up
At first glance, the new Mitsubishi Triton appears largely unchanged, but dig deeper and you'll find that Mitsubishi have addressed any shortcomings and turned a good truck into a great one.
Major upgrades include a new high powered 2,477cc diesel engine for the 4WD models, enlarged carrying capacity, increased towing ability and improved safety features. Other upgrades include some subtle styling and trim enhancements, modified bumpers, grille and lights, and the inclusion of cruise control as standard equipment.
The biggest criticism of the Triton has been its limited load carrying capacity, but Mitsubishi has well and truly sorted that out with the tray receiving a 180mm extension in length and a 55mm increase in depth, making for a 14% increase in capacity.
Sensational new diesel engine
The 4WD's new 2.5 litre Common Rail Intercooled Turbo-Diesel engine produces 133kW at 4,000rpm and 407Nm of torque at 2,000rpm, significant increases over the 120kW, 353Nm 3.2 litre powerplant it replaces.
Improvements to combustion chamber design, injector specification, increasing turbo boost and adding a variable geometry turbocharger are to thank for the added power from the smaller capacity engine.
Fuel consumption is also enhanced, with mixed cycle consumption quoted at 8.3L/100km for the manual and 9.3L/100km for the auto.
Two wheel drive models retain the existing 2.5 litre 102Kw diesel powerplant, but that too has come in for some engineering upgrades, improving fuel consumption to 8.2L/100km for the manual and 8.6L/100km for the auto.
No petrol versions are offered.
Of the safety improvements, 8 of the new 13 models now get side and curtain airbags. All models get a minimum of dual airbags, ABS brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and all but the entry level models get ASC (active stability control) and ATC (active traction control).
The entry level workhorse GL models have a 5 speed manual transmission, while the Double Cab GLX is offered with the option of a 5 speed manual or 4 speed auto.
GL and GLX models are equipped with Easy Select 4WD which allows the driver to move from 2H to 4H on the fly at speeds up to 100km/h. To select 4L the vehicle must be stationary and the gear-shifter in neutral.
Step up to the GLS and the automatic option gets 5 ratios with a Sports Mode Super Select. Like Easy Select, Super Select allows the driver to move from 2H to 4H on the fly. The benefit of Super Select is that drive to the front wheels will only be engaged when rear traction sensors detect slippage.
GL models are equipped with 16 inch steel wheels, audio system with CD player, halogen headlights, air-conditioning, electric door mirrors, electric front windows and on/off switch for the passenger airbag. GLX models get cruise control, with operating controls on the steering wheel.
GLS models add 17 inch alloy wheels, audio controls on a leather bound steering wheel, electric rear windows, front fog lights, a sunglass pocket and a 6 speaker sound system with MP3 and auxiliary input jack.
Well priced and well worth a look
Mitsubishi may not be the first name that springs to mind when shopping for a ute, but with attractive styling, a wide range of models, and towing capacities of up to 3,000kg braked, depending on model, the Triton has evolved into a more than worthy tough truck that should be included on the shopping list.
Scorecard (out of 5)
| Styling: | 4 | Practicality: | 4 |
| Safety: | 4 | Value for money: | 4 |
| Innovation: | 3 | Total: | 3.8 |
