Let’s be real here: The pickup has become a statement, even for those who will never use its maximum capabilities. It has become a daily driver, a city commuter, and even a family vehicle. Like it or not, we could be expecting even more of them in the coming years.
Enter the Mitsubishi Triton
Some of the biggest automakers in the country (and the world) take the truck segment very seriously. Mitsubishi is one of them, which is no surprise given that the Triton is, quite literally, the lifeblood of the company. It was the brand’s top-selling vehicle worldwide in financial year 2022, so to say there’s a lot riding on the all-new Triton is putting it lightly.
The 2024 Mitsubishi Triton has some serious competition ahead of it. It could be said the the benchmarks are the Toyota Hilux and the Ford Ranger, two of the most popular trucks in the land. Toyota has strong brand equity, while Ford lures in customers with tech. Like you, we’re genuinely curious how the redesigned Triton fares.
Thankfully, we can satisfy everyone’s curiosity now as we’ve had the chance to drive it all the way in Japan. We drove the all-new Mitsubishi Triton around the Japanese automaker’s Okazaki assembly line and proving grounds to see if it lives up to the hype.
But first, Okazaki
The Mitsubishi Okazaki facility is a huge deal for the company. It’s been around for over 50 years and was one of the biggest testing grounds in Japan at the time. Okazaki was where iconic Mitsubishi models such as the 3000GT, the Galant, the Lancer, and even the Pajero were put to the test. These days, it assembles the Outlander, the Eclipse Cross, and the Delica, to name a few.
But aside from that, its proving grounds has a whole host of simulated roads for testing. There’s smooth pavement, broken asphalt, rough concrete, and even deep manhole covers. If that’s not enough, there’s a steeply banked oval for top-speed testing, a gravel track that one can also call a rally course, a stretch that resembles a winding provincial road, and an off-road segment. The best part is, we got to put the Triton through all those kinds of roads.
Have opinions about its styling? Good
When photos of the all-new Triton came out upon launch, it could be said that there were, um, opinions about it. There are those who say it looks bolder and better, while other will say otherwise. Heck, we’re willing to make a bet that are those who will make a comment even without reading this story.
But you know what, that’s exactly what Mitsubishi wants.
No, we don’t mean they want you to call it straight up ugly in their faces. Instead, the company wants you to have an opinion about its design. Yes, it’s polarizing, but it also got your attention. Distinction and character is what the company wants to highlight even more these days. That explains the opinion-splitting exteriors it has been doing for the last few years. Mitsubishi’s main goal? Give the truck a daring and purposeful look.
We wouldn’t mind being in it at all
We have pretty good news about the interior: While pickup cabins have been steadily improving over the years, one can still see bits of cost-cutting here and there. In the case of the redesigned Triton, it’s much improved over the old truck.
Granted, there are still hard plastics inside, but the textures feel a lot less low-rent that the outgoing Strada. The squared-off and chiseled dash also freed up even more space inside. Of course, it also helped that the entire pickup is bigger than before, plus the extended wheelbase gave it even more legroom.
Is it car-like in there? Absolutely not, and that’s on purpose. Mitsubishi’s goal was to give the Triton a dynamic and purposeful look. It would be totally out of character to give it a passenger car interior.
Flexing some highlights
There are a couple of things that genuinely surprised us about the all-new Triton. For starters, it gains tech adapted from the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. It has active yaw control that dabs the brakes of the inner wheels to help it turn tighter at high speeds.
There’s also an active limited-slip differential to help it go off-road and handle better in low-traction situations. Mitsubishi is proud of the fact that it has longer suspension travel, and top-spec variants come equipped with electric power steering. Oh, and let’s not forget that the range-topper has a 2.4-liter twin-turbo diesel now.
And now, driving impressions
Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for: how it drives. We’ll cut straight to the chase and say it’s a massive leap forward compared to the Strada, especially in Athlete guise.
The first order of the day was to drive the all-new Triton around a gravel course. We were to follow a lead pickup and have a feel for how it handles on loose surfaces. It seems that Mitsubishi really wanted to show just how far the Triton has come along as the lead test driver hammered it on the track. We drove the Athlete first and was surprised with the steering feel and feedback. It’s light, yes, but it’s not unnervingly numb. Its twin-turbo diesel delivered a strong punch down low, making it easy to catch up to the lead truck.
It wasn’t just gravel we were on, either. There were ruts and broken surfaces on the course, too. We’re glad to report that the chassis feels rigid without much in the way of body shake and shudder on bad roads. Body control is well-kept, and the pickup never felt nervous on loose surfaces. Mind you, we weren’t taking it easy on the gravel track, either, occasionally hitting triple-digit speeds along the way. Throwing the truck around was a pleasure thanks to its active yaw control. It’s no Lancer Evo, but it’s as good as a truck can get.
Okay, not everyone will get the twin-turbo variant, so what’s the single-turbo version like? Aside from less power (obviously), it loses the electric power-steering rack. We have to say that, while steering felt heavier than in the Athlete, it never felt ponderous and tedious. Having come from the twin-turbo Triton, the difference in performance was noticeable. That’s not to say it’s sluggish at all as we did feel better response at lower revs. As for handling, it needs more manhandling as it doesn’t have active yaw control, but it never felt sketchy. Both trucks were surprisingly comfortable, too.
We also drove both variants of the Triton around a high-speed handling track and the in-house oval. Again, the driver powered out of the gates and we were hustling it around corners at over 100kph. It’s not something we’d recommend on public roads, but goodness, this truck handles far better than the old model. It doesn’t heave and lean like the old Strada, feeling planted and stable for something that weighs over 2,000kg.
On the oval, the Triton took on the banking like a champ. Sure, we could’ve gone faster and went for a top-speed run, but the lead driver capped it at 140kph. We’re not complaining, though, as driving around the steep banking of the course was one heck of an experience.
As for the off-road bit, it was Mitsubishi’s in-house test drivers that took the wheel. With gloopy mud and wet grass all over the place, the company’s drivers demonstrated the all-new Triton’s abilities.
Two things genuinely surprised us. The first is terrain selection modes that adapted well to the terrain. It was good enough to not need the use of the rear differential lock. The second is its stability and resistance to tip-over. We were impressed by its abilities, and we’re looking forward to taking it off-road ourselves in a local setting. Oh, and the test drivers then proceeded to go sideways in the handling loop after the little off-road drive. Good times.
Take a bow, Yoshiki Masuda
We had a chance to speak to the all-new Mitsubishi Triton’s chief product specialist, Yoshiki Masuda, during our drive. From our first interaction, we can tell that Masuda is a true car enthusiast and also someone who is truly passionate about their job. Our brief chat with him was colorful, with him smiling all the time as he talked to us about his latest baby.
According to Masuda, a whole lot of hard work went into this model, spending nearly a decade developing it. Almost as soon as the previous-generation model was launched, his team got to work on the new one. He pointed out that they observed trends in the full-size truck market in the US, seeing what would be applicable for the midsize class. They observed models such as the F-150, the Silverado, the RAM 1500, and the Tundra, and sought to bring some of the tech, innovations, and features on those trucks to the Triton.
Masuda said he’s also well aware of the competition. He pointed out the Hilux and the Ranger as key rivals because of their popularity. He’s also genuinely curious how Toyota will do the next-gen Hilux, especially now that the redesigned Toyota will be out sometime next year. That said, he mentioned a trick up Mitsubishi’s sleeve.
He said that, because they’re small compared to Toyota, it gives them more breathing room to explore and experiment in development. He pointed out that because Toyota is massive, its customers are more conservative and might not want dramatic changes to their models. That gives Mitsubishi a chance to be more daring and stand out, as a result.
Masuda also dreams of making a high-performance version for the Triton down the line. At the time, he simply said to expect a variant that will sit above the Athlete. We tried to steer the conversation that way, but all he said after that was “secret, secret,” followed by a big grin.
Well then, that’s something we can all look forward to in the future.
Watch: First drive of the all-new Mitsubishi Triton
