Adding a new and special variant is one of the oldest tricks in the automotive product planning playbook. It’s normally done towards the end of a model’s product cycle, whether it’s about to be facelifted or an all-new model is coming.
One of the most popular ways of adding a new variant in recent years is giving it a Black Edition. Somehow, adding gloss black bits to a car and has become effective in reviving interest in a model that’s about to be phased out.
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Which is why the latest variant of the Mitsubishi Triton caught us by surprise. Simply called the, er, Black Edition, the Japanese automaker has decided to give it that variant very early on in its production.
No, this doesn’t mean the Triton will get a facelift already. It’s barely been a year since it made its world premiere in Thailand. And speaking of Thailand, The Land of Smiles is the first market to get this model. No surprises there given that it builds this pickup.
Per the usual Black Edition treatment, this version of the Mitsubishi Triton gets gloss black trims and highlights where applicable. The grille is finished in gloss black, as well as the door handles, side mirrors, and of course, the wheels. In case you’re wondering, the pickup is available in while as well. It also appears to be based on our equivalent of the GLS variant locally.
As expected, the entire cabin is draped in black trims as well. Well, most of the interior to be precise. Its seats are leather, as well as the dashboard fascia and the top section of the door panels. There are brushed metal-effect bits to liven up the cabin, and it dons white contrast stitching in contrast to the range-topping Athlete’s orange.
There are no changes under the hood. Also, the Black Edition model doesn’t get the twin-turbo diesel from the Athlete. Instead, it sticks to a single-turbo 2.4-liter diesel that makes 181hp and 430Nm. As far as we can tell, it’s two-wheel drive and automatic only.
