The Mitsubishi Triton was the fourth best-selling vehicle in Australia in 2022, but where is the model headed in the near future?
Mitsubishi’s Triton ute had a very good 2022, settling in as the fourth best-selling vehicle in Australia, behind the Toyota RAV4, Ford Ranger and the Toyota Hilux. The model sold a total of 27,436 units, beating the popular Mazda CX-5 midsize SUV.
The Triton in its current generation has been on sale for the past eight years, having debuted in Australia in early 2015 before a facelift was introduced in 2018, ushering in changes to both styling and technology.
A successor is rumoured to be unveiled later this year but with the current generation Triton still so popular, what can we expect from this tried-and-tested ute in the coming year?
Mitsubishi Australia’s product PR manager Adam Davis told Chasing Cars in early February 2023 that there is good stock for the GSR and GLS variants of the Triton.
There is currently limited stock available for other variants including all 4×2 Triton grades, as well as 4×4 GLX, GLX+ and GLX-R grades. However, Mitsubishi estimates there is more supply inbound within the next one to two months.
It’s important to note that the situation could change throughout the year and local dealers may have different stock levels, so it’s best to shop around.
In October 2022, Mitsubishi announced the MY23 updated Triton ute, with the arrival of the limited Triton Sport edition the headline change, with just 400 units available.
The Triton Sport edition features a dark theme inside and out, with red accents added to the skid plate and rear section. Inside, black leather seats are complemented by red stitching.
Mitsubishi has also updated the Triton’s audio system for GLX-R and GLS grades to the SDA1 system that integrates a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.
Black side steps have also been added to the GLX model.
At the time, production was earmarked to begin in September with the first range of deliveries arriving in December 2022.
The current-generation Triton is available in both 4×2 and 4×4 guise and currently starts from $30,790 before on-road costs for a 4×2 cab chassis in manual guise and tops out at $57,940 before on-road costs for the flagship GSR 4×4 double cab pickup.
The specification of the Triton is extensive, however standard equipment across the range includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, keyless entry, halogen headlights, steering wheel controls, fabric seats, cruise control and 16-inch steel wheels on the base 4×2 GLX.
Standard safety equipment includes seven airbags, a speed limiter, emergency brake assist, hill start assist and trailer stability assist. Higher grade variants gain features including lane departure warning, blind-spot warning, lane change assist and rear cross-traffic alert.
It’s expected that a new generation of Mitsubishi Triton will be revealed to the public in late 2023 or early 2024, with development mules having already been spotted in Australia throughout 2022.
The next Triton is said to be quite a bit larger than before, making it more similar in size to the current Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux.
An upgrade is also expected for the Triton’s current 2.4-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine that powers every variant in the range. It currently has outputs of 133kW/430Nm – significantly less grunt than both the Ford Ranger and updated Toyota Hilux.
The current 4N15 2.4-litre unit could be retained and simply boosted further (like what Toyota has achieved by boosting its 2.8-litre further) for the next generation of Triton.
Even a PHEV variant could be in the works, however nothing is confirmed just yet from Mitsubishi.
Mitsubishi has returned to its Ralliart name with the Triton in overseas markets such as Thailand, so we could see the name grace the Triton in the near future.
However, the Ralliart branding may end up to be more of a sticker pack deal than a true performance product with uprated suspension or a performance-enhanced powertrain, as seen in the aforementioned markets
Although it may not carry the iconic branding, Mitsubishi Australia told Chasing Cars during 2022 that it was in the “very early stages” of discussions with a third-party on the topic of a performance variant of the Triton.
Such a vehicle could bring in some of these more advanced changes, though it’s unclear if this upgraded model – if it did in fact come to be – would be based on the current generation or the one soon to follow.
Regardless, we’ll be keeping our ear to the ground for any further developments on this matter in the coming year.
All prices listed are before on-road costs.
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