Car news, 1 October ’24: Mitsubishi reboots Triton GLX-R grade, GMC Yukon detailed for Australia, and more

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Thanks for joining us this Tuesday 1 October 2024. Notably in car news today: Mitsubishi revamps GLX-R for the current Triton for MY24.5, and General Motors have given more details about its GMC Yukon Denali for Australia. 

Browse this issue:

• New mid-range GLX-R variant slots into Mitsubishi Triton lineup 
• More details emerge for the GMC Yukon Denali in Australia 
• Isuzu MU-X Tour Mate brings more features to popular SUV
• Toyota MR2 could become all-wheel drive, 298kW sports car
• Reviewed: 2025 Cupra Terramar 

Mitsubishi brings back GLX-R to Aussie Triton lineup

• Mitsubishi Australia has confirmed it will bring back the GLX-R variant of its Triton ute range and will be available this month. 

• The GLX-R sits above the GLX+ in the Triton range and has been priced at $56,740 before on-road costs, or $2350 less than the next ute in the range, the Triton GLS.

• The GLX-R adds a standard-duty leaf sprung suspension, black 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in highway terrain tyres, a black sports bar, leather steering wheel, carpet flooring and the deletion of side steps. 

• Now available on the GLX-R will be a new tailgate assist setup which eases access to the tray with two gas struts installed in the tailgate mechanism. 

• The GLX-R is powered by the same 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel four-cylinder engine that produces 150kW/470Nm and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. 

More details revealed for the GMC Yukon Denali SUV in Australia 

• General Motors has announced more information for its GMC Yukon SUV, which will be sold in Australia in Denali guise from Q2, 2025. 

• GM claims the Yukon will have “best-in-class” towing capabilities – albeit unspecified – thanks in part to a 6.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine that produces 313kW and 624Nm.

• Key specification for the model includes a 16.8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, eight seat capacity, and up to 3480 litres of storage space with the rear seats folded flat. 

• The GMC Yukon SUV is currently being tested in Victoria for local validation and evaluation before its eventual on-sale date. Pricing is yet to be confirmed. 

Isuzu MU-X Tour Mate edition announced for Australia 

• Isuzu has added more spec and value to its MU-X SUV with a new Tour Mate edition, following on from the same variant revealed for the D-Max ute.

• Built upon the MU-X LS-T variant, the Tour Mate adds a satin black steel bull bar, tow bar kit with 50mm ball, electric brake controller, Clearview extendable side mirrors and Tour Mate exterior badging. 

• The additions are claimed to represent an additional $9200 of value according to the Japanese automaker’s local arm.  

• The variant has been priced from $73,990 driveaway and will continue to use Isuzu’s venerable 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine that produces 140kW/450Nm. 

• The MU-X Tour Mate special edition is available to order as of today in Australia. 

Next Toyota MR2 could use AWD and new 2.0-litre turbo-four: report 

• Toyota is said to be working on bringing back the iconic MR2, but it might end up as a different proposition to its classic rear-drive form.

• A report from Japanese auto site Best Car Web indicates that a new MR2 is actually likely to be all-wheel drive and could produce as much as 298kW of power. 

• Although initial reports indicated that the next MR2 would use the same 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine as the GR Yaris and GR Corolla models, the hot news is now that Toyota could use a new 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine instead.

• The MR2 is likely to still adopt the same GR all-wheel drive system as the Yaris and Corolla, but will ultimately need to work in mid-engined format, as has been the case with previous Toyota MR2s.

• Toyota has already announced it won’t be stopping combustion engines any time soon, having revealed it will build highly efficient and powerful 1.5- and 2.0-litre turbo engines for the future. 

• It’s widely speculated that the next Toyota MR2 will debut around 2026.  

2025 Cupra Terramar reviewed

• Chasing Cars contributor Daniel Gardner’s video review of the 2025 Cupra Terramar was published, including his thoughts on the next exciting Cupra model for Australia. It’ll be here in the second quarter of 2025.
  
• Gardner had a very first drive of the Terramar and found it to have an ergonomic and nicely upholstered interior, exquisite steering feel, and well-tuned suspension and ride quality.
  
• Some things that weren’t as impressive for Gardner were noticeable levels of road noise and the vehicle’s extra weight impacting some of its overall performance.
  
• In summary, Gardner was ultimately impressed by the new Terramar, saying “watch out: Cupra is not letting its foot off the gas pedal, and there are lots more models to come … the Terramar fits into that range absolutely beautifully”. 

The next issue of Car News Today will be published on Wednesday 2 October at 4.30pm Sydney time.