Mitsubishi’s new rival to the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux is less than 12 months from arriving in Australia.
The new Triton ute will debut mid-year in Thailand, where it’s built, ahead of an expected arrival Down Under late in 2023 or early in 2024.
The new Triton will ride on a new platform, and features a new diesel engine under the bonnet at launch.
Teased by the XRT concept revealed in Bangkok last month, the new Triton is expected to feature a more upmarket interior than the current car, along with tougher styling and a bigger body.
Spy photos have revealed a larger grille up front with split-level headlights, while down the side there’s a prominent crease and a belt line up-kick towards the back of the rear doors.
As part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s leader-follower model, Mitsubishi is leading development of the Triton, with the next Nissan Navara set to share underpinnings but feature different styling.
Although plug-in hybrid power has been mooted for the new Mitusbishi ute, executives have confirmed the technology is under study for the Triton rather than locked in. Were it to reveal a Triton PHEV, the brand has confirmed it would follow the pure-electric ute it intends to reveal after 2025.
Last year, the Triton was Australia’s third best-selling ute with 27,436 sales, behind only the pricier Ranger (47,479) and HiLux (64,391) and ahead of the newer Isuzu D-Max (24,336).
It’s also comfortably the best-selling Mitsubishi in Australia, ahead of the Outlander and ASX crossovers.
