Exclusive: Mitsubishi and Premcar consider performance Triton

Mitsubishi is negotiating with local performance ute specialists Premcar to develop a Triton flagship. And it could even wear the esteemed Ralliart name.

Contacted about a Premcar Triton, Mitsubishi Motors Australia did not confirm or deny there was a deal cooking.

In a statement responding to questions from carsales, it noted:

“While there are ongoing studies on how to maximise the new Triton’s potential, we aren’t in a position to reveal further details at this stage.”

While carsales understands no prototype vehicle exists in the metal as yet, the tie-up makes sense on a number of levels. Firstly it delivers a performance range-topper to the current MV Mitsubishi Triton dual cab 4x4 range, something it currently lacks.

On the Premcar side it delivers an advanced look at the new platform that will also underpin the next generation Nissan Navara due in 2026. That’s important because Premcar is already well advanced in negotiations with Nissan for the development of the third-generation Nissan-Premcar Navara Warrior.

The Warrior has proved a commercial and critical success for Nissan, prompted the export of the concept to South Africa and the development of the Nissan Patrol Warrior.

If the Premcar Triton were to follow the same successful formula as the Navara Warrior it would offer a combination of suspension tuning that improves off- and on-road driving behaviour and cosmetic updates.

Premcar also takes stock Navaras shipped in from Nissan’s Thailand factory and turns them into SL and Pro-4X Warrior on its own assembly line in Melbourne.

It’s unclear if Premcar would have the same assembly responsibilities for the Triton.

The Navara Warrior’s 2.3-litre turbo-diesel engine does not have any performance upgrades. The complexities and expense of modifying the powertrain would mean the Triton’s 2.4-litre engine also likely stays untouched.

Badging a locally tuned Triton as a Ralliart would be a huge coup for Mitsubishi and Premcar as it’s a name that stills carries tremendous prestige and recognition. Ralliart is the name Mitsubishi employs for its factory motorsport operations and it is currently applied to the AXCR Triton rally raid racer.

It is also associated with high performance road-going models such as the now defunct Lancer Ralliart series. It has a long history in Australian associated with competition and road vehicles.

A local performance Triton with the Ralliart badge would also suggest a factory-based project is not close to fruition. A Ralliart Outlander production car has been reported as being under study in Japan for some years.

A Premcar Triton would not be the first attempt at modified Triton by a local tuning house. Walkinshaw Automotive Group released the Triton Xtreme at the end of the life of the previous KL generation in 2023.

“We are always interested in building brand emotion – we are an adventurous brand that has always had that capability – Super Select with the dual-range 4WD systems and the rally-derived Super All-Wheel Control are two examples of motorsport-derived technology for the road,” the Mitsubishi statement read.

“In its current iteration Ralliart globally is focused on supporting the AXCR Triton campaign. There are also several Ralliart trim packages available in other markets, however, with the heritage of that name in Australia, we would only bring the Ralliart name to something that does the brand justice.

“We were pleased that Walkinshaw saw Triton’s potential in the last generation model. It demonstrated there is interest in vehicles such as these in Australia, as competitors have also proved.”

Premcar chief Bernie Quinn refused to comment when contacted by carsales.

Digital image rendered by AI

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