Mitsubishi Triton 2017 Review

A sporting chance
“The wheels are disproportionate to the body, and the front end is too pinched,” my friend said upon seeing motoring.com.au’s new long term Mitsubishi Triton.

Welcome to the world of dual cab utes; one where buyer psyche – as a colleague unwittingly pointed out recently – is heavily predicated on styling, power and reputation of any given product.

My friend’s aforementioned words about our Triton, a ‘GLS Sport Edition’, serve to illustrate why Mitsubishi’s double cab model isn’t afforded the same cult-like status among everyday punters as Toyota’s HiLux (the sales darling and re-sale king) or Ford’s Ranger (the brutish, enviable and expensive offering).

In saying that, the Triton’s budget-conscious, feature-laden approach is clearly striking a chord with some. In national monthly sales it regularly places inside the overall top 10 and third in utes.

Either way, it’s time to give the Triton its own time in the sun, to see what’s behind this hay hauler’s sales success.

As mentioned, our ‘Starlight White’ Triton is a ‘GLS Sports Edition’, a fresh 4WD variant offering priced from $45,990 (plus on-road costs) in six-speed manual form or $48,490 (plus on-road costs) when paired to a five-speed automatic, like ours. You should always check prices closely as Mitsubishi is often in the market with aggressive price campaigns to garner extra Triton sales.

The ‘Sports Edition’s’ $4500 premium over the ‘GLS’ Triton, on which it is based, buys added features such as a black grille, black sports bar, black 17-inch alloy wheels and a new rear step bumper all designed to give the pick-up a “commanding presence on the road” (in Mitsubishi-speak). .

In addition, the Sports model is equipped with a black power-coated nudge bar, tub liner, tinted bonnet protector, soft tonneau cover, tow bar and tow ball and carpet mats.

Rather than simply slapping a new badge and wheels on and calling it a ‘Sports Edition’, Mitsubishi has added the rear differential lock previously limited to the flagship ‘Exceed’ grade. We hope to test off-road capability in the coming months.

Under the bonnet, is Mitsubishi’s familiar 2.4-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder developing 133kW and 430Nm.

Last updated in December 2016, the Triton’s standard suite of equipment now includes a 7.0-inch colour touchscreen with digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, hill descent assist, Bluetooth, satellite navigation.

With full airbag protection, ESC and ABS, the Mitsubishi Triton carries the maximum five-star safety ranking from ANCAP.

However it isn’t offered with modern active safety technology seen on some rivals – such as forward collision alert, automated emergency braking, blind spot monitoring or even front and rear parking sensors – though you do get a rear-view camera.

Seat time
Say what you like about the Triton’s exterior styling – some hate it, others are smitten – but the Mitsubishi hits all the important points as a day-to-day tool of trade.

The interior is generally a comfortable place to be. Seats are among the best at this price point, offering decent comfort and support, while steering wheel reach and tilt adjustment enables a nicely tailored driver positioning. In fact, the Mitsubishi is a leader in this regard.

In terms of oddment storage, the Triton is middle of the pack. Of most disappointment is the forward end of the centre console: cup holders are compromised by the mechanical park brake and the tray in front of the gearshift is too flat to secure items like keys or wallets.

At night, the Triton suffers a problem familiar among most dual cab utes: the dashboard centre fascia (climate control buttons, centre screen) reflects onto the rear window and consequently into the rear-view mirror, which can be frustrating on longer drives.

In addition, the Triton’s lack of automatic headlights means, if you drive with your headlights on during the day, the infotainment controls are constantly dimmed and thus difficult to read. The headlights are otherwise strong in night driving, offering an excellent sweep of the road and a user-friendly glow – especially with high-beam engaged.

Elsewhere, Apple CarPlay and the suite of other infotainment features are nicely integrated, and the driver instrument cluster is clearly displayed. If Mitsubishi is looking for anything to add, please give us a digital speedometer to cope with Australia’s draconian enforcement of speed limits.

Further back, our Triton offers decent, again mid-pack, proportions but no face level air vents. While certainly not the biggest ute for rear-seat space, it will adequately carry two adult passengers in relative comfort – possibly three at a pinch. According to Mitsubishi, the unorthodox cabin design helps enable an angular rear seatback design.

On the child seat front, ISOFIX points are fitted on the two outermost rear pews, in conjunction with three top-tether points (but there are no rear-seat HVAC outlets). With a rear-facing child seat in place, the front passenger seat must be slid forward, heavily compromising knee room.

Steering and ride
On the day we picked up the Triton we had just returned a Holden Colorado LTZ (the updated model with improved electrically-assisted steering and ride comfort).

The contrast couldn’t be starker. While it’s not deal-breaking, the Triton’s steering rack is slow and inert by comparison and the ride when unladen over day-to-day imperfections is much busier. These character traits are most present in low-speed, around-town duties, but are also prevalent on the highway.

What does impress in the Triton is muted engine and road noise, which would align nicely with regular highway driving. This is despite the Triton’s five-speed automatic transmission which is one ratio short of most rivals.

Engine and gearbox
Sure the Triton doesn’t boast the same earth-churning power and torque of Ford’s Ranger or Volkswagen’s V6 Amarok, but its smaller capacity diesel engine offers excellent refinement and efficiency.

During around town duties, the 2.4-litre four works away faintly in the background, offering a useable torque curve which works in concert with the smooth-shifting five-speed auto. A load on board tends to exaggerate the Mitsubishi’s lack of power, which we’ll get back to shortly.

The Triton doesn’t kick down gears in ordinary braking scenarios, meaning the front discs and rear drums are shouldering the full load without engine braking assistance. This trait can easily be over-ridden by flicking the gearbox to manual mode, but it’s something of an oversight, especially with a load in tow.

One silver lining is excellent efficient fuel use. After 950km, covering a mix of conditions, we’ve seen 7.5L/100km and 9.0L/100kms and everything in between.

Towing and load-carrying
The direct trade-off of the Triton’s smaller capacity engine becomes apparent when towing.

The smaller engine lacks the outright punch and willingness of rivals, as evidenced with a 1500kg trailer in tow. While well short of the car’s maximum 3100kg braked towing capacity, this amount of weight still had a noticeable effect on low-speed response and in-gear acceleration.

In general load-lugging, the Triton feels well controlled. But, with 600kg on board (maximum payload 950kg), the rear sags quite prominently. This can introduce a tendency to ‘rear steer’. As a result, the front end becomes light (strangely, the Triton’s tray design and wheel arch placement causes loads to sit further back in the tray) – encouraging a more methodical approach to steering.

We also threw a dirt bike on board, which you hardly notice from a weight perspective, but for that and similar tasks, the Triton’s cargo tie-down points are a little petite, especially if they’re partially covered by the plastic tray lining.

Stay tuned as we put the Triton through more gruelling tests in the coming months.

From time to time we also take the opportunity to spend even longer with a vehicle.

These longer-term tests can be as short as a couple of weeks, but more recently we’ve settled on a three-month period as indicative of ‘normal’ ownership.

Long-term tests give our staff writers and contributors a chance to get to know a car as an owner would. While the car is with us, we pay for fuel, the servicing, and generally use and live with the car as a new owner would.

We believe long-term tests give car buyers a deeper insight into the vehicle on test, but also the qualities behind the brand and nameplate. The extended period also allows us to touch base with the dealer networks in question.

It comes as no surprise that manufacturers tend to have a love-hate relationship with long-term tests. Three months is plenty long enough to fall out of love with the latest and greatest, and start to nit-pick — just like real owners do.

2017 Mitsubishi Triton GLS Sports Edition pricing and specifications:
Price: $48,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 133kW/430Nm
Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 201g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

2017 Mitsubishi Triton Exceed payload, towing and tray dimensions:
Payload: 950kg
Tie-down points: Four
GVM/GCW: 2900kg / 5885kg
Vehicle weight: 1875kg (tare) / 1955kg (kerb)
Towing capacity: 750kg (unbraked) / 3100kg (braked)
Tray dimensions: 1500mm (L) x 1475mm (W) x 505mm (H); 1080mm (b/w arches)

2017 Mitsubishi Triton Exceed off-road geometry, wading and clearance:
Ground clearance: 205mm
Wading Depth: 500mm (600mm at speeds below 5km/h)
Approach Angle: 30 degrees
Break-over Angle: 24 degrees
Departure Angle: 22 degrees

Related reading:
>> Mitsubishi Triton 2017 Review
>> Mitsubishi Triton video Review
>> Dual cab ute comparison: The Verdict