Mitsubishi Triton GLS 2024 Review

The 2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLS 4x4 dual-cab sits towards the top of the triple-diamond brand’s new-generation ute range, though there are only five variants currently so that isn’t saying a whole lot.

Pricing of $59,090 plus on-road costs is a hefty increase over the $51,490 plus ORCs needed for the previous-generation GLS, but the Triton still undercuts its main rivals.

You’ll need $63,390 for a Ford Ranger XLT 2.0, $61,000 for an Isuzu D-MAX LS-U auto, $62,660 for a Mazda BT-50 GT and $63,260 for a Toyota HiLux SR5 (plus on-road costs on all counts).

A Nissan Navara ST-X is cheaper at $58,445 plus ORCs, but is also beginning to feel its age.

View the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLS as the first real family-friendly option in the range.

It scores such niceties over the GLX+ as 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, chrome exterior trim, keyless entry/start, dual-zone climate control, leather for the steering wheel, gearshift and hand brake, and carpet for the floors instead of vinyl.

The only real option is a worthwhile one, an extra $1500 turning the seat trim from cloth to leather and adding power adjustment and heating for the front occupants.

Otherwise, any added spend is limited to colour: red and white are standard, metallic blue, black, grey and silver $740 and pearlescent white $940.

Mitsubishi’s 10-year/200,000km warranty applies as long as you service at an authorised centre and it’ll cost you $2445 over the first five visits or $6690 over the first 10, with intervals of 12 months/15,000km.

Roadside assistance is topped up every 12 months if you service at an authorised centre for a maximum of four years.

As a new-generation model, the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLS comes stacked to the gills with safety equipment including front, side and centre airbags for the front occupants, curtain airbags and a driver’s knee airbag.

On the driver-assist side of things, there’s the full kit and caboodle, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist and pedestrian detection, junction assist, post-collision braking, lane departure warning and assist, blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control, intelligent speed limiter, traffic sign recognition and driver monitoring with attention alert. But more on that later.

In terms of parking assistance, there are sensors front and rear, a rear-view camera and a multi-around monitor that gives a bird’s eye view of the car, handy for not just parking but also low-speed off-road manoeuvring.

The new Triton has not yet had its safety credentials tested by ANCAP, so goes unrated for the time being. Mitsubishi is expecting a maximum five-star result.

Anyone familiar with the current Outlander will feel at home in the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLS.

The 9.0-inch infotainment screen is a direct lift from its medium SUV and it works effectively.

It’s not necessarily cutting-edge but has all the features most will ever want or need, including AM/FM/DAB+ radio, embedded sat-nav, wireless Apple CarPlay (but wired Android Auto) and Bluetooth streaming all played through a six-speaker stereo.

Wireless charging is included, too, in addition to USB-A and USB-C ports.

Some are criticising the new Triton for its lack of an all-digital dash but do buyers in this segment care? The analogue dials are easy to read and there’s a central digital readout for various vehicle info (trip, drive split, infotainment) as well as control of vehicle settings like the advanced safety assist systems.

Under the bonnet of the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLS you’ll still find a 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel but it’s now fed by two turbos (a small and a large) rather than one.

Combined with myriad other changes to the valvetrain, pistons and fuel and lubrication systems, outputs have increased to 150kW/470kW – up from 133kW/430Nm.

A revised six-speed automatic is currently the only available gearbox, but some variants will offer the option of a six-speed manual in time. Whether that’s the GLS remains to be seen.

The GLS is also the first in the range to have Mitsubishi’s Super-Select II system, which allows not only the typical 2H, 4H and 4L choices but constant all-wheel drive.

This is no longer a feature exclusive to Mitsubishi, but it’s also still missing in many rivals.

A claimed 7.7L/100km for the combined cycle makes the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLS competitive, but in the real world it fares better than some of its competitors with consumption ranging between the high-8s/low-9s in varied conditions.

As ever, your driving style and circumstances will have the largest effect on the numbers you see, but this is typically around 0.5L/100km less than that achieved by a 2.0-litre Ford Ranger, for instance.

Fuel isn’t the only running cost with the new Triton, however, with the addition of a 17-litre AdBlue tank to reduce emissions. Not many utes currently have this requirement, but it will quickly become common with new regulations coming into effect.

Most current owners should find the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLS a sizeable improvement in terms of on-road manners.

The engine is stronger and more responsive, the ride is calmer, the handling more assured and the new electrically-assisted steering is much, much better.

Direct and very well weighted, it’s one of the better ute systems out there and makes the Triton easier and more enjoyable to drive, but sadly it does feel somewhat at odds with the suspension calibration.

The Triton’s ride isn’t too bad, but it could use more body control, taking a moment to settle over big hits. Combine this with the direct steering and it feels a bit out of phase.

An extreme example is to rock the steering from left to right and you’ll end up being whipped side to side as the body feels to react a fraction too slowly to each input.

Some people may never notice but if you cover lots of kilometres, particularly at higher speeds, the feeling that the car doesn’t quite answer your commands as precisely as you might wish could be annoying.

This might sound pernickety when talking about a dual-cab, but it’s not a trait the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok display and there’s an expectation – or perhaps a hope – that any all-new model in a segment will match the existing benchmark.

The new Triton is good fun on unsealed surfaces, however, with greater stability thanks to the wider tracks (+50mm) and longer wheelbase (+130mm), a fundamentally friendly balance and even slightly rear-biased drive split (40:60) in all-wheel drive with the centre diff unlocked.

On the downside, the new Triton has joined the (growing) ranks of vehicles that need active safety aids turned off at the start of every journey. The culprit here is the driver monitoring system, which is all too quick to admonish you if your eyes divert from the straight-ahead.

In theory it’s a great idea, but the warnings come when you are looking at traffic approaching from the side, talking to your passenger, adjusting the infotainment, and heaven forbid you should want to wear sunglasses while driving. Thankfully, it’s relatively quickly and easily turned off.

The gearbox is also quite unrefined. Perhaps it was just this example that needs a reflash, but it would frequently lurch on the 2-3 shift, which isn’t ideal in a brand-new car.

On the plus side, having just the six ratios means it doesn’t hunt for the right gear like some eight- or 10-speed ’boxes.

On paper, the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLS’s new dimensions should hinder if off-road. It’s a larger vehicle, the turning circle has increased by almost a metre, the longer wheelbase means rampover angle has suffered and approach and departure angles are no better than the old car.

That said, it’s still very capable, even on the standard highway-spec tyres, scrabbling up gnarly rock faces with little fuss in low-range with the rear diff locked. On less challenging terrain the traction control deals with any wheel slip with reasonable efficacy.

As with most standard dual-cabs, tyres will limit where it can ultimately go, followed by ground clearance. Keep those things in mind and it should reach most places.

There are a number of drive modes to choose from, which primarily adjust the stability control, throttle response and gearbox calibration, with Gravel and Snow available in all-wheel drive, Mud and Sand in 4H and Rock in 4L.

Arguably where the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLS has taken the biggest step forward over its predecessor is in its load-carrying capability.

The tray is only a little longer (+35mm) but usefully wider both overall (+75mm) and between the wheel-arches (+60mm).

It’s not class-leading – for example, its 1555/1545/525mm (L/W/H) isn’t quite as big as HiLux’s 1570/1645/495mm and a Ranger has 82mm extra between the wheel-arches – but it’s certainly now very competitive.

This is also the case when it comes to towing, with the braked maximum increasing from 3100kg to 3500kg, and in particular payload, where the GLS boasts 1075kg.

Of perhaps more importance, even at max towing capacity the GLS can accommodate 625kg, thanks to its healthy 6250kg gross combined mass (GCM) but relatively lithe 2125kg kerb weight.

Not all its rivals are so flexible.

Inside the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLS is a relatively no-frills affair but this should suit most buyers just fine. In general, it’s function over form and to the car’s credit.

There’s still a manual hand brake, old-school gear selector and plenty of hard plastic, but handy dual glove boxes, decent storage, hard keys for all the climate controls and the steering wheel is excellent.

For me, the driving position was slightly off as I would’ve liked the wheel to come out a fraction more, but that’s more likely a personal problem than one of the car.

In the back, that wheelbase stretch has done wonders for legroom and the seat itself is relatively comfy, while Mitsubishi’s decision to use roof-mounted air vents actually makes a lot of sense – do you want fresh, cool air on your face and torso or on your shins?

ISOFIX points are provided on the outboard seats for securing child restraints, but there is only one central top tether. On the plus side, this means the seat doesn’t have to be flipped forward to attach it but winding the straps around the head restraint makes for some awkward positioning.

Another pair of USB ports are provided for device charging (one A and one C), while the back of each front seat has a tablet and phone holder.

We’re in an era where there’s a – perhaps unfair – expectation that each new model will vault to the top of the segment. Whatever that segment may be.

Judged on that basis, the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLS is a disappointment, as it’s not the class leader and no longer has the price advantage it’s typically enjoyed.

However, if you currently have a Triton and want a new one, chances are you’re going to be very happy. It’s not perfect, but it delivers the long warranty and no-fuss approach of previous Tritons with much-improved handling, safety and practicality.

The frustration is that the Triton is tantalisingly close to excellence in a number of areas. A smoother gearbox, a fiddle with the suspension, sort out that driver monitoring system and it could throw a cat amongst the pigeons.

As it stands, the new Triton is good, but it’s not great.

2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLS at a glance:
Price: $59,090 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel
Output: 150kW/470Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 203g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested