Mitsubishi Triton Ralliart getting closer

A flagship, rally raid-style version of the new 2024 Mitsubishi Triton ute that revives the legendary Ralliart name is getting closer to showrooms and it could be a potential rival for the all-conquering Ford Ranger Raptor.

But a high-performance, rough-road tuned version of the bigger, bolder and more powerful new Triton has come up against another hurdle in the form of Australia’s imminent new-vehicle efficiency standards, which are keeping calculators working overtime at car company head offices around the country as executives digest the impact of strict new emission regulations on the local market.

However, that hasn’t stopped Mitsubishi Australia CEO Shaun Westcott from dreaming of a tough-truck that he hopes could finally give the Japanese brand the ute firepower to take on the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.

“Over the product lifecycle we will look at opportunities for broadening the range and that may include possibilities around Ralliart,” said Westcott at the recent media launch of the new Triton (stand by for our first review on March 1).

“Which would give us potentially opportunities to compete on a more level platform with some of those other players.”

Last year Mitsubishi teased the idea of a Triton Ralliart with the camouflaged Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) race truck based on the new Triton but brandishing “a reinforced body, enhanced suspension, lighter weight and engine tuning that massively boost its competitive capability”.

While that vehicle is powered by the same new 150kW/470Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel that will be used in garden-variety Tritons, it’s claimed to have more grunt – and Mitsubishi hasn’t ruled out a different engine altogether for a Ralliart performance ute.

One option that has been mooted previously would be a hybrid powertrain – something that could tick the CO2 box while also providing more power – despite the fact the new Triton is expected to eventually be available with an EV (rather than a plug-in hybrid) powertrain.

Either way, a range-topping Triton Ralliart is something Mitsubishi Australia desperately wants and Westcott said there was “growing demand for that type of product”, which Mitsubishi is keen to take advantage of.

“If there’s an opportunity we’ll take it… we are interested and we are testing it.”

But the recently announced New Vehicle Efficiency Standards that will force car-makers to reduce their fleet-average CO2 emissions by at least 60 per cent between 2025 and 2029 could make the business case for a Triton Ralliart a lot tougher.

Westcott said that if Ford was eventually forced to pay fines or buy credits from another manufacturer to keep the 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6-powered Ranger Raptor on sale “someone’s got to pay – the car’s still got to be profitable”.

“There are big question marks and there’s a few things that have got to fall into place first before we make decisions [about a Triton Ralliart],” he said, adding that the NVES made decisions about models such as a Ralliart-badged Triton complex.

“Bringing a car to market now suddenly becomes a lot more complex,” he admitted.

The big question is how far Mitsubishi will push the Ralliart development work.

If the Team Mitsubishi Ralliart-built Triton AXCR racer and the earlier Mitsubishi XRT Concept that previewed it are anything to go by, the potential Triton Ralliart won’t be nearly as dramatic as the Ranger Raptor.

But anything with a name as storied as Ralliart is likely to attract keen buyer interest – provided the product matches the hype.

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au