Next Mitsubishi Triton and all-new electric pick-up teased

Mitsubishi has given us our first official glimpse of the sixth-generation 2024 Mitsubishi Triton – and what appears to be an all-new electric pickup – as part of its ‘Challenge 2025’ mid-term business plan out to March 2028.

Following several COVID-19 related development delays, the first all-new Mitsubishi Triton since 2015 now appears certain to make its global its global debut around mid-2023 before going on sale in Australia by early 2024.

In its investor document, Mitsubishi presented not one but two teaser images of a dual-cab ute due for launch in 2023 – labelled ‘next generation pickup’ and based on a (ladder) ‘frame’ platform – which almost certain to be the next Triton that was originally due on sale globally this year.

The replacement for Australia’s third most popular ute was presented in side profile and from a front three-quarter angle alongside Mitsubishi’s next-gen model line-up, draped under a thin veil in both cases.

The latter image provides our first glimpse of its split headlights that features a singular bar of LED lights along the leading edge of the bonnet, accompanied by three further LED driving lights arranged in in a triangular layout beneath.

The side profile image appears to show a range-topping version of the dual-cab with the same front lighting signature, plus beefy wheel-arches, big wheels, a rear sports bar and darkened door handles and mirrors, but otherwise similar overall proportions to the outgoing Triton.

The images show a model that’s consistent with camouflaged prototype versions of the new Triton seen testing previously in both Thailand and Europe. Much of the new Triton’s development testing also took place in Australia, which is one of the world’s biggest markets for a long-running ute that remains Mitsubishi Australia’s best-seller behind the Outlander.

It’s widely known that development of both the new Mitsubishi Triton and next Nissan Navara, which is due to follow it on sale later in 2024, is being led by Mitsubishi as part of a ‘leader-follower’ product development strategy within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance.

To compete with newer utes like the latest Ford Ranger and its upcoming sister model, the second-generation Volkswagen Amarok, as well as the replacement for Toyota’s top-selling HiLux by 2025, the new Triton will be considerably wider than the current model and is likely to be based on an all-new ladder-frame chassis.

Besides its more overtly rugged looks and broader footprint – which should bring larger cabin and tray dimensions –there’s likely to be a more powerful four-cylinder turbo-diesel to compete with the 150kW/500Nm-plus outputs of Australia’s most popular mid-size utes.

Whether that’s an upgraded version of either the current Triton’s 133kW/430Nm 2.4-litre turbo-diesel or the existing Navara’s 140kW/450Nm 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel remains to be seen.

But whatever eventuates under the bonnet, expect the new Triton – which should continue to be offered in Single Cab, King Cab and Dual Cab forms, with both manual and automatic transmissions, and in both rear-drive and selectable four-wheel drive configuration – to increase its maximum braked towing capacity from 3100kg to a class-standard 3500kg.

While the new Triton is expected to stick with rear leaf springs (rather than adopt the problematic coil springs of the D23 Navara), one thing that will be missing from both models is a V6 diesel – or a dedicated petrol V6 version to battle high-performance utes like the Ranger Raptor due to the high cost of development and more stringent emission regs in some markets.

The new Triton was just one of 16 new models the Japanese car-maker has now promised over the next five years (by March 2028), of which nine will be hybrid, plug-in hybrid or pure-electric vehicles – dubbed as xEV models by Mitsubishi, which also promised to electrify its entire range by 2035.

Interestingly, however, in its presentation to investors and media there was no mention of a hybrid version of the Triton, which was clearly marked as one of five ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles to be launched outside Japan.

This is despite previous comments to carsales by senior Mitsubishi executives who indicated the new Triton would bring a more muscular version of the Outlander’s 185kW/450Nm plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Instead of an electrified Triton – which would leave the Japanese brand without a rival for hybrid versions of the new Ranger, Amarok and HiLux – Mitsubishi teased what appears to be a different ‘Pickup BEV’ that appears to be bigger and boxier and will be launched by 2028.

That suggests that rather than a battery-powered Triton by 2028, we’ll see a full-size electric Mitsubishi pick-up to rival the likes of the Ford F-150 Lightning – potentially based on the next-generation Nissan Titan.

Whether such a vehicle would be sold in Australia – or used as a range-topping pick-up to help relaunch Mitsubishi in the USA – remains to be seen.

The other four ICE vehicles to be launched by the end of the 2025 Japanese fiscal year (March 2026) were listed as ‘PPV’ (likely to be the new Pajero Sport off-road SUV), ‘MPV’ (people-mover), the XFC concept (which could replace the ASX here) and a new ‘3-row SUV’, which could be an all-new car-based seven-seat large SUV positioned above the Outlander to compete with models like the Toyota Kluger.