SPY PICS: Next Mitsubishi Triton design laid bare

The next-generation 2023 Mitsubishi Triton has been exposed by our spy photographers in Europe, its camouflage unable to disguise the ute’s bolder and more angular design.

The sixth-generation Mitsubishi Triton is expected to be revealed in full early next year, ahead of an Australian launch in the second half of 2023.

Originally set for production this year, COVID-related delays have interrupted the Triton’s development.

The new ute is expected to feature new powertrains, uprated infotainment technology, improved safety systems and a more rugged attitude, with similar dimensions to the current model but revisions to its ladder-frame chassis and body that should deliver more cabin and tray space.

As Triton development continues, the next-generation Nissan Navara will leverage the same platform architecture, as will a new ute from Renault.

These new spy photos are different to the Triton engineering development vehicle spotted back in January in snowy Sweden, which used the current-generation ute’s body,

As these new spy photos show, the new Triton has a broader, flatter front-end design, inspired by full-size US pick-up trucks.

The front-end looks to adhere to the Japanese brand’s evolving ‘dynamic shield’ design language, with a stacked lighting cluster similar to the Mitsubishi Outlander SUV’s.

High-mounted ultra-slim LED driving lights are located just below the new clamshell bonnet, while underneath these sit the main headlights.

That said, the grille design appears to be a little squarer than the Outlander’s, although the camo may be hiding finer styling elements that bring it visually closer to its SUV siblings.

In 2021, Mitsubishi’s design chief Seiji Watanabe said the new Triton would look “clearly tougher than today, clearly more powerful [visually] than today, clearly sleeker and also deliver trust for your activities”.

The ute shown here looks to be a high-spec model, fitted with large alloy wheels and what appears to be a radar sensor in the grille, pointing to the next Triton’s new semi-autonomous driving systems.

Secrecy surrounds the new Triton’s engine range but expect an updated turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine to be the mainstay of the fleet.

It’s unlikely Mitsubishi will have a rival for the turbo-diesel V6 found in the new Ford Ranger and the related Volkswagen Amarok, but the triple-diamond brand has all but confirmed a hybrid powertrain is coming.

In 2019, Mitsubishi’s former chief operating officer, who is now Nissan’s COO, Ashwani Gupta, stated that a hybrid powertrain is highly likely and that a plug-in hybrid set-up was the preferred option given the workhorse ute’s load-lugging and towing requirements.

The company is also considering a Ford Ranger Raptor rival that would almost certainly come under the newly-resurrected Ralliart sub-brand, in which Mitsubishi Australia is angling to play a development and engineering role.

The Mitsubishi Triton received a minor tech upgrade earlier this year, and the brand is likely to bid farewell to the current generation with a tough truck that could be called the Mitsubishi Triton Raider, following recent trademark applications for the name.

Despite showing a few grey hairs, the current Mitsubishi Triton is the third top-selling ute in Australia behind the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, thanks to its competitive pricing and a 10-year warranty.

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