Mitsubishi has a new Triton truck, and it’s awesome

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While we normally don’t make a fuss over something we have no hope of ever seeing on our shores, we’ll make an exception for this cool machine. Mitsubishi has unveiled its redesigned Triton pickup truck, which has gone on sale in Thailand and will later be rolled out across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Australia. It’s also known as the L200 in some markets.

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Mitsubishi refers to it as a “one-ton,” and it’s considered a heavy-duty in the places where it’s sold, but it’s actually shorter overall than a Toyota Tacoma.

In contrast to our trucks over here, where bigger isn’t necessarily better but everything gets oversized anyway, the new Triton has a “beefed-up body size” when compared to the outgoing model it replaces – but the cargo bed height has been lowered, so it’s easier to pack items in or to reach over to take them out.

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The Triton is also obviously made for work. It comes in crew cab style, called Double-Cab, with four doors and two rows of seats; but then you can also get it in a two-door regular cab, or as the Club Cab, an extended-cab version with front seats and then cargo space in behind them, or simply extra room for reclining those chairs.

It rides on a new ladder frame and carries a newly-developed 2.4L turbodiesel engine with three power outputs that go as high as 346 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is offered alongside a six-speed automatic. There are two available 4×4 systems, one with locking differentials for off-road use.

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And lest you think that a rugged workhorse for overseas markets is bare-bones, the Triton offers all the driver-assist features we know so well over here, such as adaptive cruise control, emergency front braking, blind-spot monitoring and lane departure alert; along with LED daytime running lights, centre touchscreen, wireless charger, USB-C ports, and oversized cupholders.

The new truck is also the focus of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, which will drive one in the Asia Cross Country Rally in August 2023. The rally goes from Thailand to Laos, and the team – which receives technical support from the automaker – will enter three Triton Double-Cab trucks. They’ll be modified within the rally rules, including a roll cage, lightweight carbon fibre components, and rally-specific suspension. They’ll use the high-output version of the 2.4L diesel engine, putting out the same horsepower and torque as what will be available to consumers.