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The next-gen Triton is set to take the fight to the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux.
Mitsubishi is hard at work on its new Triton, which is expected to amp up the tech, luxury and size factors to better fight the likes of the new Ford Ranger. But, according to a new report from Australia, it won’t feature six-cylinder power to rival the new Ranger and its mechanical twin, the Volkswagen Amarok.
Mitsubishi Australia’s senior manager of product strategy, Owen Thomson, hinted to carsales that emissions are the biggest reason why the Triton will eschew a V6.
“Emissions regulations are important and we’re yet to see how that will play out [in Australia]because everybody’s going to have to manage their fleet CO2,” he said.
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The big difference between the Triton and the Ranger will be cylinder count.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how that plays out for Ford,” he said, regarding the high level of Australian demand for diesel V6-powered Ford Rangers.
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“Internal combustion engines are becoming increasingly harder to engineer because the emissions regulations are getting tighter and tighter. Diesels for example, even now, run on a knife’s edge to balance emissions, driveability, combustion noise, all those factors.”
Instead, Mitsubishi will likely offer a new four-cylinder diesel or a heavily-revised version of its current 2.4-liter unit, along with a performance-oriented plug-in hybrid model.
According to Internet rumblings, the PHEV Triton will use a similar set-up to the Outlander PHEV SUV. That means a 20kWh battery, an 85kW motor on the front with a 100kW motor on the rear, along with a 98kW 2.4-liter atmospheric petrol engine allowing a respectable output of 185kW and 450Nm.
In the Outlander, all-electric range is a claimed 87km (according to the WLTP test cycle). It’s unclear if that will change for the ute, but we’d imagine loading up the tray or adding a trailer will cut this down some.
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The rumored plug-in Triton will use the powertrain from the Outlander PHEV.
That’s not the end of the world, as PHEVs can drive as hybrids if needed to retain the full offering of torque, but it would likely segment the plug-in Triton as a lifestyle ute rather than a workhorse.
Other additions to the Triton will include a bunch of new and improved safety gizmos, with Thomson targeting a five-star ANCAP rating.
“It’s always part of the Australian requirement for Triton – it must be ANCAP five-star, no bones about it. So it will have a pretty comprehensive ADAS suite.”
Towing will also receive a bump, currently rated at 3000kg braked, to match the 3500kg ratings of its main rivals, the Ranger and Hilux.
Mitsubishi is expected to reveal its new ute in the first half of 2023. It will also form the basis of the next Nissan Navara.