Following an unusually long teaser campaign, Mitsubishi has finally taken the wraps off the new Triton. Also known as the L200 in some markets, the midsize pickup is entering its sixth generation with a fresh look inside and out, along with skin-deep changes as it uses a newly developed ladder frame. It will be available in double cab, club cab, and single cab body styles benefiting from an increase in torsional rigidity of 60 percent.
By switching to a new high-tensile steel material, the body is lighter compared to the previous-generation L200. The truck uses a redesigned carbo bed that has been lowered by 45 millimeters (1.77 inches) to 820 mm (32.2 in) to make it easier to maneuver cargo. Reinforced using a frame, a newly added step in the bumper corner further increases practicality. Without going into details, Mitsubishi says the utilitarian vehicle is now larger than before, but the weight gain has been minimized by using lighter steel.
Depending on the configuration, the new Ford Ranger rival gets the Super Select 4WD-II and Easy Select 4WD systems, with the former featuring a center limited-slip differential that sends 40 percent of the power to the front and the remaining 60 percent to the rear. This more sophisticated four-wheel-drive system has the following selectable modes: 2H (RWD), 4H (4×4), 4HLc (4×4 with a locked center differential), and 4LLc (low-range with locked center differential). In addition, there are no fewer than seven driving modes: Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand, and Rock.
The suspension has also been completely revamped and consists of a new double-wishbone front with a lighter leaf spring setup at the rear. Models fitted with the Super Select 4WD-II system also get Active Yaw Control (AYC) to improve cornering by gently applying the brake on the inside front wheel. Hill descent and hill start assist systems are included to make your life easier off the beaten path.
Mitsubishi only mentions the new diesel engine so far, a 2.4-liter mill available in three states of tune: 148 horsepower (110 kilowatts) and 330 Newton-meters (243 pound-feet), 181 hp (135 kW) and 430 Nm (316 lb-ft), and the strongest configuration with 201 hp (150 kW) and 470 Nm (346 lb-ft). Depending on which one you go for, the four-pot engine of the Volkswagen Amarok fighter is hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission or a shift-by-wire manual with the same number of gears.
Featured here in the eye-catching Yamabuki Orange Metallic paint job, the 2024 Triton can also be ordered in Blade Silver Metallic, White Diamond, Solid White, Jet Black Mica, and Graphite Gray Metallic. Range-topping versions get a body-colored front grille combined with a dark titanium finish for certain parts of the body. Some of the adjacent images depict the rally-spec model engineered to take part in the Asia Cross Country Rally.
The interior has been thoroughly updated as well, although we’re surprised to see it still has analog dials, not that it’s a bad thing. There are separate controls for the climate settings along with a few shortcuts beneath the touchscreen, which is flanked by two rotary knobs. Overall, the dashboard has a straightforward and functional layout – exactly what you’d expect from a workhorse. Switching between 2WD and 4WD is done using the selector mounted between the seats where you’ll also find a button for the driving modes.
Already on sale in Thailand, the new L200 / Triton will gradually be introduced in ASEAN and Oceania before going on sale in Japan in early 2024 for the first time in 12 years.
