For the modern-day everyday adventurer
I first got acquainted with the Mitsubishi Triton last year when Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation celebrated its 60th anniversary at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Then, after that, the Japan Mobility Show happened. I was part of the media contingent that the car company invited for a five-day trip to Tokyo and Nagoya, where just a stone’s throw away is their Okazaki Plant. Here, we briefly tried the wheel of the Triton in a specialized track around the plant. By then, the pickup truck already knocked it out of the park, at least, in my books.
Aside from changing its name from “Strada” to “Triton” (which is more known worldwide), the biggest upgrade, particularly, is its newly-designed ladder frame. This delivers superb performance and durability like we’ve never seen before. An exceptional 60-percent increase in torsional rigidity promises far-enhanced stability and longer-lasting strength.
Also, on the outside, this sixth-generation pickup truck is specifically distinguished by its more robust and much wider front fascia. In short, it ‘overdoses’ with machismo. The front grille is complemented by split LED headlights and the right mix of lines and sharp curves that bring out its iconic Dynamic Shield design. Its B and C pillars, and side doors have been adorned with fitting aesthetics. Panache is superb and the top-tier is capped by nifty 18-inch black-colored alloys.
Inside, particularly the Athlete top variant, is top-notch. Despite that brief encounter, the pickup already struck me as a well-bred machine. The cabin gave us the relaxing comfort and convenience we needed from its advanced technologies and a slew of fresh design cues and accents. For one, its new analog instrument cluster is now paired with a new digital multi-information display. While front and center is a nine-inch touchscreen with integrated audio system. Behind the wheel, a redesigned steering wheel and a fresh take on the glove compartment design may even invigorate the driver, keeping his mind sharp and alert as we went on our paces around the track.
This Athlete, for one, with its 2.4-liter 4N16 four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, paired with a six-speed tranny, churned out 201 hp and 470N-m of torque. There, they had an off-road course that tested its advanced Super Select 4WD-II system, featuring an active brake-controlled Limited Slip Differential (LSD). Suspension-wise, the new double-wishbone front setup and a lighter leaf spring arrangement at the rear were performing at our heart’s desire. While Active Yaw Control (AYC) with its several drive modes, that include Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand, and Rock modes were all icing on the cake.
Local launch and media drive
Then, come early this year, the much-awaited pickup finally arrived on our own turf. That time, we even rode shotgun with multiple-Dakar Rally champion, Hiroshi Masuoka, as he showed off the prowess of the newly-launched Triton at the makeshift dirt track in Pasig City.
Fast-forward several months later, we, in the media, found ourselves equally deployed in the Triton’s seven variants and on our way frolicking in the outskirts of Balanga, Bataan.
A perfect duathlon buddy
After our jaunt in Bataan, I requested a personal test drive of the Triton to better acquaint myself with the pickup on a day-today basis. Here, I had the pickup for weeks and it became my daily driver. From errands back-andforth within Metro Manila and a few stops here and there, like in Cavite and Bulacan, it was one reliable workhorse.
I even had it as my own personal service vehicle when I joined a duathlon competition in Clark, Pampanga. The bed at the back served as a dependable makeshift pitstop for my bike during training, as well as on competition day. In fact, that time, when I already left Manila late at night and had no choice but to sleep inside the vehicle since the actual competition goings-on kicked off early in the wee hours of the morning the next day, the Orange synthetic leather with Black Suede inserts provided the comfort and ease as I went on my much-needed shuteye. Heck, even the 10-way adjustable seat, together with the warm premium feel of the dashboard and all the other amenities, even felt like a five-star hotel, if you would ask me.
Despite losing a steady place in 2nd or even 3rd place and eventually settling for 4th place for my first-ever duathlon competition due to debilitating cramps, I found the much-needed comfort from the Triton as I left Pampanga sour graping.
The specific pickup unit provided me with its best fuel-rating of 5.4 liters per 100 kilometers or about 19 kilometers per liter in its total of more than 8,000 kilometers of distance traveled while heading back to Manila. Yes, this pickup wholeheartedly provides such information basing from the totality of its odometer reading. This means that from the moment the vehicle rolled out from the plant all the way to the point that I was driving it, the said fuel-rating was the best-recorded reading it ever had. This was done with a combination of city, highway driving and perhaps a dose of wounded pride.
In a nutshell, from my experience with this Mitsubishi Triton, I’m proud to say that–truly–it’s an epitome of a genuine workhorse with its right amalgam of rugged aesthetics, boorish yet, at the same time, mild-mannered styling and performance, capping it with an unrivaled comfort and convenience that best fit that modern-day everyday adventurer.
