Pick-up trucks weren’t always cool. Credit to Ford for introducing the Courier, then that yellow Ranger Splash, to change the perceptions of those not in the construction line. But for me, the one that did it was the first Triton launched by Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia back in 2006. The design was a revolution for a truck, and it won the brand many fans.
As with all things, the novelty of the truck with curves wore off over the years, and the Triton was in need of a reboot. That happened in January, when the Triton was given a refresh starring Mitsubishi’s Dynamic Shield front fascia. As face swaps go, this is a big one. The Dynamic Shield face is characterised by slim headlamps sitting atop a big fog lamp-signal lamp cluster, pushed to the extreme sides and sawed off cleanly for a square jaw.
Central to the look are chrome borders for the grille that starts from the headlamps, giving it the appearance of sunken cheeks. The bold look is also contributed by a proud bonnet line that’s 100 mm higher than before. Likewise, the truck’s wading depth is now 100 mm higher, at 700 mm.
On the side, the Triton’s trademark “J-line” curved end to the cab is present, flanked by wheelarches that are now squared off. At the back, the updated truck gets new lamp clusters, which sport distinctive long-tail LED signatures. The tailgate handle and reverse camera are now housed in a chrome letterbox.
It’s more than just a facelift though, as the 2019 Triton also receives a new six-speed automatic gearbox (up from five), and the Super Select 4WD II system with Off-Road Mode and hill descent control in the powertrain department. New comfort features include an air circulator with two rear vents on the roof (comes with its own control panel with four fan speeds), rear USB charging ports and soft touch padding in the cockpit.
There’s also big news on the safety front. Driver assist features such as Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM), Blind Spot Warning with Lane Change Assist (BSW with LCA), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Ultrasonic Misacceleration Mitigation System (UMS), Auto High Beam (AHB) and seven airbags are now available on the top-spec Triton Adventure X. Not bad for a truck.
The Triton is powered by a 2.4 litre MIVEC turbodiesel with 181 PS and 430 Nm of torque at 2,500 rpm, the best motor currently available for the model globally. This engine – which has an aluminium alloy block and variable geometry turbo – is now standard across the Malaysian Triton range, which was previously split between the 2.4L MIVEC and the older 2.5L turbodiesel. Also, all five variants are 4×4 now.
We recently spent a day with the 2019 Mitsubishi Triton in Sabah – check out the first drive video above for our thoughts on the refreshed truck, which is priced from RM100,200 for the base VGT MT to RM135,200 for the top VGT Adventure X.
GALLERY: 2019 Mitsubishi Triton VGT Adventure X
GALLERY: 2019 Mitsubishi Triton VGT Premium AT
GALLERY: 2019 Mitsubishi Triton VGT Premium MT
GALLERY: 2019 Mitsubishi Triton VGT AT
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The Raptor way better.
Arena way better
Hilux is still the best. $x cheaper than Raptor but superb car.
Also have the highest RV
yea right.. risk of theft is superb too
No shit, Sherlock. What is the price of the Raptor?
F-150 is the King you can buy here.
No mention on the standard tires fitted to the Triton. I would assume that it should at least be fitted with AT or All Terrain tires. Else it would be sliding all over the place once it hits a muddy patch/roads.
It is a good thing to know that the wading height have raised to 700mm because river crossings is actually a common occurrence for those using the jungle track. The last thing you want is for the water to flood your carpets or even your seats!
The earlier generations of Tritions have ‘Jelly like’ suspension, therefore it’s good to know the engineers have finally listened and made a firmer suspension for Malaysians, at least.
Probably my only gripe is for Mitsubishi to make a new generation of engines which are of lower c.c. like Isuzu 1.8L turbo, but just as powerful. It is more frugal, perceived as more environmental friendly and more importantly, cheaper road tax and ownership costs.
It would difficult to get near 200 hp and 500 Nm from such small diesel engine (<2.0L) without resorting to twin turbo setup, as shown by the Ford's 2.0 Panther engine. Isuzu's 1.9L BluePower only produces 150 hp and 350 Nm.
the designer spent so much time with the truck front, but forgotten completely at the rear of the truck…
VW should enter the SEA with its own pickup. Looks better than most pickups sold here too.