Although Mitsubishi has increased the price of its Triton in 2021, the popular Japanese ute is still a value-for-money product. In the local 4x4 ute sales competition, it still firmly occupies a solid third place, second only to the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.
The previous top-of-the-line 4x4 Triton double cab was the GLS Premium, which has been discontinued and replaced by the automatic 4x4 GSR variant. Therefore, we decided to look at how the second-ranked GLS can succeed in an increasingly competitive market.
Price and features-is it good value for money? What function does it have?
Our test car has a six-speed manual gearbox with a list price of $35,240 and a six-speed automatic gearbox, like our example, for $36,490.
is also equipped with original Mitsubishi accessories, including stainless steel front push rod with LED light bar (RRP $ 1649), tow bar kit (RRP $ 1198) and polished (sport bathtub) sports rod (RRP $ 1285). Together, these add up to $4132, which makes our test car almost the same price as the top GSR automatic transmission at $40,740.
Even so, without these accessories, GLS will still provide a rich menu of standard equipment. The refined interior is decorated with premium fabric seats, leather steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake, and height-adjustable steering column, keyless entry. It also has dual zone climate control, rear privacy glass, multiple 12-volt and USB connections (including two USB ports for rear seat passengers), a high-quality six-speaker infotainment system with a 7.0-inch touch screen, Android Auto / Apple CarPlay etc.
has a 7.0-inch touch screen inside. External details include chrome door handles and chrome rearview mirrors with integrated heating and turn indicators, 18-inch alloys with 265/60R18 tires and full-size spare tires, side pedals, rear pedal bumper, load bucket lining, LED dusk sensing Headlights/DRL with halogen fog lamps,Rain sensor wiper, reversing camera and rear differential lock, etc. Surprisingly, Mitsubishi stuffed high-quality clover into high-quality Japanese ute for $40,000.
Triton GLS wears 18-inch alloy wheels.
design – is its design interesting?
Triton’s sharp steering response and excellent agility are attributed to its relatively short 3000mm wheelbase, coupled with a compact 11.8-meter turning circle and relatively narrow 1815mm width, making it easy to use in narrow urban streets and shopping malls All kinds of operations can be easily carried out on the narrow bush track and the parking lot of the work site of saki works.
However, its wide 5303mm total length is only 123mm shorter than the Ford Ranger, even though the Triton needs a significantly longer rear overhang to achieve it. The size of
Triton is 5303 mm long. There are large grippers on the A and B pillars to help you board the boat. Triton’s slender width is most noticeable in the cabin, which is comfortable, but not uncomfortable for the front seat occupants, because even tall adults can find a comfortable seating position. However, the back seat is particularly suitable for three adults, so for longer trips than local commuting, we recommend a maximum of two adults in the back seat.
In contrast, we are a loyal supporter of the slit-type air circulation vents in the rear roof liner. These are better than the ventilation holes installed in the center console in guiding the cooling air to the faces of the rear passengers, and the rear passengers can also use their own fan speed dial to control the cooling level.
Engine and transmission – What are the key statistics of the engine and transmission?
4N15 MIVEC DID intercooled four-cylinder turbo diesel engine has excellent improvements, strong reliability and outstanding performance, which is due to its relatively small 2.4-liter displacement. It can produce 133kW of power at 3500rpm and 430Nm of torque at 2500rpm, but the power from as low as 1500rpm is sufficient to show its flexibility.
The equally sophisticated six-speed torque converter automatic has an overspeed fifth and sixth gear ratio,It can realize economical highway cruising, and use the console gearbox or steering wheel paddle switch for manual transmission.
The output of the 2.4-liter turbo diesel engine is 133kW/430Nm. We also like the versatility of the Mitsubishi Super-Select 4WD-II system, which is controlled by the console dial, which can provide high gear 2WD (2H), high gear full-time AWD (4H) options, very suitable for cold or muddy In the case of roads, central differential lock (4HLc) and central differential lock low range (4LLc).
2.56:1 low-speed driving distance limit, coupled with four specific off-road driving mode selection and rear differential lock, make Triton a well-equipped and powerful all-terrain vehicle.
Fuel consumption-how much fuel is consumed?
Mitsubishi claims an average total of 8.6 liters / 100 kilometers, but the dashboard shows 9.2 liters, when we stopped refueling the 75-liter tank after the 321-kilometer test, which included nearly a third of the payload over that distance.
Our own figure calculated based on the fuel nozzle and odometer reading is close to 9.4 liters. There is no doubt that any 4x4 double cab weighing 2 tons can achieve a single-digit economic return in the real world. This is of great significance to us, because in the case of Triton, you can expect to reach nearly 800 kilometers of reality Travel distance.
Usability-How useful is the internal space?
After subtracting the 2000 kg curb weight of GLS from your 2900 kg GVM, the remaining 900 kg payload is the rated value. It is also possible to tow a brake trailer up to 3100 kg, and to do so only needs to reduce the maximum payload by 115 kg to avoid exceeding 5885 kg GCM (or the maximum load you can legally simultaneously tow). This is a practical compromise.
The internal dimensions of the fully lined load bucket with six fixed points are 1520mm in length, 1470mm in width and 475mm in depth. The distance between the rear wheel covers is 1085mm, which makes it easy to get a 1200 x 800mm Euro pallet instead of the standard 1165mm square Australian pallet.
The cabin storage cabinet includes a large bottle cage and a storage box at each front door, as well as a separate glove box and overhead glasses frame, while the center console provides a small storage box in the front and two in the center. A small kettle/cup holder and a box back with a lid allow the driver’s elbows to rest comfortably.
Each door is equipped with a large bottle cage. Passengers in the back seats will get a large bottle cage, but there are no storage boxes on each door. There is also a storage bag on the back of each front seat, an open compartment at the rear of the center console for storing small items, and the drop-down center armrest with more than two cup holders.
The rear seats are fixed and there is no storage space below. However, unlike many large competitors, the back seat cushion is fixed below, there is no storage space, nor the ability to swing upward, and can be stored vertically when more internal carrying space is needed. Given its relatively compact cabin size, Triton can benefit most from this versatile rear seat design.
As daily driving, how does it feel?
Lightweight curb weight and sufficient torque make it appear quiet and comfortable when driving in cities and suburbs. It is easy to maneuver in traffic and insert narrow parking spaces.
GLS is also an easy and economical road cruiser, because the sixth gear for speeding allows the 2.4-liter turbo diesel to tilt at 100km/h at 1650rpm and 110km/h at 1800rpm. At these speeds, the noise from the engine, tires and wind is also very low, so there is no sound when talking.
is responsive to the speed-sensitive steering system and reasonable in weight. It is light at parking speed and becomes stronger as the speed increases. The front disc/rear drum brakes provide strong and consistent performance under all loads. Deceleration effect. Overall, as a daily driver can live easily and happily.
What is it like using?
We loaded a 650kg forklift into the loading bucket, plus two (170kg) and a 60kg accessory crew, which equals a payload of 880kg, which is only 20kg lower than the GVM limit.The nose only rises by 14mm when the back leaf spring is compressed 43mm. This can maintain a nearly horizontal ride height and has a rear suspension collision stop clearance of nearly 60mm, ensuring that there is no sign of bottoming during our test.
Considering that most of the heavy bathtub floor is behind the rear axle, a slight pendulum effect may be felt in tight corners, but Triton's handling feels solid and predictable, steering or braking response There is no significant drop.
We installed 650kg in the bathtub. When we climbed at a slope of 2.0 kilometers and 13%, the six-speed automatic gearbox automatically downshifted to third gear at 2500rpm, which is the maximum torque, making it easy to always maintain the 60km/h speed limit.
In the second gear manually selected, the braking when the engine drops is very effective, and the speed can be kept below the limit of 60km/h. The steepest part only needs to be braked once, and the engine can be Keep a safe distance from the red line. Overrun.
For a displacement of only 2.4 liters, this is excellent engine braking, especially considering the effective load it is trying to suppress, and it has a competitive advantage over the larger capacity competitors we tested. In other words, it goes beyond its own weight distribution.
Safety – What safety equipment is installed? What security level?
The highest five-star ANCAP rating (tested in 2015), with seven airbags and the latest active safety features, including AEB, lane departure and blind zone warning, lane change assist, rear traffic alert, trailer stability assist, etc. . There are also ISOFIX and top tethered child seat fixing points in the two outer seat positions at the rear.
Ownership – What is the cost of ownership? What warranty is provided?
Brand new 10-year/200,000km new car warranty and five-year perforated corrosion warranty. Every 12 months/15,000km, maintenance will be carried out as planned, whichever comes first.
verdict
US$40,000, Triton GLS represents the value for money of high-quality Japanese 4x4 double-cab leather goods.If you compare its price and standard equipment with mainstream competitors, coupled with excellent performance, bulletproof reliability and 10-year warranty, you will understand why Triton has always maintained its status as one of Australia’s top three 4x4 utes status.
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