Mitsubishi has promised its next-generation Triton will be tailor-made for Australian needs, despite launching overseas first.
Speaking to Australian media in Japan, Mitsubishi’s Executive Officer of Product Strategy Koichi Namiki confirmed the Triton, scheduled for a reveal later this year, was built with our market in mind from the very beginning.
When asked if the next-gen Triton was built primarily for the Thai market and upgraded for Australia, or built for Australia and despecified for the Thai market, Namiki said: “The introduction cadence tells you the Thai market will be first because this is where we manufacture the vehicle, but development is very different.”
“If we were to just stick with the Thai market [in development] as an example, it would be difficult to upgrade it to the Australian version. So, we’ve considered Australia at the beginning. Yes, we will launch in Thailand first, but Australia has always been in mind.”
Mitsubishi is a brand at a turning point, as it looks to refresh its core range as its role in the Renault-Nissan Alliance matures. Its mid-term plan earmarks 16 new models including four fully electric vehicles and five hybrids, as well as a new Triton and Pajero Sport pair.
Interestingly the plan also earmarks a battery electric ute, but will it be a Triton?
“You can think of this as a version of the Triton,” said Namiki. “The name of this product is maybe not decided, but we can’t produce so many different vehicles due to the size of the company.
“I had a chance to visit Australia earlier – they are talking a lot about the battery EV today – and the government is trying to come out with some legislation. I think at some point in the near future we have to have a BEV in Australia for sure. When? That’s a difficult question.”
However, executives were clear that Mitsubishi’s role in the alliance was to focus on the South East Asian region for most of its new products, products which may not be able to be upgraded to meet the strict safety and high-spec requirements Australian buyers demand.
“At this point in time we are very much focused on the South East Asian market,” said Namiki.
Mitsubishi is planning to introduce four EVs and five hybrids. (Image: Kolesa)He also added, when asked what he found unique about the Australian use of the current Triton and Pajero Sport during his recent trip: “For sure, towing.”
“We understood that towing was very important, but then I saw it with my own eyes – towing everywhere!”
Performance will also play a key role, as one of Mitsubishi’s new areas of focus is the revival of its Ralliart sub-brand, which it hopes will separate it from its rivals, according to Mitsubishi Executive Officer of Global Marketing and Sales John Signoriello.
“I always respect our competitors, you have to, but you have to focus on what you do best. You don’t ignore them – there’s no way you can ignore those new brands coming through, but going head-to-head, there can be no winners in the end,” he said.
“So, I think we have to differentiate ourselves, and I think we’ve got a lot of focus on history – we’ve got something other brands don’t have, and we’ve got to utilise it. You’ll see it when we come out. We’ll be pioneers again.
The AXCR takes a current-gen Triton and completely reworks the suspension setup.“We want to elevate the brand – We’ve got all these new products coming through and we’re talking about Ralliart as well – how do you take that history and make a future with it? Put these together and you create a brand – instead of a focus on price, we’ll have a focus on brand value. This is an opportunity to move the brand forward, and we can do that with Ralliart.”
And what will that look like? We know future Ralliart variants will be more than just a sticker-pack, but signs are hopefully pointing to something more Ranger-rivalling which looks beyond just a power bump.
“Performance is powertrain, but it’s other things as well,” Signiorello said. “There’s no doubt we have to do it properly. It’s a proud name, it’s a strong name, but we have to do it justice.”
One look at the AXCR (Asian Cross Country Rally) Triton could be a hint of things to come. The current-gen Triton-based rally truck takes the standard internals with only relatively minor upgrades, but completely re-thinks the suspension set-up to make it much more capable off-road, Namiki said learnings from this program will be applied to future products.
“We have been participating in the [AXCR] competition, not just for brand, but also getting information for development,” said Namiki. “I do believe we have got a lot of information on how the vehicle will behave in severe conditions.”
Keyword: How the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton is being shaped by Australia: Upcoming next-generation Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger rival being developed for towing, electrification and performance