7 February 2011
Mitsubishi wants Kiwi blokes to get hard, and they are pushing the all-new Triton workhorse as just the little blue pill that the doctor ordered.
With a devoted blogsite hosted by two Easter-Island statuettes aptly named Rock and Hardplace, a 'get hard' marketing tagline and the lyrics of Bob Dylan's 'Hard Rain' supplying the TV commercial's soundtrack; Mitsubishi aren't mincing their words about the Triton's target market.
While it's definitely pushed as a real-life Tonka truck, initial impressions of the vehicle's styling left us wondering if perhaps it's almost too pretty to rough up its market dominating rivals from Toyota and Nissan.
Seemingly following a trend set by big American pick-up's, Hilux and Navara ST-X have taken a 'size is everything' approach, where as the Triton, on the face of it, offers a slightly more petite looking...erm, package.
It also bares far more fluid lines than the other boxy examples in the utility class, which further builds on the confusion over Mitsi's claims about the Triton's hard-man abilities.
It's a good-looking wagon, albeit some areas were a tad over-styled in our opinion, the fluted fuel flap and distractingly-large circular details on the rear bumper for instance. But with styling cues up-front from Mitsubishi's passenger car line up and a swooping arc at the base of the rear doors, it adds a point of difference to the set-square drawn competitors it's up against.
The 'get hard' tagline does make sense however, when you put the Triton to work as we did on some rugged farmland and across rocky shoreline at the vehicle's press launch. Unlike a certain southern brewery that would have us believe two latté-inclined actors are real, rugged highland rustlers; Mitsi's pretty boy happily gets stuck into some rough and tumble action without screaming, "Not the face, not the beautiful face!!"
It's what's below the surface that matters when you're talking true workhorse offerings, and Triton doesn't mess about with namby-pamby 2WD like other brands. All Tritons are equipped with an Easy Select 4WD system that allows engagement of 4H 4WD on the fly at up to 100km/h. In addition the rear differential can be locked via a switch in the cabin. This differs from a Limited Slip Differential, which allows for some slippage in its internal clutch packs when transferring torque at times of wheel spin.
A locked diff offers no slippage, when engaged both rear wheels turn at the same speed, greatly improving traction when needed. The Triton easily scales steep dirt banks and crawls itself across unforgiving rocky landscape with similar aplomb. Naturally due to the requirement of inside and outside wheels to rotate at different speeds when cornering, the diff-lock system is not recommended for use on the tarmac.
All four of the Tritons body styles (Single cab flatbed, Single cab GLX wellside, Double cab GLX wellside and Double cab GLS) have been engineered to absorb and redirect impact energy in the event of a collision, and sit atop a rugged ladder chassis. A 3.5 litre V6 petrol, or 3.2 litre common rail diesel engine, your choice of powertrains.
On the road, the V6 cruised Wellington's waterfront pleasantly humming away, just audible from the cabin. Matched to either a five-speed manual, or in GLS versions, a four-speed auto, a slight wanting for grunt was a minor niggle with the 137kW power unit. No such deficit with the diesel though. Output is among the best in the category at 120kW @ 3800 rpm, torque sits between that of its biggest competitors at 353Nm @ 2000 rpm, no automatic is optioned however. But aren't autos just for softies anyway?
A confident leaf-sprung rear and double wishbone front suspension rides more comfortably than others in the class, and steering lock receives top marks at just 11.8 metres though it does take 4.5 turns to get from lock to lock.
Inside, simple and practical is the theme, it is a Ute after all. We found even the work-ready bench seat of the entry-level cab chassis variant quite comfortable, and despite sitting close to the floorpan, and height only adjustable steering column, a good driving position is still achieved.
GLS versions naturally receive the pick of the goodies bag, carpeted footwells, leather bound steering wheel, more attractive upholstery fabrics, climate control, and the like.
The range topper also receives a digital multi-info display with barometer, compass and altimeter, the novelty of which will probably pass quickly unless you can think of a genuine use for them. The same could not be said about the GLS's three-point lap-sash belt in the centre rear seating position, pity it is not offered in the GLX double cab, which opts for just a lap belt for the fifth occupant.
Dual front airbags are standard across the range as is ABS with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD), should you need to place a child seat in the front passenger seat the L/H airbag can be disabled via a switch in the glovebox.
The Triton range has an unbraked towing weight of 750kg (2300kg braked) and there's an excellent selection of accessories, from bullbars to a stylish canopy. It's priced competitively as well; a clever strategy on Mitsubishi's part is to offer no price premium for the diesel option. Cab-chassis versions start at $38,990, GLX Double cabs are priced $42,490 and the GLS Double cab manuals offer the best value for our money at $46,990 the automatic on the petrol GLS adds $2000.
Is Mitsi hard enough to mix it with the big guns of the Ute category?
Sure is, with a genuine work hard attitude, attractive diesel versus petrol operating cost potential and room for a gang of five in the double cabs it has what it takes to be the pick of an any honest kiwi tradesman.
Just don't hate it because it's beautiful.