Mitsubishi Triton: There’ll be a slight delay

What is it?

Long, white, with four doors and a big open boot. The GLX+ sits in the middle of the Mitsubishi Triton range.

It’s available with two doors, four doors and two doors with extra space behind the seats.

There’s petrol and diesel engines, but no hybrids — with auto and manual gearboxes to choose from.

Our review vehicle, the GLX+, has been given a couple of updates to create the 2020MY model.

One is outside and it’s a rear diff lock for the times that extra traction is required off road. 

There is now a button in the cabin to engage or disengage the device, with 4WD models also getting 18 inch alloys as standard.

The other major change can be found inside and it’s a roof-mounted air recirculator.

It’s a slightly odd looking affair, with a bulbous roof-mounted blob sporting air intake grilles, and above the rear seat passengers are two moveable, foldable slots, to redistribute air.

What’s it cost?

Retail price of the Triton GLX+ is listed at $43,490 plus on road costs.

But Mitsubishi has some sharp driveaway prices, with the manual version $37,990 driveaway and the auto $41,490 driveaway — both well under recommended retail.

It’s spec’d well too for what it does and for the ask, with cloth covered, manually adjusted seats that are tough and durable, and give the cabin a workman-like ambience.

Basic black plastic makes for an easy to clean workplace, with rubber mats to protect the carpet which can be removed and hosed.

The 7.0-inch touchscreen features DAB audio and satnav, a nice touch in a vehicle of this type and intent.

There are a pair of USB ports for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, and the whole look and feel is functional without being austere.

Safety is good but not great.

Forward Collision Mitigation Warning with Pedestrian Detection is standard, as is Lane Departure Warning.

Missing however are Lane Change Assist and Blind Spot Warning, plus Rear Cross Traffic Warning.

A driver’s kneebag is standard.

Head, leg, and shoulder room is adequate without being squeezy.

The rear seats easily accommodate two near teenagers, but three full grown adults will find it on the tight side.

Outside it’s unchanged from the facelift provided a year or so ago.

The blunt, blocky nose holds the “shield” grille and headlight design, with indicators at the bottom corners of the bumper and halogen driving lights.

At 5305mm long, it’s one of the longer vehicles available for Australian driving, with an almost square, 1520mm x 1470mm tub that is big enough to hold just under 1000kg of cargo.

The ute rides on 16 inch six-spoke alloys with 245/70 series Bridgestone all terrain rubber that cope well enough on tarmac.

Body colour was the almost mandatory plain white. Metallics are a steal on a big car like this at $690.

What’s it go like?

Turbo lag on the 2.4-litre diesel is horrendous. 

There is 430Nm of peak twist at 2500rpm but it seems to go from nothing to peak at 2000 revs.

It’s a real surprise the delivery is so light-switch sudden. More progressive delivery could be to make it a better drive from a standing start.

In normal driving the Triton is relaxed, reasonably muted, and pulls hard for mid-range applications.

Fuel consumption is quoted at 8.6L/100km from the 75L tank.

It’s a key start for the GLX+, not push button.

Twist the key and it fires up quickly before settling into a rumble that rises and falls.

Engage the 6-speed auto, and a gentle throttle application sees the big unit move away slowly but surely.

Get to a stop sign, check for traffic, and press. And wait . . . And wait . . . And bang — there it is!

It can easily chirp the rear tyres. On the damp roads experienced during the review period, the rears would spin before traction control kicked in, and the front tyres scrub easily in corners.

On dry tarmac that same scrubbing helps to wash off a couple extra kilometres per hour that the brakes couldn’t.

The steering is tight and moderately heavy to the touch.

That’s not a bad thing as an over-assisted work ute can result in sudden lane changes to the detriment of vehicle and cargo.

Then there is the plus two tones of mass to consider.

It moves along well enough once under way, and the brakes, although needing more initial bite — haul the GLX+ up just fine.

The rear suspension is slightly softer in feel than the front.

Again, that’s not unexpected due to its weight carrying capacity.

The double wishbone/coil spring front handles the main part of driving admirably, absorbing the normal road issues well.

The leaf spring rear bounces a little but is also well damped.

The auto shifts smoothly for the most part, but does get hung up under light throttle applications occasionally, and holds for engine braking on downhill jaunts.

Drive modes are selected via a console mounted dial, with 2WD, 4WD high, and an electronic transfer case change to 4WD Low.

What we like?

• Decent standard equipment for a work ute
• Flexible engine behaviour once you’re on the move
• It’s roomy enough for four with room to spare

What we don’t like?

• Turbo . . . lag
• Mixed bag in the safety stakes
• Torque delivery is bang, not progressive

The bottom line?

The Triton offers a decent enough drive and handling package, with plenty of room for the family and a BIG boot. Turbo lag and the abrupt torque delivery dull the sheen though.

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