Road test review: Mitsubishi Triton GLX-R 2WD

Thursday, 14 May 2020

Mitsubishi Triton: Top Ute

MITSUBISHI TRITON GLX-R 2WD
Base price: $37,990
Powertrain and economy: 2.4-litre turbo diesel inline-four, 135kW/437Nm, 6-speed automatic, 2WD, combined economy 8.4L/100km, CO2 219g/km (source:RightCar).

The Triton was our favourite ute last year. Is the base model worth your time?

Vital statistics: 5305mm long, 1815mm wide, 1795mm high, 3000mm wheelbase, 940kg payload,18-inch alloy wheels.
We like: True workhorse with good torque, a big tray and a decent interior.

The cabin is well finished and the new dash looks great.

We don't like: Front end looks a bit naff, safety kit could do with an update.

While the Triton may be old enough to start attending primary school this year, it’s still a decent workhorse. Thanks to lockdown restrictions dropping to Level 3, we were able to sample the entry-level GLX-R to see how it stacks against the 2020 competition.

The Triton is happy to carry planters and plastic pots all day long, a very important test.

What’s new about it?

If you don't mind the slightly pinched cheeks, the GLX-R is a great bet for tradies looking for a solid workhorse.

Not a huge amount, given we’ve already tested the facelifted Triton last year. It won our Top Ute award though, which says a lot about the Mitsi given the Ranger and Hilux were dominating the sales charts until COVID-19 happened.

* Utes are still beaut with the Kiwi psyche – just ask Fieldays

* Utes and more utes: what's on offer in the class of 2018

The GLX-R is the base double-cab of the Triton range, asking $38k in 2WD form, the model on test here. It uses the same 2.4-litre turbo diesel engine as the rest of the range, although folks might overlook our tester in favour of the 4WD version (add $4k).

Last year’s update gave the Triton a new look as well as improved tech, with the GLX-R now getting Android Auto/Apple CarPlay as standard. While it gets forward collision mitigation and lane departure warning, it does lack blind spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert.

ANCAP gave the Triton a five-star safety rating too, though that was back in 2015 and testing criteria have since changed.

How does it all come together?

Make no mistake, the Triton is a good ute. Given Level 3 restrictions were still in place during our time with it, we weren’t willing to go out and do some proper testing. However, being the 2WD version, this GLX-R will probably be bought mainly by tradies in urban centres needing a cheap workhorse that won’t often need 4x4 capabilities. We can confirm, however, that the Triton will haul two second-hand wooden planters and half a dozen plastic pots with ease.

The 2.5-litre engine is a good thing too, offering a healthy amount of torque with relatively frugal consumption of 8.4L/100km. Our tester was the automatic, though those on a tighter budget can check out the manual version for $33,990, although it loses the forward collision mitigation and lane departure warning.

Any other utes I should consider?

Well, the Ranger and Hilux are the biggest rivals. The Ranger asks a few bob more than the Triton, with double cab variants starting at $47,490 but the Hilux 2WD WorkMate is just shy of $30k.

You swap the torquey diesel for a 122kW/245Nm 2.7-litre petrol engine, lose some towing capacity (2500kg vs 3000kg braked) and a fair amount of features but gain safety creds like active cruise control, and autonomous emergency braking.

A closer rival would be the 2WD PreRunner SR, which starts at $38,990 and has a kit list nearer to the Triton.

Additionally, buyers should consider the SsangYong Rhino and LDV T60, which start at $29,990 and $31,990 for the base automatic versions respectively, but then add 4WD for around the same money as the Triton GLX-R.