So finally we got to test the Mitsubishi's all new Triton, replacing the old name "Strada" in the Philippines, we now have not just a facelift but a new generation. In the test drive event in Bridgetown, Pasig we got our hands on the mid GLS 2WD variant that retails for 1,582,000. Although lacking power compared to the top of the line Athlete and missing the 4 x 4 drive train, this pick up showed much promise on the off road course powered only by its rear wheels.
"from the side things look a bit too boxy...it can sometimes exude an old fashioned but rugged look"
The Off Road Test Drive
It was a bit of a bummer when it was explained to us that the objective of the off road test drive was to get a general or "overall" feel of the car as it goes through rough terrain and not really to test its limits so we couldn't push the vehicle that much. The course was mostly made of uneven dirt with occasional dug holes with the size bigger than the truck's wheels, deep Water wading was also not available during the test the other parts of the course such as the steep incline were only reserved during demo drives. It will foolish to focus on comfort on such a terrain, the focus question is...did it make it through? Short answer is .. yes....very easily. Did the wheels get stuck holes? Did it tipped over during the angled terrain?. No, not at all even if it certainly felt like its going to tip over, well we got across.
The brilliance of this car's 360 degree camera showed its worth on the steep incline, you wont be able to see what's on the ground in front of you on such an angle. In real life this can save you from large enough rocks that can damage your vehicle. Another thing worth noting is the camera has really good quality when compared to the first 360 cameras that came out here in the Philippines.
The Interior
For this mid trim, the seat adjustments for the driver is a 6 way manual and 4 way for the passenger which can be reclined. There are plenty of soft touch materials on the dashboard and the doors that seem to look hard touch plastic at first, mainly because the color scheme is the same with the hard touch plastics. If you have been spoiled by the interiors of the Chinese offerings, you could say things are on the bland side although leaning towards futuristic and macho with most of the interior are made of straights and squares outweighing the curves, this exudes toughness and simplicity. Piano blacks can be found in the center where the shifter. Two things that we can point out worth noting, first is the position of the infotaiment sits perfectly that it doesn't block your view and the same doesn't make you look down to an unsafe direction, yes Ford Ranger we are looking at you.
This 9" Touchscreen Display wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto along with Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
Another thing is the glove box is dampened and is partnered with another storage compartment on top of it, a trend we are starting to see e.g. the Stargazer.
At the rear of the interior we will see 2 USB ports with one Type-C and a 12V socket. And of course our center arm rest comes with cup holders.
"We couldn't test the NVH on real world scenario as we are in an event and not on the road but we could say the crowd noise was pretty much cancelled out when we close the doors"
The On Road Test Drive
We couldn't test the acceleration properly on the off road course so we took it for another spin, this time on road. This beast is powered by a 2.4 turbocharged diesel engine with 183 PS and 430 nm of torque paired to a 6-speed AT and rear wheel drive, acceleration when floored is enough to bury you in your seats, the breaks bite quite well enough to stop us on track before hitting the cone after flooring the vehicle. The handling, if you are coming from a sedan you will be quite surprised that this doesn't feel like a heavier vehicle, its nimble and the steering feels light but not artificial, with 5 being the lightest, we give this steering a solid 4. The handling is not as direct as with a sedan but the difference is small you would not notice, really its just like driving a car. Getting through these obstacles is a breeze again thanks to the help of the 360 camera you will find guidelines bend as you turn the wheel allowing you to calculate if you will hit an obstacle. The cones in this set up especially the ones they put really close to each other are hard if not impossible to see when you are on a tall vehicle, but with the camera, everything in the terrain is covered.
A Quick Market Comparison
The Triton GLS 4x2 AT retails at 1,582,000 php, which goes head to head with the dressed up Nissan Navara Calibre-X AT 4x2 which at the time of this writing is at 1,591,000 php or the Ranger Sport 4X2 at 1,494,000 php, which is cheaper but a bit behind on power and torque figures and has no 360 camera. In our case we would get take that bit of bump in price for more horsepower and tech.
A Special Guest
In the event, those who would rather be driven than do a test drive were in for a treat as rally champion Hiroshi Masuoka who made success during the Dakar Rally, Baja Italy and UAE Desert Challenge ferried them with rally style driving. See the action : https://youtu.be/D8fMWCqP6jY
"Yeah he is the only one who got his hands on the top of the line 4x4 Athlete. Next time we wished Mitsubishi could've gave that test drive to all visitors as to experience it on the track, we're sure you can get a test drive just go to your nearest dealership, but most likely, it won't be on dirt track though."
Special thanks to Rose Padagdag who assisted us in the test drive, if you want inquire more about the Triton you can reach her at 09472473066
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