The next gen of a kiwi favourite

Farmview ute review with Duncan Humm from NZ Farming
I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on the new generation Triton for quite some time to see how Mitsubishi would evolve.
Their previous model that had well and truly earned a reputation for being tough, reliable and often considered to be dollar for dollar the best all round performing double cab 4x4 Ute.
This new model definitely has the potential to continue that legacy, and I think what they have presented is a great blend of proven engineering in a modern package that will serve owners well.
Now they’ve been released to the market for a few months now it’s interesting to see the internet isn’t full of owners unhappy with their purchase, the only thing that seems to be bought up is a niggle with the camera that monitors the driver’s attention isn’t being distracted.
Good thing is dealers are doing a software update to let you glance away for up to 9 seconds instead of 3, and you don’t like it then it can be turned off completely.
I was expecting all the driving aids to be quite overbearing given that it now holds the title of the safest ute on the market with 5-star ANCAP rating.
All the sensors to keep you in your lane read the road well, even on Mid Canterbury’s rough and often poorly marked ones!
Other Utes in class pull you away from lines or hold you too close to the centre line rather than to the left, whereas the Triton gives a vibration through the steering wheel much like you get when holding a game controller.
The sensitivity can also be customised easily in settings too so it can be set up however you like.

Handling wise the Triton is a huge improvement over the previous generation, really smooth around town, comfortable on the open road, planted and predictable at high speed on winding shingle roads and around the farm it is everything you need.
One of the main things I look for in any vehicle is the leg room and spaciousness, the Triton’s larger cabin ticks the box nicely, can stretch my legs out straight easily and knees aren’t banging against the door or centre console.
Around the farm getting in and out with gumboots on is easy too.
To nerd out on some of the finer points I think are quite interesting: As well as the now typical 3500kg towing for the class you can have a 1000kg payload and a total combined weight of 6250kg which is 365kg more than the previous generation and so much so if you were to utilise it all you’d actually need a class 2 drivers licence because a class one is limited to 6000kg TCW.
Engine is a new 2.4L bi turbo diesel that makes 150KW and 470Nm of torque, matched with a 6 speed auto transmission.
Further on safety the cabin has 8 airbags including one in the front centre, so passengers won’t bang into each other in an accident.
Steering wheel is improved so that lock to lock is now only 3.4 turns and with the Electric Power Steering (EPS) will change with the speed the vehicle is moving, so it will feel light at slow speed and get heavier as speed increases to give more control. Turning radius has increased over the previous model but given the wheelbase is now 130mm longer it is only by 5%, it will turn tighter than other comparable Utes.

Deck space will now fit a conventional 1200x800mm pallet and easier to reach as deck height has been lowered to 820mm.
There’s plenty of tie down hooks and grooving to add load dividers made from 4x2 timber.
In conclusion if you’re after a quality Ute that will do everything you need it to do with no fuss but also with the refinement to match in class competitors at a sharp price point then you should definitely consider looking at one if you’re in the market, hard to go past the 10 year or 160000km powertrain warranty too.
Feel free to get in touch with me as always if you want to talk about in more detail!
By Duncan Humm
