Mitsubishi Triton GLS 4WD review
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The updated Mitsubishi Triton ute range is here. Cameron Officer recently put the GLS 4WD through its paces, with a well-packed horse float hitched to the back for good measure.
The new Mitsubishi Triton range has arrived in New Zealand and, on first impressions, it looks like it’ll give the rivals a run for their money within this increasingly competitive segment of the market.
Our time with the top spec Triton GLS was primarily spent hauling some serious hardware, testing its towing abilities with a horse float across some decently waterlogged Waikato pastureland.
Taking the Triton’s 3100kg braked tow rating into account, this sounds reasonably straightforward; your average tandem-axle horse float weighs in at anywhere between 500kg and 800kg without an equine inhabitant onboard – perhaps 1.5 tonne with.
Horse wrangling issues on the day meant we didn’t have any livestock to put in the trailer, but unbeknownst to me the float’s custodian had come up with a true test alternative – all his worldly belongings.
He happened to be in the process of moving house and this week was using the float as a handy covered furniture lugger. With all manner of boxes, chests of drawers and garden gnomes on board, the load weight was estimated at around a tonne; perfect for our needs.
Plenty of rain during the previous few days had left the test paddock very boggy, but using the simple Super Select dial in the centre console and slipping the Triton into 4H (full-time 4WD) proved enough for the job. Creeping through the gate and into the field proper, a gentle foot on the accelerator to keep up momentum was all that was required. Sure-footed all the way, the ute never felt like it was struggling.
Backing up to the trailer was a cinch too thanks to the GLS grade’s standard reversing camera. With our tester fitted out with a hard tonneau lid, there is a lot of sheet metal to see over, so having a camera is a great bonus. Good when you’re performing simple backing manoeuvres in town too.
Triton features
Every Triton features seven dual stage airbags placed throughout the cabin, an ISOFIX latching system for child car seats in the back, LED Daytime Running Lights outside and a new addition called SmartBrake. In an emergency braking scenario, this system detects if you’ve inadvertently hit the accelerator as well as the brake pedal and cancels out the accelerator action.
The four mode system lets you toggle between 2WD for around-town running, 4H for muddy stuff or even if the back road looks a little dicey in the wet, 4HLC high range gearing for dedicated off-road travel and 4LLC (Low Range with Locked Centre Diff), which will get you to wherever you need to go regardless of whether there’s a track under the wheels or not.
Sticking with controls in the centre console, our test Triton featured a five-speed automatic gearbox with sports-shift paddles, although a six-cog manual is available in all grades too. This is pretty impressive given that some rivals only offer a manual ‘box on their base spec, tradie-friendly cab-chassis models. Here though double cab GLX and GLS grades also get the option.
One-touch push button start (with keyless entry), handy Bluetooth hands-free phone calling and audio streaming, a big and bright six-inch touchscreen display and dual zone air conditioning all complete the picture inside.
See the full review in issue #219 of Farm Trader magazine. Subscribe here.
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