Mitsubishi has unveiled its new Triton Raider flagship pick-up model, which is based on the high-spec GSR model and adds an array of off-road changes to make it a “rally raid” rebel, ready for the rough stuff. At least according to the brand.
Priced from $74,990 plus on-road costs, the Raider isn’t a rival to the much more expensive Ford Ranger Raptor.
It’s closer in nature to the Nissan Navara Warrior – which makes sense, as the Triton has a lot in common with the latest Navara, and the Raider was developed by the same Premcar group responsible for Nissan’s toughest truck.
Bruce Hampel, general manager of product strategy and product public relations for Mitsubishi Motors Australia, said the car “is already breaking new ground for the Mitsubishi brand”.
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“Early feedback from our dealer network since unveiling has been resoundingly positive, with specific callouts for Raider’s improved wheel control, aggressive styling and off-road performance,” he said.
“We are incredibly proud of the product our team has delivered in collaboration with Premcar. Along with our dealer network, we can’t wait for customers to experience the Triton Raider for themselves.”
Hampel said the brand is aware that the timing of launching a diesel car on the tail end of a fuel crisis isn’t ideal.
“Diesel still keeps the country running, so we need to find a way to make it sustainable long term in Australia,” he said.
“I guess the situation has sort of evolved over the last couple of weeks, right, with the impact of what has taken effect,” said Mr Hampel of the war in Iran.
“But how long it’s going to stay – I don’t know.
“We’ve gone through these cycles a lot. Hopefully, it should stabilise at some point in the future,” he said.
The new Triton Raider has the same 2.4-litre twin-turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine as all other variants in the Triton line-up. And to Mitsubishi’s credit, it is one of the most efficient utes of its kind in the class, with fuel consumption claimed at 7.7 litres per 100km.
But there are other ideas potentially in the pipeline for the Triton, despite diesel clearly still being the fuel of choice for ute buyers, according to Mr Hampel.
“In terms of Triton specifically, we still see ICE and diesel forming a key part of customer demand in the future, so we’ve definitely got to focus on that as the core segment,” he said.
“But some form of electrification is also needed, which also provides some performance enhancements,” he said.
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When asked about sales projections, Mr Hampel said that it’s still early in the “crisis” period to make a specific call.
“The fuel price change is recent, so we’re watching closely. Dealer inquiry levels have shifted, with more people asking about electrified options. Luckily, we’ve got products like Outlander and Eclipse Cross to support that,” he said, though it is worth noting that the Eclipse Cross is now defunct – you can’t buy it unless it’s sitting in stock.
“In terms of performance on this model itself, we haven’t changed the powertrain to get more horsepower, but what the Premcar team has managed to do with careful suspension and tyre selection is allow you to enjoy higher performance — you can go into things at higher speeds than with the non-modified vehicle. So in one regard, you’re travelling faster in the same conditions, which gives you more confidence overall.”
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The changes are extensive for the new Raider model, which includes Australian-sourced items like Monroe shock absorbers, ROH wheels and the development and testing of the new range-topping ute was done by Premcar in Melbourne – the same team that has just done a huge job of making the Nissan Navara excellent in terms of the drive experience.
More than 7000km of off-road testing was done to ensure the best overall performance, with a distinct focus on corrugated desert tracks that can play havoc with shock absorbers.
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Tyre choice was crucial too, according to the brand – four different tyre makes and styles were tested, before eventually the Bridgestone AT002 rubber was given the green light largely due to its steering precision and brake response.
According to Hampel, Mitsubishi has adopted a number of the learnings from Premcar experts to improve all versions of the model year 2026 (MY26) line-up in the coming weeks.
“Across the whole range, we’ve got revised suspension improvements, which will hopefully start to address the problems you experienced,” said Mr Hampel in response to some negative feedback about the suspension performance of the Triton while towing.
The car has the with the same conditional 10-year warranty program as the other models in the Mitsubishi range.
