since 1976
since 1976
THE latest Mitsubishi Triton is finally launched with attractive prices to boot and with that comes the ambition of boosting Mitsubishi sales by double digits in percentage terms. This might seem odd against a dreary vehicle sales outlook presented by the Malaysian Automotive Association, but Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) sees a brighter outlook in the pick-up sector of the market.
As it were, more than 800 orders were received since a sneak preview of the new Triton was provided during the KLIMS 18 at the end of last year. This included the 50 Tritons that the Malaysian fire brigade has acquired for the urgent emergency work it has to perform. What’s more, the first 1000 customers got to receive an exclusive limited edition Thule Subterra luggage worth RM2000.
MMM expects the new Triton’s sales to increase by 28 per cent over the 2018 numbers to 7300 vehicles. It sold 5658 Tritons in 2018, which reflected an increase of 24 per cent over its sales performance in 2017 (4556, which was up 11.1 per cent over 2016’s). Last year, the Triton contributed 61 per cent to MMM’s overall business.
This positive outlook is fuelled by the fact that the new Triton in its latest guise, replete with a host of new technology and features as seen most notably in the flagship model Adventure X automatic, continues to be attractively priced. On average, the latest Triton fetches about RM6000 more than the previous model, which is rather painless for the higher level of standard equipment and features.
The flagship Triton Adventure X goes for RM135,200; the Triton AT Premium RM118,600; Triton MT Premium RM112,500; Triton AT RM105,990 and Triton MT RM100,200. These prices are quoted on the road without insurance but inclusive of the 10 per cent Sales and Service Tax (SST) for individual owners in Peninsular Malaysia. An added attraction is the 200,000km or five years warranty.
Some 65 per cent of Triton sales in Peninsular Malaysia comprise the automatic transmission variants, which is a reflection of the younger customers who prefer such a gearbox for the convenience of motoring in urban areas. MMM’s biggest Triton manual transmission market is in Sarawak where it is ranked the second top selling pick-up after the Toyota Hilux.
The Triton has come a long way since it first appeared 40 years ago in 1978. MMM CEO Tomoyuki Shinnishi outlined its growth over the years: “Pick-up trucks are the foundation of Mitsubishi Motors and the company has been producing pick-ups since 1978. Over 40 years, much experience has been gained not only in engineering reliable and durable vehicles but also understanding the needs of diverse customers.”
He added that the Triton sold more than 4.7 million vehicles around the world since it was first introduced. In Malaysia, the Triton is MMM’s best-selling model and has found more than 70,000 ‘proud owners’ since its launch in 2006. He described the new Triton as coming with a new design language, improved quality and continuing the DNA of the best handling pick-up truck.
“The new Triton comes with the concept of ‘Engineered Beyond Tough’ and adopted four pillars under the 4Sure Handling USPs - 4Sure Power; 4Sure Control, 4Sure Agility and 4Sure Safety. With these four pillars, customers are assured of a vehicle that is built to high standards and performance,” Shinnishi assured.
Technically, the award-winning 2.4-litre MIVEC turbodiesel engine with aluminium block is now the unit powering all the five variants, unlike the scenario previously. This engine delivers 181PS and 430Nm of torque. While the six-speed manual transmission is retained, the newbie is the six-speed automatic transmission for the three dedicated models.
Needless to say, strong initial impressions often win the customers over and the new Triton with its bold and more outdoorsy body profile is turning heads well up to expectations. Add to that subtle consideration for flash flood fording in the higher headlamp positioning, a relevant one during the monsoon seasons, and interest in the Triton goes even higher.
The flagship Triton Adventure X is fully feature laden in Mitsubishi Advanced Safety items, thus justifying its price tag. Among the host of equipment are the Forward Collision Mitigation that comes with the Autonomous Emergency Braking Function, Blind Spot Warning, Lane Change Assist (beep alert), Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Auto High Beam and Ultrasonic Misacceleration Mitigation System for both front and rear.
To better acquaint the media with the new Triton, MMM organised a pre-launch drive in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and it was one of our most memorable pick-up drive experience. We gained an insight into how treacherous an off-road terrain could be when unexpectedly wet and how the latest Triton could have provided a more confident drive experience with the proper tyres, especially in the manual transmission Triton MT Premium. Find out more in our Triton drive story.
