Mitsubishi Motors have released their new Triton GL single cab bakkie targeted at business owners.
Its no secret that South Africas bakkie market is one of the most competitive segments out there with Ford and Toyota battling it out every month for top honours, Isuzu regaining its footing after the GM exit and their mother company taking over, and both Mahindra and GWM getting in on the action.
Strangely enough, Mitsubishi hasnt been as active in this bakkie war, despite having all the hallmarks of a serious contender. Theyre a respected Japanese brand and their Triton range of double cabs is seriously good-looking, especially in their top-of-the-line Xtreme trim level (below).
Well, lifestyle bakkies alone do not a winning bakkie range make, and to counter this, Mitsubishi has just released their commercial variant of the Triton, the single cab GL 1-tonner which is aimed at business users.
So, how does Mitsubishi plan to grab the attention of construction, delivery, and general bakkie users across SA? To answer that question, lets start under the bonnet where Mitsubishi has employed their proven 2.4-litre DOHC, intercooled turbo-diesel engine which produces 100kW and 324Nm of torque. This has been mated to a 6-speed manual transmission which powers the rear wheels. Despite being a 2×4, Mitsubishi has installed a limited-slip differential to improve both the handling and overall grip, something which many bakkies can struggle with when not carrying a load.
When it came to suspension and the bakkies underpinning, Mitsubishi has gone with their tried and tested rigid ladder frame chassis equipped with double wishbones and coil springs in front, and rugged above-the-axle leaf springs in the rear.
On the inside, the Tritons interior is nothing to write home about, but I do like how they have managed to take the same dashboard from across the range and dull it down for commercial purposes. So yes, you dont get the nice aluminium finish or digital climate control, but everything a hardwearing, commercial vehicle needs is there. Speaking about hardwearing, Mitsubishi has also covered the seats in high-grade, tough, vinyl.
Now we get to the best part, the exterior where, despite being a commercial grade bakkie with the quintessential black plastic bumpers, Mitsubishi has still managed to make it look good thanks to the Tritons futuristic and somewhat Sci-fi styling which sets it apart from any other bakkie on the market. Aside from the looks, the new Triton is also practical featuring four integrated cargo hooks in the load bed and a single handle tailgate to facilitate one-hand operation.
When it comes to pricing, Mitsubishi has taken all steps necessary to ensure that the Triton GL comes in at a competitive R409,995, and they have even gone as far as taking into consideration the cost of replacement parts to reduce the cost of ownership.
Apart from the R409,995 price tag, Mitsubishi has also sweetened the deal by offering the Triton GL with their three-year/100,000km manufacturers warranty as standard, a five-year/90,000km service plan and a five-years/unlimited kilometre roadside assistance.
With those numbers and specs behind its name, the GL certainly does sound impressive, but should you buy one? The answer to that is YES! Mitsubishi is a seriously underrated brand in South Africa, and they have a long history of creating bullet-proof, competition-winning cars, meaning that getting a Triton GL to cart around your bricks or fill your fleet is an absolute no-brainer!
Get your hands on a Mitsubishi today by visiting the ClickaCar Virtual Showroom.