All-new Triton conquers tough off-road terrain

IT was the first day of the New Year and the first thing that came to mind when a colleague and I jumped into the all-new Triton was that we were on a mission to prove the off-roading mettle of this latest 4X4 model from the Mitsubishi stable.

How was its ability to perform even with people, having near zero experience of handling unforgiving terrain, behind the wheel? We had the opportunity to find this out during a test drive, organised by Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM).

The pressure was on the moment we drove off from the flag-off point at Kuching Civic Centre in an all-new Triton (No. 01) towards Kampung Rayu, Matang, some 40km away. We were trailing vehicle No. 00, driven by experienced off-roader Paul Si who was leading a convoy of more than 150 4×4 vehicles.

Riding with me were Mohd Shafik Ahmad, the designated driver, from Utusan Borneo, and MMM public relations officer Debbie Choong. Our marshal was only made known much later as Jack Johnson.

Right behind our tail were seven other variants of the all-new Triton, each with an improved 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and an inter-cooled Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) offering high performance and high fuel economy.

In vehicle No. 02 was MMM CEO Yang Won-Chul. Five other vehicles — Nos. 03 to 08 — were driven by local 4X4 owners from the Mitsubishi Club.

On reaching the main junction to the off-road tracks at Kampung Rayu where the extreme ‘playground’ is located, I managed to quickly go through our vehicle’s specifications from a brochure made handy by Choong.

On paper, the all-new Mitsubishi Triton is able to churn out 178 PS of power at 4,000 rpm, and 400 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm from its technologically-advanced Double Overhead Cam (DOHC) 16-valve turbodiesel engine with a common-rail system, and produce 50 Nm more torque than its predecessors.

Impressive is the word. But yet to be seen was the vehicle’s ability to perform under real off-road conditions. A little bit sceptical I was. But all that was about to change.

Confronted with a gravelled road, turned muddy overnight by a torrential downpour, the participants braced for the challenge as the convoy headed into off-road territory, said to be in the form a 30km circle around the whole area, mostly dotted by oil palm plantations and vegetable gardens.

One by one, the vehicles shifted gears and revved along the gravelled road for a good 10 minutes — a mere warm-up to what lay ahead.

Jack was quick to assume his pivotal role as marshal, dishing out 4X4 driving techniques to guide Shafik through the hundreds of one-foot deep potholes and the seemingly impossible turns, and over steep muddy gradients. The all-new Triton took them all in its stride.

After an hour-long bumpy ride where we had to hold firmly to the Triton’s handrails, the five-minute break that followed — short though it was — seemed like a godsend, cutting down the adrenaline rush to let us catch our breath.

Comfort and convenience

The all-new Triton offers more comfort and convenience on the inside, being 5,280mm long (down 15mm), 1,815 wide (up 15mm) and 1,780mm tall while the ground clearance is rated at 205mm across all 4×4 variants.

Interior dimensions have also improved, boasting a 20mm increase in legroom and 10mm more shoulder room (which roughly translates into less bumping of heads among passengers).

True enough, Shafik and I soon discovered the vehicle he was driving is ‘a no joke off-road beast’. Throw in any challenge — mudholes, slippery climbs or harsh slopes — the all-new Triton was up to the task.

Rising hearteningly above the cacophony of revving engines and the occasional screeching and sliding of tyres on the often treacherous tracks was the one-for-all and all-for-one camaraderie among the 4X4 enthusiasts who were more than willing to break a sweat to help each other out of ‘sticky’ situations.

One prime example was when the whole convoy were abruptly halted in their tracks by a river crossing, some 15km into the drive. Right next to the river-crossing point was a ruined log bridge which had apparently borne the brunt of continual onslaught from a thousand heavy grinding tyres.

One by one, the 4X4 vehicles were driven up to tackle their biggest obstacle, and soon, it was our turn to make the crossing. Making it more daunting for Shafik was the fact that crossing the knee-deep river was only part of the task at hand. Driving up the slope of the slippery bank on the opposite side threw up a whole new ballgame.

Feeling worried and uneasy, I pulled Jack aside to tell him Shafik might not be able to make it across, only to be met by a quirky smile and a quick response that the obstacle might just well be Shafik’s ‘graduation’ as a 4X4 driver.

Grabbing my raincoat, I made my way across the river in pouring rain together with some of the other drivers to witness Shafik’s defining moment. Wiping the sweat off his brow as he inched his way towards the opposite bank, he locked the Triton’s four-wheel drive to ‘4-Low’ and stepped on the pedal to make it across — or almost.

There were some anxious moments. Due to Shafik’s less than five hours experience as an off-road driver, the Triton lost its momentum nearing the other bank and was seen sliding back into the river.

Under Jack’s guidance, Shafik managed to manoeuvre the Triton out of danger and lined up for a second attempt. Despite pushing the ‘beast’ to the limit, Shafik only got it halfway up the slippery bank. It looked precarious.

The next moment, I could see the marshals and some helpers in the distance, scouring the bushes for pieces of wood or logs to plant in the riverbed and across a section of the bank to create traction for muddy tyres.

A few of the vehicles which made it across — thanks to their ‘extreme terrain’ tyres — and a winch were subsequently deployed to commence the extrication process. After much gesticulating and hollering, the cables were put in place and a navigation point identified to pull 01 up the slippery bank.

Drawing a deep breath to ease the butterflies, Shafik drove the vehicle forward, synchronising with the momentum of the pull by the RM17,000 winch mounted on two vehicles. There were clapping and cheering to spur Shafik on. And to our relief, the ‘rescue operation’ was a success.

Noting the river-crossing was no walk in the park, I reckoned the 100 or so drivers waiting on the other bank could have done with some encouragement and prodding as well!

After the river-crossing, it was another hour of off-road terrain, albeit less challenging, and all vehicles — from No. 00 to 08 — made their way out of Kampung Rayu incident-free to Union Yes Retreat and Training Centre in Lundu for the night.

According to the odometer, we managed to log a distance of 156km and in the words of Yang, this was better than expected.

“In over four years of driving off-road, I personally feel the track at Kampung Rayu is the hardest route I have driven,” he admitted.

He was elated tough that the all-new Triton had come out tops in one of the most extreme events for MMM to start the New Year.

Mission accomplished. That, in a nutshell, was our verdict except that we could not have done it without a little (or should I say huge) help from our ‘beast’. Yes, the all-new Triton had passed the grueling off-road test drive with flying colours.

Triton specifics

The all-new Triton has been developed to be the ‘Ultimate Sport Utility Truck’, combining the comfortable interior of a passenger car with the functionality and reliability of a pickup.

Muscular, sleek and dynamic styling evoking the form of a well-honed athlete, the vehicle also provides generous interior space, ample payload capacity and class-leading handling.

The front design is characterised by a distinctive grille design which, together with the stylish headlamps, gives a strong three-dimensional look to the bonnet. Viewed in profile, the all-new Triton has a forward flowing design and a ‘J-line’ between the cabin and rear deck which is an innovative solution to maximise interior space while providing plenty of cargo volume.

Just as the previous Triton generation set new standards in the pickup segment, its successor also brought with it first-in-class features such as Push Start Button, Keyless Operation, Xenon HID Headlamps with integrated Daytime Running Lights, Tilt and Telescopic Steering and Paddle Shifters for manual control of the automatic transmission when the driver wants it.

The all-new Triton also boasts a powerful engine performance with a maximum output of 178 horsepower, a maximum torque of 400Nm and a turning radius of 5.9 metres.

New features in the all-new Triton also include 4WD selector, Touch Screen Audio System with Reverse Camera, Auto Headlamps and Wipers, and Dual Zone Climate Control. (Features for each variant may differ.)

Imported as a Completely Built-Up (CBU) vehicle from Mitsubishi Motors’ global production hub in Thailand, the all-new Triton is available in five variants for the Malaysian market and also enjoys two years of free maintenance and a factory warranty for three years or the first 100,000km.

The Triton is the best-selling model of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia. Following its launching in 2006, over 57,000 units have been sold nationwide. And since 1978, over four million units have been sold worldwide.

An efficient 5-speed automatic transmission with sport mode is available as well as a 5-speed manual transmission, coupled with Mitsubishi’s Easy Select 4WD system which distributes power to the front and rear axles. The Easy Select 4WD system has been continuously improved over two decades and is a robust drivetrain capable of handling high torque levels.

Like other Mitsubishi models, High Safety performance is a top priority. The all-new Triton has Mitsubishi’s RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) body construction which uses high tensile steel that effectively absorbs and disperses crash energy from all directions while also significantly reducing overall weight. Impact bars has been added within the side doors for additional protection against side collisions.

Other safety features that are standard across the range include dual SRS airbags, a collapsible steering column and anti-intrusion brake pedal, which is made to fold away during an accident. Anti-lock braking (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) is also available. EBD reduces the possibility of skidding when the rear end is light and the wheels may lock up on slippery conditions while braking.

MMM sales network and others

MMM is represented by 58 showrooms (of which 49 are 3S Centres) and 53 service outlets throughout Malaysia. In East Malaysia, MMM is represented by 13 showrooms (six in Sarawak and seven in Sabah).

Since 2005, MMM has sold over 90,000 vehicles in Malaysia. The ASX 2WD and 4WD compact SUV are assembled in Malaysia while the other Mitsubishi models imported as CBU (Completely Built-Up) units from Thailand (compact hatchback Mirage, compact sedan Attrage, Pajero Sport SUV, Triton pick-ups) and Japan (Lancer).

For further information, visit www.mitsubishi-motors.com.my or call the Mitsubishi Motors Customer Careline (1800 18 6611 — 9am to 5pm, Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays).