Go! Drive & Camp – September 2019

78 | September 2019 go! Drive & Camp

DRIVINGIMPRESSION

M

itsubishi’s new Triton is popular in Asian markets,

but it poses little threat to its competitors in

countries with more Western sensibilities, like

South Africa and Australia. More’s the pity,

because it boasts off-road talents that give it the potential to

be an excellent adventure rig. For this reason, we took a drive

through the dams and mountains of the picturesque town

of Franschhoek in the Cape winelands to find out what these

talents – and shortcomings – are.

The drive

In go! Drive & Camp # 23 we shared our first impressions on

the Triton’s outward appearance and interior finishes – this

is our driving review after a week behind the wheel. The

2,4 ℓ MIVEC diesel engine introduced to us in 2016 remains

unchanged, but the old five-speed automatic gearbox is now

replaced by a six-speed auto box that delivers a far smoother

ride. You’d think the extra gear would result in a fuel saving,

but during our test the average consumption of 8 ℓ/100 km

was more or less the same as with the previous gearbox.

The ride is slightly stiffer than before due to an extra leaf

spring on the rear axle (the vehicle now has six leaf springs

on each side as opposed to the previous five). It’s still a softer

ride than that of a Toyota Hilux, but not as plush as offered by

a VW Amarok. We would replace the standard 18-inch wheels

with 16-inch rims and fit proper off-road tyres so that there’s

It’s sink or swim for the new Mitsubishi Triton.

Cyril Klopper heads for the mountains to see what it’s made of.