New vs used Mitsubishi Triton: what are the top 3 differences?
It might not be selling in massive volumes, but don’t let the market’s apathy distract you from the fact that the Mitsubishi Triton is a very capable machine. But, in their efforts to make more buyers notice their bakkie, Mitsubishi gave it an extensive revamp midway through 2019. We highlight the 3 biggest changes from the old to the new.
Triton keeps trying
When we reviewed the Triton last year, we purposely went looking for any deficiencies or flaws, to try to explain why this very appealing bakkie seems to get very little love from buyers. In the end, we couldn’t find any serious reason for the Triton’s struggle to find traction on our market. And it’s been like this for a while: ever since the current-generation Triton first appeared in 2017, its virtues were mostly overlooked by buyers with a stronger sense of brand loyalty than objectivity.
Related: Our launch report about the 2017 Triton illustrated its many virtues.
But, apart from that new-car smell, and a fresh warranty and service plan, what are the three main differences between 2017 Tritons and the latest (2019) version? We chart the changes, to highlight the changes between the older ones and showroom-fresh examples.
1. Refreshed styling
Very few people could accuse the old Triton of being good-looking, to be honest. With its rounded edges and blob-shaped light clusters, it was rather out of step in our bakkie market, which values a butch appearance and a level of aggression in their double cabs’ styling.
This isn’t the case anymore, though. Up front, there’s a completely redesigned nose with plenty of sharp angles and squinting headlights, accompanied by a gaping maw for a grille. The character line down its flanks have been sharpened as well, there’s a set of bigger alloy wheels underneath, and the rear end received a wider bumper and more angular tail lights. The combined effect is dramatic, because these changes turn the new Triton into one of the most striking-looking bakkies around.
Related: For more information about the Triton's 2019 update, check out our launch report here.
2. New gearbox
While there wasn’t anything in particular wrong with the old 5-speed automatic gearbox, it has been replaced by a new 6-speed unit anyway. Sure, the gear count is still down on Nissan, Volkswagen and Ford’s latest automatic bakkies, but the new 6-speeder is a very good unit in its own right.
The gear ratios are well-matched to the engine’s power delivery, it shifts promptly and intuitively, and it remains largely unobtrusive in operation. Acceleration and fuel economy are both improved as well, and the gearbox is programmed to avoid any “hunting” tendencies when the terrain gets three-dimensional. As before, there are gearshift paddles mounted behind the steering wheel, but they seldom see any action – surely an indication of a well-programmed automatic if ever there was one.
3. Uprated running gear
We’ve already mentioned the newly upsized wheels, but the latest Triton also has a few invisible enhancements underneath. The main improvements centre around the rear axle, where larger dampers improve both ride quality and load-carrying stability. In addition, new front brake discs and twin-pot calipers enhance braking ability and fade resistance in heavy-duty use. The changes might be subtle, but they do make for a nice improvement in the Triton’s overall abilities.
While used-car buyers still won’t go wrong by choosing the older (2017-generation) Triton, the reality is that the 2019 update improved it most of the areas which really count. Better-looking, smoother-riding, and more efficient, it’s still a mystery why more buyers don’t beat a path to Mitsubishi dealership doors.
Recommended next:
Shop for new&used current-generation Mitsubishi Triton cars for sale here.
Shop for used pre-facelift Mitsubishi Triton cars for sale here.