TRYING TRITON TIMES
The latest Mitsubishi dual-cab 4WD makes its debut in the Flinders Ranges
The Suicide Track. Even in the barren, unforgiving landscape of the Flinders Ranges, it’s a name that demands respect. With our Mitsubishi Triton pointing up the dusty red-earthed trail, the mighty drop-offs to each side — slip and you’d be rolling for days — remind us how things can go very wrong very quickly in the South Australian outback.
Launching the model year 2020 versions, Mitsubishi aims to emphasise the off-road capability of its best-selling model. The dualcab 4WDs get rear differential locks on all but the entry-level grade, pleasing hard-core offroaders who find themselves on really loose surfaces or with a wheel cocked in the air.
Which is exactly our scenario. If you haven’t taken a modern one-tonner off the bitumen, it’s a talent wasted. Dual-cabs have become urban transport but most, especially the flashy range toppers most city slickers buy, are flush with talented off-road gear and electronics so you can discover your inner Burke and Wills.
Heated leather seats, lane change assist and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity may make life easier than that of the doomed explorers but the spirit of adventure remains.
Not least as we begin with an overnight at Parachilna’s Prairie Hotel. Its “feral antipasto” is a delicious rite of passage, with smoked kangaroo, emu pate and camel mettwurst.
At sun-up we appreciate the vast emptiness; a mountainous red landscape covered only with hardy plants and bleached animal bones. Our Tritons — side-steps removed for the bumpy routes — have the tough-guy looks to inspire confidence to tackle what lies ahead.
The Triton got a dramatic makeover at the start of this year, with distinctive chrome-heavy front end and muscled wheel arches.
Added appeal came with active safety including autonomous emergency braking and, ascending the grades, lane departure and blind spot warning, plus rear cross traffic alert.
The seven-year/150,000km warranty, extended now until December 31, and the first three annual services totalling only $897 make the value proposition hard to overlook.
In showrooms now, the 4WD dual-cabs start with the GLX (from $37,490) and top out with the GLS Premium (from $52,490).
The two mid-spec Tritons, GLX+ (from $43,490), GLS (from $47,640) get the rear diff lock formerly only on the Premium, with prices up $1000 and $650 respectively.
All but the base model have a roof-mounted air circulator to cool rear passengers, while the GLS gains keyless entry and start but loses its sports bar.
There’s also a hero model, the Toby Price Edition — he’s the off-road motorbike talent who’s twice won the Dakar Rally. Based on the GLS, the 500 limited edition examples get black nudge bar, black sports bar, LED light bar, soft tonneau cover and optional Sunflare orange paint and start from $48,140 in manual form.
For venturing beyond the worksite or school run, the switch between drive modes and transfer case settings is a doddle.
In 2WD on the bitumen, the Triton is a smooth and impressively quiet cruiser, unless you floor it and then things get all shouty.
It lacks a digital speedo and proves bouncy over road imperfections with no load in the tub. It trails rivals with engine outputs of 133kW/ 430Nm, towing capacity of 3100kg and its payload also drops to 902kg-908kg.
It’s easy to live with, thanks to generous safety gear, decent infotainment, comfy and hard-wearing seats plus much-appreciated soft touches alongside utilitarian hard plastics.
We hit the rough stuff on our way to Warraweena Private Conservation Park — bypassing the cutely titled Mt Buggery Gorge — and select gravel mode. This allows decent speed to carry into corners and the traction control is pre-armed to mop up any tail-happy moves on the loose surface.
To select low-range for the steeper, rockier climbs, once again it’s just a simple move into neutral, then turn the dial. With 220mm of ground clearance, our Triton bridges most of the rocky route, only bashing the rear underside entering and exiting the steepest creek beds.
The GLS, armed with Super-Select switching, does an outstanding impression of a mountain goat.
We negotiate a few scarily steep inclines layered with loose rock, stone and dry mud, and even with one wheel in the air its composure and confidence make a mockery of what looked near impassable. If adding a rear diff lock to practically all Tritons compels owners to try such things, the rewards are spectacular.
At our lofty destination, we take in some of the highest possible views of the Flinders Ranges, with no human or building to mar the undulating red landscape. Not much survives in these parts, so on a still, sunny day the silence is blissful.
With range-topping 4WD dual-cabs surpassing $50,000 these days, it’s little wonder owners don’t want to risk underbody bashes, scratched bodywork and stressed mechanicals.
Exploring with the beefy, talented, wellequipped and strong-value Triton, you’re reminded it’s tough to put a price on this vast country’s unique adventures.