Inside the Athlete, Mitsubishi’s new pickup which puts as much of an emphasis on style as it does on function.
Style comes into play as much as substance in Mitsubishi’s Athlete
derivative), the 4x4 version of the Athlete boasts the so-called Super Select 4WD II transmission which has more driving modes than any other pickups available from rival brands.
The Athlete is also available in 4x2 format driving just the rear wheels. Conceptually speaking, the Athlete makeover may suit this particular Triton best because potential buyers are too unlikely to hit the jungle. Maybe an off-road package for the Athlete in 4x4 trim would have been nice, although it might still be early days for Mitsubishi to rationalise the costs in production between two potential outfits. Visual aesthetics aside, can the Athlete prove to be any better than its intended opponents on the move? To cut to the chase, the Athlete is just like the regular Triton in that it isn’t really that outstanding. Perhaps the best thing the Athlete can boast about is performance. Mitsubishi only makes one diesel engine available for its pickup family, which is no other than the 181hp 2.4- litre unit. It’s the 430Nm of torque on tap that beckons giving the Athlete plenty of usable and tractable power in practically all kinds of real- world driving conditions. Sure, the Wildtrak has a unique five- cylinder developing a class- leading 200hp, but it doesn’t necessarily outperform the Athlete in subjective terms. But what could definitely be better in the Athlete is fuel economy. With a circa- 11kpl average, the Athlete can’t be considered frugal by class standards. This could probably be the result of the dated automatic transmission. While the Pajero Sport has already been granted eight for ward gears, the Athlete (and the regular Triton) still comes with five. The driving characteristics in the Athlete are equally so-so. While a relaxed steering may have its merits during off- roading, it can feel vague on the asphalt and imprecise when tackling corners. In terms of handling, the Wildtrak is still the one to beat. The same goes for the ride in which the Athlete joins Nissan’s version with a relatively stiff rear suspension. This should make the Rocco from Toyota the comfiest four- door double- cab to sit in because it has the same setup as in the stock Hilux Revo. Speaking of the amount of doors, the Athlete isn’t available in single- cab form yet, which might be a deterrent in sales because nearly all of its competition is serving two body styles for buyers to choose from. Although the manual gearbox version is
attractive at 879,000 baht, the automatic variant going for 1.111 million baht in top spec form is competitive rather than eye- catching.
When all said and done, the Athlete appears to be more appealing in the eyes of Triton fans rather than making a formidable job of converting those from other brands.