Mitsubishi Triton Xtreme Lands in Australia – New Ranger Raptor Rival?

The Mitsubishi Triton is about to enter a new phase, with the XRT Concept set to serve as the basis for the next-gen model. Before that ever happens, folks at Walkinshaw decided to give the current-gen Triton a swansong model, in the form of the newly-launched Mitsubishi Triton Xtreme.

For those who are not familiar with Walkinshaw, they are a world-renowned engineering firm based in Australia, specialising in building performance models, ranging from pick-up trucks to V8 supercars.

Walkinshaw-built Mitsubishi Triton Xtreme comes with Supashock damper system as standard

Now, back to the Triton Xtreme. This souped-up pickup is based on the current-gen Triton GSR that is bestowed with a slew of performance underbones and makeup. For the mechanical upgrade, the Triton Xtreme gets a high-performance Supashock suspension system with monotube dampers.

The powertrain, however, remains pretty much the same as the GSR. Hiding beneath the Triton Xtreme hood is a 2.4-litre MIVEC turbodiesel mill that delivers 178 HP and 430 NM to boot. Said engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, which facilitates the power transfer to all four wheels (AWD).

This powertrain output doesn’t really put the Triton Xtreme eye-to-eye with the Baja-winning 3.0-litre V6-powered Ford Ranger Raptor to go for the most extreme midsize pick-up truck title. But perhaps its upgraded underbone improvements and rugged cosmetics will make it enough to be pitted against the 2.0-litre turbodiesel variant of the Ranger Raptor, which will soon make its Malaysian debut.

Though slightly underpowered, the Triton Xtreme still can tow up to 3,100 KG of loads – same as the GSR variant it’s based on.

The Mitsubishi Triton Xtreme is a rugged-looking pickup indeed, thanks to a bevy of visual upgrades

Moving on to the Triton Xtreme’s visuals, this beefed-up truck features a slew of cosmetic upgrades to set it apart from the GSR variant. This includes the new red bash plate with LED light bar, black fender flares and black sports bar. But more importantly, the Triton Xtreme rides on rugged 18-inch forged aluminium wheels, which are shodded in BF Goodrich KO2 all-terrain (AT) tyres – the same tyre used on the Ranger Raptor.

On board, the Triton Xtreme looks pretty much the same as the GSR-spec Triton it is based on, with the exception of the special Triton Xtreme plaque with the exact unit number embossed on it.

Speaking of unit number, this Walkinshaw-built Mitsubishi Triton Xtreme is only available in 500 limited-edition units, with each priced at AUD 71,990 (RM216,561). This puts it significantly ahead of its range-topping local rivals like the Toyota Hilux Rogue, Mazda BT-50 Thunder, as well as the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior. Deliveries are set to commence in the second half of 2023.

The launching of the Mitsubishi Triton Xtreme marks the end of the era for the current-gen Triton model in Australia, which is poised for a next-gen redux. Nothing much can be said about the new model, with the exception that it will be based on the recently-unveiled Mitsubishi XRT concept.