2024 Mitsubishi Triton is the first ute to be tested under new criteria by ANCAP before rivals like Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger

The Mitsubishi Triton has become the first dual-cab ute to be tested under ANCAP’s new 2023-2025 criteria and one of many models to score a five-star rating.

The new 2024 Mitsubishi Triton scored well in the Adult Occupant and Child Occupant Protection categories (86 and 89 per cent), both comfortably above the 80 per cent requirement for five stars.

ANCAP noted the main area where improvement could be made, calling out “the chest and upper legs of the smaller rear passenger in the full width frontal test where a ‘Weak’ chest score was recorded and a penalty applied for increased risk of abdominal injury in this crash scenario”.

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The other key physical category tested by ANCAP is Vulnerable Road User Protection, in which the Triton scored 74 per cent, a rating above the 70 per cent five-star threshold for this category.

“The Triton was shown to pose a relatively moderate risk compared with other vehicles of its type,” ANCAP noted. Adding, “This indicates a considered design by Mitsubishi, which minimises the risk the Triton poses to other road users.”

The fourth category, Safety Assist, was the area in which the Triton was closest to a downgrade to a four-star rating.

Interestingly, while the Triton was praised for including driver monitoring as standard, ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg said its warnings to the driver are possibly too eager.

“In collision avoidance testing, the Triton’s performance was sound, with all aspects of the Safety Assist assessment combining to a score of 70 per cent - the score threshold for a five-star rating.”

While the Triton was found to perform well in basic areas like “detecting and responding to other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists”, ANCAP marked it down for not having more complex functions like “avoidance in T-bone intersection crashes and head-on crashes”.

Interestingly, while the Triton was praised for including driver monitoring as standard, ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg said its warnings to the driver are possibly too eager.

“The Triton met ANCAP protocol requirements in alerting for fatigue and distraction, however Mitsubishi’s implementation of this system could be improved by reducing unnecessary warnings to the driver,” Hoorweg said.

The Mitsubishi Triton has become the first dual-cab ute to be tested under ANCAP’s new 2023-2025 criteria.

Overall, Hoorweg had praise for Mitsubishi in terms of delivering a ute capable of meeting the body’s five-star criteria, saying utes are generally “a tool-of-trade vehicle, yet they’re also family staples, so it’s pleasing to see Mitsubishi strive for and achieve this five-star result”.

“The aspiration of manufacturers to achieve five-stars should extend across all market segments, not just those targeted by fleet buyers,” she said. 

In 2021, ANCAP was criticised for testing a Mitsubishi Express van and rating it at zero stars, while excluding the related Renault Trafic from testing and leaving older light commercial vehicles listed under older ratings, achieved with less strict criteria.