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Mitsubishi in Australia is pumped for the arrival of the Triton Ralliart, with the brand suggesting the new model will tap into this country's love of "fast, tough utes" as it attempts to unseat rivals like the Ford Ranger Raptor, the Nissan Navara Warrior and the incoming Toyota GR HiLux.
Mitsubishi will re-launch the famous Ralliart name, using the performance sub-brand to launch a hardcore Triton that will finally take the fight to vehicles like the Ford Ranger Raptor and Toyota GR HiLux.
Their excitement comes as Mitsubishi in Japan sent performance hearts aflutter with news that the brand would revive its iconic Ralliart sub-brand - a name synonymous with both rally and performance.
Mitsubishi used its FY2020 financial results presentation to flag the return of Ralliart, in an effort to deliver more "Mitsubishi Motors-ness" from its line-up.
And it's been welcomes with open arms by Mitsubishi in Australia, who are thrilled at the news they'll soon have a new tough truck to do battle with its rivals.
"We know that people love fast, tough utes, and we think a vehicle like the Triton Ralliart will resonate with Australia," A Mitsubishi spokesperson told CarsGuide.
"So much of what we are comes from our rally experience. Historically, that's what Mitsubishi has stood for. So who in the company wouldn't want to work on a Triton Ralliart?"
The new Triton model promises "an adventurous spirit" and "overwhelming driving durability", but the brand is yet to detail just what will be powering it.
But for a clue as to what it might look like, we turn to Mitsubishi's patent filings in Australia - lodged in 2019 - that show plans were afoot for a go-fast Triton even back then.
Those plans, pictured above, borrowed from the Triton Absolute concept that was touring Australia, and was eventually turned into accessory options to trick-up the current truck.
The big question, of course, is whether a Ralliart Triton will appear in the ute's current iteration - a kind of bold send off for this dual-cab - or in the new model, which is expected to launch within the next 18-24 months.
And it's not just the Triton. Mitsubishi's design lead, Seiji Watanabe, recently told CarsGuide that he wants to build a "super-performance SUV", which could suggest a model like the Pajero Sport would be in line for the Ralliart treatment.
"I feel, in the future, I think Mitsubishi wants to push more performance design," he says. "This is a starting point. Just a starting point.
"This is just a personal opinion - I cannot say the detail of the future. But for me, for Mitsubishi, the strongest (thing) is one of performance.
"I feel that after driving the PHEV system, including the next-generation PHEV also, I had a very strong impression - it’s so smooth, so fast, so quiet, yet very powerful, and very controllable or manoeuvrable driving - that we can provide that super high-performance SUV and 4WD system in the future."
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