Mitsubishi Triton vs Renault Trafic

What's the difference?

Apart from its distracting driver attention monitor, we can't see any major flaws that would detract from this vehicle’s comfort, practicality and performance when serving as either a utilitarian 4x4 workhorse or back-to-basics 4x4 dual cab for adventures off the beaten track.

The Renault Trafic Premium LWB makes light work of heavy payloads and offers smart solutions for long internal load carrying and ‘mobile office’ requirements, combined with lengthy service intervals, good fuel economy and long driving range. It’s certainly worthy of cross-shopping with the HiAce and other rivals if you’re in the market for a refined and efficient mid-size commercial van.

Our test vehicle rides on a compact 3130mm wheelbase and is 1865mm wide and 1795mm tall, which combined with a 12.4-metre turning circle makes it agile and easy to manoeuvre both on and off-road.

Speaking of which, its all-terrain credentials include 228mm of ground clearance, a useful 30.4 degrees approach angle (without bull-bar) and 23.4 degrees ramp breakover angle, with the departure angle dependent on the type of tray fitted. These numbers would be more than adequate for accessing rugged worksites.

Its front suspension is double-wishbone with coil-springs, paired with a robust leaf-spring live rear axle. Brakes are front discs and rear drums and it has electric power-assistance for the rack and pinion steering.

Looks are subjective of course but we reckon it has a robust and purposeful appearance in cab-chassis form, particularly with the accessories fitted to our example.

Chrome is all but extinct in its predominantly grey interior. However, hard surfaces on the centre console and door-pulls have a synthetic carbon-fibre finish, which adds a touch of style to a low-maintenance cabin that won’t get trashed by spilled coffee or muddy boots.

You also won’t find fancy features like digital instruments (it has analogue speedo/tacho) or an electronic handbrake (this one’s the good old manual lever). Plus there’s physical dials for audio volume/tuning and ‘piano key’ buttons for the cabin’s climate control, which ensures no distracting touchscreen prompts when driving.

The Trafic is one of the most distinctive mid-size vans in Australia, with its sculptured flanks and ornate upswept headlights adding rare styling flair to a light-commercial vehicle segment traditionally compared with whitegoods. Even so, this overt styling does not detract from its work-focused practicality.

The spacious cabin has a neat and practical appearance with numerous shades of grey enhanced by satin chrome highlights and contrasting white stitching on the fabric-covered seats.

We also like the functional dash layout, particularly Renault’s adherence to a trio of large physical dials to control cabin climate settings in preference to distracting touchscreen prompts.

The Premium LWB has a sizeable 3498mm wheelbase which, combined with its front wheel-drive configuration, results in a large 13.8-metre turning circle. However, its 1967mm height ensures comfortable access to multi-storey carparks and low clearance loading zones.

With a kerb weight of only 1993kg (without tray) and 3200kg GVM, our test vehicle has a 1207kg payload rating. However, after you add the combined weight of its steel tray and other accessories (417kg), the payload rating is reduced by the same amount to 790kg. Even so, that still leaves a sizeable weight capacity for up to five tradies and their tools.

It’s also rated to tow up to 3500kg of braked trailer but with its 6250kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) the payload would have to be reduced by 450kg (from 790kg to 340kg) to avoid exceeding the GCM.

In real-world use it’s unlikely that many (if any) Triton owners would need to tow 3500kg but it’s important to be across these numbers to avoid overloading, which is dangerous and illegal.

The genuine accessory galvanised steel tray is internally 1650mm long and 1780mm wide. It has a robust checker-plate floor and a tube-frame front bulkhead with sturdy wire-mesh rear window protection.

There’s also swing-up load retainers on top of the tube-frame on each side, which when paired with the matching rear tube-rack accessory provides secure carrying space for extension ladders or long lengths of timber and PVC pipe/conduit.

There’s also external rope/strap rails along each side but like all steel trays we’ve come across there’s no internal load-anchorage points.

The driver and front passenger have access to a bottle holder and storage bin in each front door plus an overhead glasses holder and a large open compartment above the glovebox. The centre console offers more open storage plus two bottle/cupholders in the centre and a usefully-sized box at the back with a lid that doubles as a driver’s elbow rest.

The rear bench seat is comfortable and surprisingly spacious for tall people, given I’m 186cm and when seated behind the driver’s seat when set in my position, I have about 40mm of kneeroom and 60mm of headroom.

There’s also adequate head clearance for those seated in the slightly higher centre position, but the floor’s prominent transmission tunnel requires one boot either side and knees together between the front seat backrests.

And like all dual-cab utes short of a full-size US pick-up, rear shoulder room is squeezy for three adults, which is tolerable for short trips but a maximum of two adults would be ideal for longer drives.

Rear seat storage includes a bottle-holder and bin in each door plus pockets on each front seat backrest. The centre seat’s backrest also folds forward to serve as an armrest with dual bottle/cup-holders.

The bench seat’s base cushion is fixed, so unlike numerous rivals it can’t swing up and be stored vertically if more internal carrying space is required.

Our test vehicle’s relatively light 1844kg kerb weight and 3070kg GVM results in a substantial 1226kg payload capacity. Its upgraded 2500kg braked tow rating is, like the payload rating, higher than the Toyota HiAce LWB but lower than the Ford Transit Custom LWB.

However, Renault does not publish a GCM figure (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) so we don’t know if it can haul its maximum payload while towing its maximum trailer weight.

Access to the cargo bay, which offers a competitive 6.7 cubic metres of load volume, is through solid sliding doors on each side and glazed rear barn doors with forklift friendly 180-degree opening. The standard right-side sliding door can be deleted when ordering and a glazed single tailgate option is also available.

The load floor is 2937mm long and 1662mm wide, with 1268mm between the rear wheel housings, so it can carry up to two standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallets or up to three 800 x 1200 Euro pallets. There’s eight load-anchorage points at floor level and another eight at various heights for carrying taller loads.

Hinged flaps at the base of the front bulkhead and under the front of the passenger seat can also be opened to extend the load floor to an expansive 4150mm, allowing similar lengths of timber, conduit or PVC pipe to be carried.

The two-passenger bench seat has ample legroom for the outer occupant and even someone my height (186cm) can find reasonable comfort in the middle of a crew of three, albeit with knees competing for space with the prominent dash protrusion that houses the gearshift.

Generous cabin storage includes large bins in each door plus cup-holders on each side of the dash, a clamshell-lid compartment ahead of the driver, large open tray in the centre, small bin in the lower dash and a single glovebox.

The centre-seat backrest also folds forward to reveal a clever three-tier workstation, with a clipboard on top that can be detached to use outside the vehicle or mounted vertically in the workstation to face the driver or passenger (see image).

Beneath the clipboard is a hinged work desk, which when opened reveals a shallow felt-lined compartment underneath that’s ideal for hidden storage of phones, tablets, laptops etc.

Folding the bench seat’s front-hinged base cushions forward also reveals a cavernous hidden storage compartment below, which allows long cargo items to pass through when its front and rear metal flaps are open.

The MY26 Renault Trafic range offers a choice of short wheelbase (SWB) or long wheelbase (LWB) and three trim levels across five models, comprising the entry-level SWB Pro with a list price of $52,990, SWB Premium ($56,990), LWB Pro ($54,990), LWB Premium ($57,990) and LWB Crew Lifestyle ($64,990).

Our Glacier White test vehicle is the LWB Premium (Premium has more standard features than Pro) equipped with the same 2.0-litre diesel automatic drivetrain shared by all Trafic variants. Its $57,990 list price is in the same $50-60K ballpark as the Toyota HiAce LWB ($56,880) and other established players including the Hyundai Staria Load Premium ($52,740) and Ford Transit Custom Trend LWB ($57,890).

Technical upgrades for the MY26 Trafic range include a new nine-speed torque converter automatic transmission, which offers notably smoother shifting than the six-speed twin-clutch auto it replaces.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel has also been upgraded to tougher Euro 6 emission standards (previously Euro 5) and fuel consumption has been trimmed from the previous 6.5 to 6.2L/100km without reductions in power or torque output.

Its braked tow rating has been raised to 2500kg, which is a substantial increase over the 1630kg (LWB) and 1680kg (SWB) limits of previous automatic variants.

The Premium's standard equipment includes 16-inch steel wheels with 205/65 R16 tyres and full-size spare, LED headlights/DRLs/fog lights, front/rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, 7.0-inch driver info display and 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, wireless phone charging, three USB ports, two 12v sockets, steel cabin bulkhead with window, body colour tail-light columns, seating for three, reconfigurable centre seat workstation, large hidden storage compartment/cargo length extender beneath the passenger seat (see Practicality) and more.

Renault also offers numerous options including six exterior colours, different cargo bay door/window configurations and 17-inch alloy wheels, plus the choice of numerous individual options or tailored equipment packages like the Trade Pack and Business Pack. Options on our test vehicle include cabin floor mats, cargo bay side panels and a timber-lined load floor.

The Triton’s 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel engine is equipped with two turbochargers that work in sequence to boost efficiency, with the smaller one providing fast response at low rpm and the larger one optimising performance at higher rpm. The result is 150kW of power at 3500rpm and torque peaking at 470Nm between 1500-2750rpm, using AdBlue to minimise emissions.

It’s paired with a six-speed torque converter automatic that offers the choice of sequential manual shifting, which can be preferable when hauling and/or towing heavy loads, particularly in hilly terrain.

The 4x4 system is dual-range, part-time offering 2H (2WD High Range), 4H (4WD High Range) and 4L (4WD Low Range) controlled by a dial on the centre console. However, you need to step up to the GLX+ to get a rear diff-lock.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel, now with Euro 6 emissions compliance using AdBlue, produces 125kW at 3500rpm and peak torque of 380Nm at 1500rpm.

The new nine-speed torque converter automatic offers a choice of drive modes and sequential manual-shifting using the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

MacPherson strut front suspension is paired with torsion bar rear springing, the latter including a pair of secondary coil springs for hauling heavy loads. It also has rack and pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes.

Mitsubishi claims official combined average consumption of 7.7L/100km but the dash display was showing 9.9 at the completion of our 316km test, which included the usual mix of suburban, city and highway driving of which about one third of that distance was hauling its maximum payload.

Our own consumption figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in higher again at 10.7L/100km which is on the borderline of the usual 2-3L/100km discrepancy between manufacturer claims and real-world consumption.

So, based on our own numbers, the test vehicle should have a real-world driving range of around 700km from its 75-litre tank.

Renault claims average combined consumption of only 6.2L/100km (lower than HiAce, Staria Load and Transit Custom) and the dash display was showing 6.9 at the completion of our test, during which we travelled 501km across our usual mix of suburban, city and highway driving of which about 100km was hauling a near maximum payload.

So, based on these figures our test vehicle has a vast theoretical driving range of around 1100km from its big 80-litre tank, but even allowing for the usual 2-3L/100km discrepancy between official and real-world consumption, it should do 800-900km between refills.

Large assist-handles on the A (and B) pillars, combined with the accessory side-steps on our example, make it easy to climb aboard and find a comfortable driving position.

The unladen ride is firm, as you’d expect given its 6.0-tonne-plus GCM rating, but it’s still supple enough to soak up the bumps without the harsh kidney-belting ride suffered in some cab-chassis one-tonners we’ve tested.

This is no doubt helped by the accessories fitted, which provide more than 400kg of additional sprung weight to engage the heavy-duty rear springs and improve the ride quality. That’s something to keep in mind if you often drive unladen.

The steering is firmly weighted and the brakes have good response, with the rear drums offering a terrier-like bite when the manual handbrake is applied on steep hills with a heavy load on board.

The four-cylinder 2.4-litre diesel, with its sequential turbocharging and strong outputs, provides energetic all-round performance with efficient gearing that ensures its operating within its peak torque band most of the time.

However, at highway speeds it does tend to hold top gear for too long, when the engine has dropped below 1500rpm and is clearly wanting a downshift.

To test its payload rating, we strapped 650kg on the tray which when combined with accessories and crew was right on the weight limit. The stout rear springs compressed only 25mm under this load, leaving ample bump-stop clearance that assured there was no bottoming-out on our test route.

The Triton handled this task with competence, maintaining good performance and chassis stability. It easily hauled this load up our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set climb at 60km/h, with the six-speed auto self-shifting down to third gear and 2500rpm which was comfortably within its peak torque band. Engine braking on the way down was also commendable.

Our only gripe is the driver distraction monitoring system which is still too reactive in certain situations, like scratching an itch below my eye even though I was looking straight ahead while doing it. Even though Mitsubishi has tried to improve this system, it needs more refinement, as it detracts from an otherwise positive driving experience.

It has a comfortable driving position with ample steering wheel and seat positioning, the latter including adjustable lumbar. The seat’s firm bolstering provides good thigh and torso support, the latter enhanced by a fold-down inboard armrest.

The only thing missing is a raised left footrest like the one residing in the outer passenger footwell, which is of course the driver’s footwell in LHD models. The centre passenger seat’s headrest also blocks most of the central mirror’s view through the bulkhead window (we removed and stowed it when not required).

It has good unladen ride quality with surefooted handling, nicely weighted steering and strong braking making it responsive and enjoyable to drive.

The engine is at its most energetic when peak torque is tapped at 1500rpm and it continues to pull strongly all the way to maximum power at 3500rpm. The new nine-speed torque converter auto provides near seamless shifting and good all-round response.

Its long-legged gearing is also well suited to highway work, requiring less than 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h. When combined with the bulkhead, which insulates occupants from most cargo bay noise, the Trafic is a comfortable highway hauler even though tyre noise is more intrusive at these speeds.

To test its GVM rating we forklifted 975kg into the cargo bay, which combined with our crew of two equalled a total payload of 1150kg that was less than 100kg under its legal limit. The rear suspension compressed about 50mm but still had enough travel to ensure there was no bottoming-out on our test route.

It handled this big payload easily, with the increase in sprung weight providing an even smoother ride with minimal effect on handling and braking response.

The efficient drivetrain also made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set climb at 60km/h, with the new auto promptly downshifting to fourth gear to easily haul this load to the top.

Engine braking on the way down, in a manually selected second gear, was not as robust as you’d expect for a 2.0-litre engine but the four-wheel disc brakes were more than capable of keeping speeds under control during the descent.

Our only other gripe is the tachometer display, with its 1000rpm increments represented by a horizontal line of small dots with no corresponding numbers displayed. It’s not easy to interpret at a glance and would benefit from a more user-friendly design.

The MY26 Trafic has a Gold rating (one grade lower than the highest Platinum rating) in ANCAP’s Commercial Van Safety Comparison.

Passive safety includes multiple airbags for driver and passengers plus auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keeping, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, tyre pressure monitoring, adaptive cruise control, front/rear parking sensors, reversing camera and more.

It comes with a five-year/100,000km standard warranty, or 10 years/200,000km if serviced at Mitsubishi dealers.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Pricing is capped at $6860 for 10 scheduled services up to 10 years/150,000km, or an average of $686 per service.

Mitsubishi currently has more than 200 dealers across its national network that spans metro, rural and regional areas. Mitsubishi dealerships are also service centres.

The Renault Trafic comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is an improvement on the previous 200,000km limit, plus five years of roadside assistance.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/30,000km whichever occurs first. Capped pricing applies to the first five scheduled services up to five years/150,000km, which totals $3555 or an average of $711 per service.

That's slightly more than the HiAce but more convenient given the Trafic's once-a-year servicing requirement. Renault Australia has a national network of more than 50 dealers across most capital cities and many regional areas.