Mitsubishi Triton vs Toyota HiLux

What's the difference?

There's no denying this new Triton is a marked improvement over the model it replaces. It drives better, has more power, a more comfortable cabin and more driver-friendly tech.

Whether that's enough to rattle the segment's leaders remains to be seen, but this feels like a far more modern ute for modern times.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Given the current HiLux generation is in its eighth year in local showrooms, it's becoming harder for Toyota to create a new flagship that looks and feels like one, regardless of how large its wheel-arch extensions may be or how many GR Sport logos it displays. 

Although 'inspired' by off-road racing, the GR Sport falls short of being a genuine Raptor rival, as Toyota has predictably drawn a line in the sand in terms of how far it's prepared to go with in-ya-face modifications without sacrificing the HiLux's core load-hauling capabilities.
 
But the GR Sport is also much more affordable than a Raptor, so it's more a Wildtrak X rival. And in that sub-flagship context, it's likely to have considerable appeal for those wanting a HiLux that combines Dakar-winning looks with solid workhorse practicality.

Well, if you like utes, have I got some good news for you! Because the new Mitsubishi Triton looks a lot like, well, a ute.

That's not to undersell the work Mitsubishi has done here. There's a new 'Yamabuki Orange' colour for the flagship GSR, for example, and it looks particularly sharp with the black alloys and silver skid plate.

I even like the new body-colour lines crossing over the top of the blacked-out grille – though I concede they could be polarising.

But, yes, it's a ute.

Inside, though, it's a vastly improved space. We've spent most our time in the top-spec model, and it's a solid mix of utility, technology and comfort.

It feels vaguely premium, owing to clever cabin materials, but never fussy, which would feel out of place in a dual cab that is still ostensibly a workhorse.

I love the fact that all your core functions – climate controls and the like – are still controlled by tactile switches, and I even love the old-school handbrake.

I'm also a big fan of the big-enough central screen with its wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the wireless charger and USB connections. It's tough meets tech, and it all works really well.

The GR Sport shares the Rogue's 15mm increase in ride height and significant increases in track width over the standard HiLux, with the front wheels being 135mm further apart while the rears have an extra 155mm between them.

However, the GR Sport is equipped with unique KYB monotube shock absorbers tuned specifically for this application and the rear anti-sway bar has also been removed to provide increased suspension travel in the rough stuff.

The GR Sport also brings enhanced braking performance with ventilated 338mm front and 312mm solid rear disc brakes, complete with red-painted calipers displaying GR logos.

Our only criticism of this suspension package is that the 265/65 tyres look too small, given the increased ride height and elaborate wheel-arch extensions designed to house them.

A larger and meatier tyre package, like the Raptor's more aggressive 285/70 rubber, would better fill those cavernous wheel housings and provide less of a 'tippy-toe' appearance.

There are large assist-handles on the A and B pillars and the rock-rails have integral steps to assist occupants when climbing aboard.

However, like all HiLux dual cabs, the rear seating is notoriously tight for tall people like me (186cm) because with the driver's seat in my position, my knees are pressed firmly into its backrest and my head is rubbing on the roof lining.

It's even tighter in the slightly higher centre rear seat, particularly with adults either side.

The Triton's practicality perks are split into two camps – the tough stuff, and the workhorse stuff.

But let's start with the former. While there are two-wheel drive Triton options, most send power to all four wheels.

However, the best off-road gear starts with the GLX+, which adds a rear differential lock, while the GLS and GSR add Mitsubishi's Super Select 4WD-II – which incorporates a Torsen centre differential, Terrain Control and Hill Descent Control.

We put the GSR through its paces on a genuinely tough off-road course that required plenty of low-range crawling, and the Triton shone in the rough stuff.

Onto the workhorse stuff, every Triton will tow a 3.5-tonne braked trailer, while payloads range from 1030kg to 1110kg, depending on the model, courtesy of a slightly bigger 1555mm tray. The tray has been lowered slightly, too, to make loading or unloading easier.

The Triton has also grown in every meaningful way, stretching 5320mm in length and 1865mm in width, and that means more space in the cabin. I'm 175cm, and found I had oodles of room in the back seat.

There are some other thoughtful practicality perks on offer, too. All the doors take 1.25-litre bottles, there's device storage, space for the clipboard and that sort of thing.

The GR Sport is not only the most expensive HiLux; its 2270kg kerb weight also makes it the heaviest model in the fleet.

It shares the Rogue's 3050kg GVM and 780kg payload ratings, with the latter being 160kg less than a 'narrow-track' SR5 equivalent.

The GR Sport is also rated to tow up to 3500kg of braked trailer but with its 5850kg GCM rating (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) that leaves a payload limit of only 80kg. And that would only allow for a driver - and not a large one at that.

Fact is, not many (if any) GR Sport owners would need to tow 3.5 tonnes, but it's important to be mindful of these figures if you do.

The unlined load tub is 1570mm long, 1645mm wide and 495mm deep, so the thickness of the GR Sport's drop-in composite liner slightly reduces each of these dimensions.

With 1105mm between the wheel housings, it can't fit a standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallet, but will take a Euro. There are four load-anchorage points and the hefty tailgate has no lower/raise assistance.

Cabin storage starts with a large bottle holder and narrow bin in each front door, plus an overhead glasses holder, upper and lower glove boxes (with the upper having access to air-con) and pop-out cupholders on either side of the dash.

The centre console offers open storage up front, two small bottle/cupholders in the centre and a small lidded box at the back, with a padded and contoured lid that doubles as an elbow rest.

Rear passengers get a bottle holder and bin in each door, pockets on each front seat backrest and a fold-down centre armrest with two more cupholders.

The 60/40-split seat bases can swing up and be stored vertically if more internal cargo space if required. This also reveals two handy underfloor storage compartments.

Our 'Feverish Red' GR Sport test vehicle is available only with a unique 165kW/550Nm performance-enhanced version of the ubiquitous '1GD-FTV' 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine and 'AC60F' six-speed torque converter automatic, for a list price of $73,990.

That's $3230 more than the Rogue from which it's derived, making the GR Sport the most expensive offering in the HiLux range. Our example also features the two-tone premium paint option (black roof) which adds another $1000.

The GR Sport shares much of its standard equipment list with the Rogue, including smart entry/start, LED lights, rear privacy glass, dual-zone climate control, one USB port, one 220V domestic socket and two 12V sockets in the cabin (but no USBs for rear passengers), 4.2-inch driver's info display and nine-speaker JBL premium sound with 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen and multiple connectivity including Android and (wireless) Apple devices, to name a few.

It also brings a suite of unique GR Sport features beyond chassis and engine enhancements (see Design), starting with gloss black 17-inch alloys and 265/65R17 Bridgestone Dueller AT tyres with a full-size alloy spare.

There's also a unique GR Sport front bumper, fascia, mesh grille, satin dark grey wheel-arch extensions, gloss black rear bumper/door handles/mirror caps/body badging, front underbody skid plate, red rear recovery points, heavy-duty steel rock-rails, five-piece moulded composite load tub-liner with GR-branded headboard/anti-slip floor and 3500kg tow-bar and wiring harness.

The interior also gets a unique GR Sport treatment with suede and leather-accented sports seats with GR logos, leather-accented steering wheel with GR logo and paddle-shifters, aluminium sports pedals, contrasting red seatbelts on all seats, unique 'technical mesh' trim on dash and door linings, instrument panel GR logo on start-up and all-weather floor mats with GR logos for driver and front passenger.

The engine is no bigger, but is now a twin-turbo offering, meaning the 2.4-litre diesel produces 150kW at 3500rpm and 470Nm from 1500rpm.

That power is fed through a six-speed automatic to two or all four wheels. There will be manual versions coming along shortly, but they're not here yet.

There's still some fight left in Toyota's Euro 5-compliant 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, given Toyota engineers have squeezed an extra 15kW and 50Nm from it via ECU tweaks to turbocharger and fuel injection calibrations.

This 10 per cent increase in power and torque makes the GR Sport the most powerful diesel HiLux ever, with 165kW at 3000rpm and a sizeable 550Nm available between 1600-2800rpm.

The smooth-shifting six-speed torque converter automatic has also been recalibrated to optimise the engine's increased outputs, with faster shifting and a more direct and responsive feel in auto mode and when sequential manual-shifting, using the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

Economical highway cruising is assured with overdrive on fifth and sixth gears and there's part-time, dual-range 4x4 with a switchable rear diff-lock.

The Triton's four-wheel drive variants sip a claimed 7.7L per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle, with emissions pegged at 203g/km. Two-wheel drive models are marginally more efficient.

There's now also a 17-litre AdBlue tank, which you'll have to top up (AdBlue is a liquid that helps reduce emissions from diesel engines, by the way, which pairs with a particulate filter) as well as a 75-litre fuel tank.

At today's prices in Sydney, that would mean $150 to fill the Triton up, which – based on the claimed fuel use – should deliver a driving range of bang-on 1000km.

Toyota claims average combined cycle consumption of 8.1L/100km. At the completion of our 317km test, which was a mix of city, suburban and highway driving including our GVM test, our figure based on fuel bowser and tripmeter readings came in at 10.1L/100km.

That's within the usual 2.0-3.0L/100km discrepancy between official figures and real-world numbers and not bad for a high-riding ute weighing more than 2.2 tonnes in mostly urban use.

So, based on our figures, the GR Sport should have a realistic driving range nudging 800km from its 80-litre tank.

Mitsubishi likes to describe the new Triton as "SUV-like", which makes sense given it sees the lifestyle segment of dual-cab ownership – you know, families who love towing and camping and that kind of thing – as a great untapped market for its workhorse.

And lots has been done to improve the Triton's on-road behaviour to better appeal to those customers, especially in the two top trim levels, which get a bespoke rear suspension to improve comfort.

It's also why this Triton was tested and tuned so much in Australia. In fact, there are two Triton suspension tunes, ours and the one other countries get.

That means plenty of Mitsubishi's Japanese engineers came to Australia during the Triton's development, driving not just the outgoing model but all of its competitors, and cycling through some 100 different front and rear suspension calibrations to settle on the right balance for the new model. The electric power steering was also tuned here.

The result is a vehicle that is far more comfortable on flowing roads than you might expect, while being no less capable off them. We put the Triton through some pretty challenging off-roading, and it barely broke a sweat.

But there is a caveat. It's comfortable... for a ute.

It's near impossible to get a stiff ladder-frame chassis to steer exactly like a road-focused SUV, but the Triton won't spark much in the way of complaints on long road trips.

The steering is nice, too. There's some sogginess on centre, but it is confident enough to encourage you to tip it into flowing corners at speed without making your pulse-rate spike.

There are still some ute reminders, though. Namely that kind of vehicle-wide shudder when you go over road imperfections, and a transmission that isn't quite as polished as the rest of the vehicle when you're cornering at freeway speed.

The six-speed automatic loves to sit in its highest gears, and so it will change up at will, even mid-corner.

The engine is predictably diesel-noisy, too, which is also noticeable when the stop/start system kicks in at traffic light.

But the added power is a hugely welcome addition, as are the tech and comfort and improvements, and so it feels like a generational leap forward for Mitsubishi's workhorse.

The rock-rail steps and handles on the A pillars ease climbing aboard. Although drivers of most widths and lengths can find a comfortable position, a bit more extension for the steering wheel's reach adjustment would be welcome as arms can feel too outstretched for some body types.

On the road the GR Sport feels like a more responsive version of the Rogue, with a well-planted wide-track feel and slightly firmer ride combined with the livelier response of the engine's higher outputs and the transmission's sharper shifting, particularly when using the paddles.

The differences are noticeable, but not substantial. The acceleration from standing starts feels about on par with the Ranger's 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo four.

And although the GR Sport's rear stabiliser bar has been removed to improve rear axle travel off-road, it has also improved rear-wheel traction when cornering, which combined with the engine's higher output contributes to increased low-speed power understeer. This is most noticeable in roundabouts.

Toyota's loyal adherence to hydraulic-assistance for its power steering produces a slightly heavier and more linear feel than the electronically-assisted system preferred by major rivals, which produce more noticeable changes in turning weight between highway and parking bay. However, it does provide good overall feel and response in this application.

The GR Sport is relatively quiet to drive, with low engine and tyre noise and a feeling of rock-solid build quality. It's also a low-stressed highway cruiser, requiring only 1600rpm to maintain 100km/h and barely 1750rpm at 110km/h.

To test its load-carrying ability we forklifted 650kg into the tub which with driver equalled a total payload of 740kg that was only about 40kg under its legal limit.

The rear suspension compressed 40mm, leaving 60mm of bump-stop clearance which was more than ample in avoiding any bottoming-out during our test run.

The higher centre of gravity created by this load was noticeable during cornering, but when driven at sensible speeds the wide-track suspension provided a stable and sure-footed platform on sealed and unsealed roads.

Its 550Nm of torque made light work of our 13 per cent-gradient, 2.0km-long set-climb at 60km/h, self-shifting down to third gear and 2500rpm to effortlessly pull this load to the summit with minimal accelerator pedal. Load-hauling ability has always been a HiLux strength.

Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, was not as strong but consistent with similar tests conducted with this engine.

The HiLux boasts a maximum five-star ANCAP rating achieved in 2019. It has seven airbags plus AEB with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, lane departure alert, active cruise control, road speed-sign assist, downhill assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, reversing camera and more.

The rear seat offers ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the two outer seating positions plus top-tether restraints on all three seating positions.

Like all Mitsubishi's the Triton is offered with a 10-year and 200,000km warranty and 10 years of capped-price servicing.

You only get the full decade-long warranty cover if you service with Mitsubishi, though, otherwise it drops to five years and 100,000 kilometres.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, and the first five years are capped at $489 per visit. After that, it goes $799, $749, $949, $849 and $899, bringing your 10-year total to $6690, an annual average of, you guessed it, $669.

Toyota covers the HiLux with a five-year/unlimited km warranty which is extended to seven years on engine and driveline.

Scheduled servicing remains conspicuously short at six months/10,000km, whichever occurs first.

Capped-price service pricing of $290 for each of the first six scheduled services works out at $580 per year.