Mitsubishi says that it has wrapped up an ‘extensive’ development program for the next-generation Triton ute here in Australia ahead of its official arrival in the early stages of 2024.
Specifically, Mitsubishi says that it has been refining the Triton’s suspension package for the rough-and-tumble of Australian roads, as well as the steering and its ride and handling characteristics when empty and packed to the brim with heavy cargo.
The local tuning program has been spearheaded by Mitsubishi Australia’s Tony Dorrington, a mechanical engineer with two-decades of experience at Mitsubishi, who has been tasked at making the Triton both work- and family-friendly.
“In the last five years, customer expect their ute to do the family duties and the weekend activities as well as working and towing,” says Dorrington, adding that the aim with the next-gen Triton has been designed to tick both boxes.
“We targeted a similar drive experience to a good SUV, with improved agility, responsiveness and ride comfort, but retaining Triton’s traditional off-road and workhorse capabilities.”
A key part of that local tune has been tweaking the dampers, springs and steering calibration on public roads and off-road trails here in Australia, with the company exploring 100 different combinations for an Australian-spec Triton.
Dorrington then whittled that list down to four combinations for both the front and rear suspension hardware, with the final round of testing taking place at the Land Lang Proving Grounds in Victoria.
The end result is a unique front damper and spring combination and a unique shock absorber configuration at the rear for the Australian Triton range, with Dorrington stating that the unique assembly offers “significant reduction in impact harshness, improved body control, enhanced on-centre feel and more linear steering with good feedback.”
In terms of the steering, Mitsubishi has moved to a new electronic power steering system over the previous hydraulic-assisted steering rack that is set to offer more comfort on longer drives, easier low-speed manoeuvres and more responsiveness at speed.
“We’ve improved all dynamic elements of the vehicle to ensure new-gen Triton’s performance is a match for Australia’s tough conditions and customer expectations,” he added.
Mitsubishi is set to launch the MY24 Triton range here in Australia in the early stages of 2024 and is slated for a February launch. 
