2018 Mitsubishi Triton GLS new car review

Of the myriad utes available – and selling their mud-encrusted boots off – the 2018 Mitsubishi Triton GLS absolutely looks like it is the most ‘balanced’ option on paper.

In its tested dual-cab, diesel-powered, four-wheel drive specification, the Triton GLS isn’t cheap but it isn’t expensive. It doesn’t have a plethora of standard equipment, but at the same time it covers more than the basics for less than almost all rivals.

While it isn’t the largest ute in its segment, it undercuts only slightly bigger but far more popular utes – Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux – by thousands. At the same time, the Mitsubishi is only slightly pricier than a Chinese-made LDV T60, for example.

Whether that on-paper ‘sweet spot’ translates to on-road (and off-road) prowess, however, will be the real test for this otherwise beautifully balanced dual cab.

Vehicle Style: Dual-cab ute.

Price: $44,000 (plus on-road costs).

Engine/trans: 133kW/430Nm 2.4 four-cylinder turbo-diesel | five-speed automatic

Fuel Economy Claimed: 7.6 l/100km | Tested: 8.9 l/100km

OVERVIEW

The pricetag for the Triton GLS may read $44,000 plus on-road costs, but at the time of writing Mitsubishi is selling it for $38,990 driveaway. And this wouldn’t be mentioned if it was a one-time offer, but that low pricetag is pretty much permanent.

At driveaway pricing, that’s only $2150 more than the Chinese T60 Luxe with which it shares most of its equipment (with the exception of leather-trimmed heated seats, auto on/off headlights and wipers, blind-spot monitor and keyless auto-entry).