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Apr 28, 2023

Mitsubishi Triton GSR 2023 Review

You could argue that for the past 10 years the Mitsubishi Triton has been the

You could argue that for the past 10 years the Mitsubishi Triton has been the quiet achiever in the Australian dual-cab ute class. Despite being overshadowed by some high-calibre rivals, the Triton has remained a popular entrant, boosted by meaningful upgrades while often maintaining a price advantage over key competitors that still holds today. There's an all-new Triton on the horizon, but in high-spec GSR form there's still a fair bit to like – albeit amid a variety of flaws.

Notwithstanding the recent launch of the limited-edition, $72,000-plus Xtreme version of the Triton via Walkinshaw Automotive, the 2023 Mitsubishi Triton GSR sits at the top of the permanent range at $56,940 plus on-road costs.

The broader Triton line-up continues to span Single Cab, Club Cab and Double Cab body styles, opening at $30,740 plus ORCs for the GLX Single Cab Chassis 4x2 manual.

But 4x4 dual-cab with auto and a high specification to match is where the action is – and it's here that the GSR appears to mount a solid case against the likes of the Ford Ranger Sport (from $64,490 plus ORCs), Toyota HiLux SR5 (from $61,930), Isuzu D-MAX LS-U (from $61,000) and Nissan Navara ST-X (from $57,695).

That said, the GSR Triton can't match top-shelf dual-cabs from Chinese brands GWM and LDV, or the SsangYong Musso, in terms of price, so let's see how well it stacks up in other areas.

The 2023 Mitsubishi Triton GSR is the show pony in the triple-diamond brand's workhorse ute range.

As you might expect, the GSR swaps out the grey/black fabric seat trim of lesser Triton models for faux black leather with contrasting silver stitching, while it also trades the entry model's 6.1-inch touch-screen display for a larger infotainment suite which we’ll detail in the sections below.

Other standard equipment highlights include dual-zone climate control, keyless entry/start, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and front seat warmers.

Elsewhere, Mitsubishi has ladled on typical black enhancements befitting of a ute flagship, as seen on the 18-inch alloy wheels, door handles, grille, sports bar and roof.

Our test car is also wearing striking (no-cost) Sunflare Orange paint and an optional $4955 bull bar with integrated fog lamps, ballooning its price tag.

The Triton range is ordinarily backed by a five-year/100,000km warranty in Australia. However, if you continue to service your vehicle through the Mitsubishi dealer network after the first five years, the warranty extends to 10-year/200,000km provisions.

Service intervals are spaced every 12 months or 15,000km. According to Mitsubishi, capped-price servicing will set owners back $2895 over the first five years/75,000km.

Up until last year, the Mitsubishi Triton carried a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted in 2015, when the current fifth-generation series was released.

However, as of 2023, the Triton is officially ‘unrated’ as the original testing is now deemed outdated, particularly given assessment protocols have changed significantly in recent years.

In any case, the Triton is fitted with important modern safety aids including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist detection and junction assist.

There's also blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and lane departure warning – the caveat being the Triton is passive with its inputs and won't assist with interventions, only warnings.

Although it is fundamentally sound when it comes to safety, the Triton is beginning to feel its age with the absence of modern niceties including adaptive cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring, driver attention monitor and speed sign recognition.

The 2023 Mitsubishi Triton GSR offers a 7.0-inch centre touch-screen display which looks and presents a generation behind the latest infotainment systems, such as those found in the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok.

Even so, the system offers native sat-nav, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as digital radio.

There's also a reversing camera, but as with many elements of Triton, the devil is in the detail: a pixelated and blurry camera image pales against more modern offerings.

A longstanding 2.4-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder is found under the bonnet of the 2023 Mitsubishi Triton GSR, outputting 133kW/430Nm and sending drive to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Although those figures are well down on segment rivals, keep in mind the Triton weighs considerably less than the likes of the Ford Ranger, tipping the scales at 1999kg.

The GSR gets a rear diff lock as standard (available on GLX up) as well as Mitsubishi's Super Select II (SSII) 4WD system, which allows users to switch between 2WD and 4WD at speeds up to 100km/h.

Within the SSII suite is low-range and a hill descent control feature.

Otherwise, the Thai-built Triton employs a familiar robust ladder-frame chassis with disc brakes up front and drum brakes at the rear.

Its 901kg payload is par for the course in this segment, however the 3100kg braked towing capacity is about 400kg down on the class standard.

The 2023 Mitsubishi Triton GSR is pretty efficient on paper, claiming a fuel consumption average of 8.6L/100km combined.

With a 75-litre fuel capacity, that provides a theoretical driving range of about 872km.

In practice, the Triton proved to be marginally more economical on test, consuming 8.5L/100km across a 1900km loan that included highway driving, around-town passage, light off-roading and towing.

The 2023 Mitsubishi Triton GSR offers a decent and honest road driving experience, but in the company of the new Ford Ranger (among others), the Japanese brand's outgoing dual-cab is feeling its age.

Low-speed conveyance is a perfect case in point: the combination of diesel clatter, an at-times lumpy hydraulic power steering system and undesirable levels of cabin noise and road feedback put the Mitsu at odds with class benchmarks.

That's despite a sharp turning circle of 11.8 metres, which combines with easy lane placement and an open glasshouse to make light work of around-town confines.

Piling on more speed tends to highlight both the Triton's strengths and weaknesses. It's not bad, per se, but it's far from where class expectations are heading.

On one hand, the 2.4-litre turbo-diesel feels relaxed and unfazed in regular conveyance, gently segueing through its six ratios and providing respectable real-world efficiency.

Changes in speed limits can be met with little fuss, and on the open road the diesel mill happily spins just about idle speed.

With that said, the engine lacks the torque of newer V6 turbo-diesel offerings, or even four-cylinder competitors. And with peak pulling power only reached from 2500rpm, the engine becomes quite vocal before it really hits its straps.

The automatic transmission also lacks the smarts and intuitiveness expected in a modern ute, and indeed a tow vehicle. The gearbox won't kick down under braking, instead coasting in a bid to promote efficiency.

A lack of body control is highlighted when roads become bumpy, the Triton porpoising considerably over drawn-out undulations and taking longer to recover from harsher impacts.

This, combined with the inferior rear drum brakes, means the Triton doesn't exactly inspire confidence in its ability to arrest speed and offer outright stability with a trailer in tow.

That was indeed the case when we towed a 2.7-tonne dual-axle trailer with the 2023 Mitsubishi Triton GSR on test.

The Triton feels noticeably soft and wallowy in the front-end when towing, especially on B-grade country roads.

Whether this trait is accentuated by the additional weight of a bull bar fitted to our test car is not known; but we don't remember the Triton feeling this spongy in the past.

The cab also feels quite jittery with the trailer fitted, or even with 600kg worth of weight in the tray; almost as if the load is pushing the vehicle from behind.

There are other annoying features that lack thoughtfulness with a trailer on-board too, like the fact that the parking sensors aren't automatically switched off once you’re hitched.

Reversing a trailer can take a clear head at the best of times; try doing it with those sensors incessantly beeping at you!

Taking stock of the entire driving experience, we’d suggest the Triton is better suited to those who aren't towing heavy loads every day, and are perhaps using the Triton as an A-to-B vehicle or light tool of trade.

In those conditions, it still offers a certain charm.

The 2023 Mitsubishi Triton GSR offers decent off-road performance with its Super Select II software and fitment of a rear diff lock.

The electronics are quite smart in getting you out of sticky situations, but a lack of throttle response and light and lumpy steering make low-speed transitions a little harder than they ought to be.

Wheel articulation also pales against segment leaders.

The 2023 Mitsubishi Triton GSR covers the basics inside with comfortable enough seats, rear air vents and ample charging points (two up front and two in the rear).

For the driver, there's also reach and tilt steering wheel adjustment and electric seat adjustment.

Instrumentation is large and legible in its presentation, buying into the cabin's cosy-factor with its simplicity and general ease of us.

But as is becoming a trend in this review, the Triton is also feeling its age, with no digital speedo, no volume knob, lots of hard plastics and the use of cheaper, less appealing materials.

Furthermore, the presentation of the cabin and the incumbent technology in the GSR feel out of place given its circa-$60,000 price tag (once the optional bull bar is factored in), and it lacks the nice one per cent touches that other flagship utes tend to offer.

Dimensionally, the Triton will accommodate a couple of adults or little ones in the rear seat area, with a relatively airy glasshouse and easy ingress and egress.

The cabin itself feels quite narrow in the presence of rivals, but importantly still features ISOFIX child anchorage points on the outboard rear seats and top tether point access across the rear bench.

The tray area offers four tie-down points as standard (less than most rivals) and in the instance of our test car, a plastic tray liner and tonneau cover.

The plastic cover featured small cut-outs for the tie-down hooks, but the holes themselves are so small they preclude you from using many modern tie-downs, such is the lack of space.

The Triton misses out on tray area lighting, as well as a 12-volt outlet that is becoming the norm in this class.

Furthermore, there is no damping for the tailgate, or for that matter, anything novel to help distinguish the Triton from its peers.

The 2023 Mitsubishi Triton GSR still represents good value with its appealing entry price for the equipment offered as standard, plus its decent road manners and economical engine.

And while some elements of Mitsubishi's dual-cab are feeling long in the tooth, it still offers a better all-round experience than more affordable options like the LDV T60 and GWM Cannon-X.

It remains to be seen whether the next-generation Triton will address all the flaws found in the current series, but if you’re ready to buy now, we see the mid-range GLX as a better all-round pick.

Best of all, you’ll save a few dollars that way, too.

2023 Mitsubishi Triton GSR at a glance: Price: $56,940 (plus on-road costs)Available: NowEngine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-dieselOutput: 133kW/430NmTransmission: Six-speed automaticFuel: 8.6L/100km (ADR Combined)CO2: 225g/km (ADR Combined)Safety rating: Unrated

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