2022 Mitsubishi Triton GSR review

My mate loves his Triton.

He gets to have fun offroading, can load the back up with all sorts of goodies and best of all, it didn't break the bank.

He loves driving it too. In fact he drove it all the way to Armatree, NSW – a near 500km trip – to meet us for less than 24 hours when we took the Isuzu D-Max LS-U+ to Lightning Ridge.

I agree with him – he got a good car at a good price.

But personally, I am not a fan of this one.

You see, his Triton is a 2020 model, which is virtually the same as the 2017 model inside. The Triton I am driving is the updated 2022 Mitsubishi Triton GSR, and honestly, my gripe with it is that I can hardly tell the difference between this, the 2020 and even the 2017 model inside.

I'll give you an example.

When I first jumped in the cab and turned it over, the menu came up on the rather small and old infotainment system.

The third most prominent option was to connect your iPod.

iPod!? I had forgotten about them and it has been years since I've seen someone use one.

What extra kit does the GSR get?

• Leather-appointed seats
• Electric adjustment on the driver's seat
• Heated front seats
• Multi around monitor (MAM)

What's it like inside?

Aside from the dated 7-inch infotainment screen, the buttons and controls on the dash are well overdue for a refresh in the next generation Triton. They're functional and easy to operate. They're easy to find and decipher what each one does. But they all just seem a bit dated.

There is a digital trip computer centre mounted between two analogue gauges behind the steering wheel. You're able to bring up information on your trip as well as visually see whether you're in 2 or 4 wheel drive.

This is an important one when offroading, avoiding the "is it on?" internal dialogue which is followed by the "Am I sure?" that can often be followed by "Sh*t".

Aside from displays and controls, the interior is rugged. The majority is hard, black plastics but that isn't the worst for a car that is meant to be carrying tools and burly blokes from dirty worksites around.

Being the Triton GSR, there are leather-appointed seats, which on our test vehicle were optioned to be orange and black, matching the exterior. Overall they're comfortable and help to lift the interior in terms of perceived quality.

Dual-zone climate control and vents in the back are a nice addition along with the leather seating which helps to lift the cabin. The front two seats get electric adjustment as mentioned, and overall they're fairly comfy, if not lacking a bit of length on the base of the seat for thigh support.

You can store plenty of items in both the doors and console bin up front with the latter being quite deep.

In the back there is plenty of space – a surprising amount, actually. I had plenty of space between my knees and the driver's seat when it was set in my driving position. There was enough space between my head and the roof, too, which acts as a nice buffer when things get a bit bouncy offroad.

2 USB ports means that whoever is in the back will be comfortable and powered up and you get a bit of storage in the back of the centre console. In terms of door storage, there is enough to fit a large drink bottle.

There is no storage under the second row either, to hide those valuables.

What's the 2023 Mitsubishi Triton like to drive?

The driver's seat is electronically adjustable, but you can't adjust the height and you sit quite high. Not touching the roof high, as headroom is plentiful, but high enough that the rearview mirror, which is useful for rearviewing, could be in your line of sight depending on your height.

It blocks the forward viewing that is most important when you are driving forward.

Apart from that though, it rides pretty well for a ute. Where some can be a bit jarring with their stiff suspension setups, this is more akin to a family car than a ute.

Anyone who has been on the M1 knows that it can be rough as guts, but our trip up north in the 2023 Triton GSR was far from painful.

It will tow 3.1 tonnes, which is less than competitors in the form of the D-Max, Ranger and Navara which can all tow 3.5 tonnes, but does better than GWM Cannon-X.

It misses a lot of the safety features you get in modern utes too – things like adaptive cruise control and lane keep. Small features, perhaps unnecessary features, but features you want when you are paying $60,000 for a ute.

There are no power outlets in the tray, so you may need to get them installed or optioned depending on your plans.

How safe is the 2023 Mitsubishi Triton?

Despite missing those two, it does get active safety features like:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with forward-collision warning
• Lane departure warning
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Cross-traffic alert

The verdict

The Mitsubishi Triton was once a bit of a bargain. It undercut the competitors on price and while you did forgo some features, the price difference did make it a decent trade-off.

Unfortunately though, the Triton is starting to show its age inside, despite looking handsome and rugged on the outer.

For $63,490, you're missing out on some key technology and safety features that are present on competitors.

For $64,990 driveaway you could have a top-of-the-line D-Max X-Terrain that has adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist as well as a larger infotainment system.

Mitsubishi Triton comparison:

Mitsubishi Triton GSR vs Isuzu D-Max

	Mitsubishi Triton GSR	Isuzu D-Max X-terrain
Engine	2.4 litre MIVEC turbo diesel engine	3.0 litre turbo diesel
Power	133kW	150kW
Torque	430Nm	500Nm
Braked towing	3,100kg	3,500kg
Price	$63,490	$64,990