The Mitsubishi Triton L200 can trace its roots back to Mitsubishi Forte back in 1978. Back then, it was for the Japanese market only with exports coming to the United States in the late 70’s. The Mitsubishi Mighty Max, Dodge D50/Ram 50/Plymouth Arrow Truck were fairly well received in the USA. They were known to be rugged, reliable and frugal little trucks. I know this to be true from personal experience.
I was saddened by the truck’s departure in the mid 1990’s and rolled my eyes at the massive Dodge-based replacement (Mitsubishi Raider). What the Sam Hill is going on here? This was a great little truck, unique enough to represent an excellent alternative to the limited, small-ish pickup truck choices we have here in the United States.
The current Mitsubishi Triton L200 resonates some of its predecessor’s excellent virtues.
Considering the small truck market in the United States is kind of pathetic now, having a new/returning competitor like the Mitsubishi Triton L200 would create a more competitive environment. I mean, how cool would it be to have a small truck with an available diesel back in our market?
I had a chance to see the Mitsubishi Triton L200 (L200 in some countries, Triton in others) up close and personal while I was in Shanghai, China. It is, by far, the most car-like interior-wise while having excellent proportions for overall maneuverability. I liken it to the Honda Ridgeline for its size and interior.
Using a unit converter (which means the numbers are approximates) The Mitsubishi Triton L200 has a 2.5-liter diesel that makes about 176 horsepower and about 232 lbs-feet of torque. There are gas engines and a smaller diesel engine too. A 3.5 liter V6 gas engine is available and it makes 194 horsepower and 223 lb-ft of torque.
I find Mitsubishi trucks to be extremely rugged and so does a large portion of the planet. It’s a shame they no longer have any new trucks in the United States. Maybe when they introduce the 2014 Mitsubishi Triton L200, which is supposed to be almost all-new, maybe Mitsubishi will consider coming back to the United States.
Check out this fun video with the Toyota Tacoma off road!
