First look: All-new Triton laid bare!

LEAKED images of Mitsubishi’s redesigned Triton utility have forced the company to reveal official photos and details of the all-new workhorse well ahead of its arrival here towards the middle of next year.

Photos were leaked out of Mitsubishi Motors Thailand, where the truck is being built, early last week - but Mitsubishi was quick to counter by revealing photos and details of the utility.

The Triton sports utility, known as the L200 in Asia, wears a completely new body that was previewed early this year during the Paris-Dakar Rally as the Mitsubishi Truck Evolution.

It also owes much of its design inspiration to the 2002 Pajero Evo 2+2 concept and the Pajero Evolution racer, with its almost identical sharp lines, evocative Mitsubishi "Mount Fuji" grille and firm on-road stance.

Mitsubishi’s designers approached the pickup concept with a fresh outlook, turning the bland, rear-box utility section into a bold, curving styling feature.

Apart from petrol engines, two new turbo-diesel engine options - 2.5-litre and 3.2-litre common-rail units - are tipped to be offered.

The 3.2-litre engine is new for the ute and is an upgraded version of the one already in use in the Pajero.

As with the current range, the new truck offers a choice of single or double cabs, two or four-wheel drive, and manual or automatic transmissions.

The newcomer is bigger inside than the current model and boasts a significantly up-market cabin.

Mitsubishi is expected to offer three versions at launch - a single cab (single cabin), club cab (larger cabin) and double cab (large cabin with four doors).

The Triton will be publicly unveiled at the Bologna motor show in December.

The current Triton ranges starts from $18,990 with the popular sporty GLX-R model, introduced in March, costing $36,990.

The range has been available with a 2.4-litre four and 3.0-litre V6 petrol engines, as well as 2.8-litre turbo-diesel.

Mitsubishi’s rugged one-tonner commercial has proven itself to be a reliable performer in both 2WD and 4WD form since the first-generation MK was first released here in 1996.

Last year Triton found 6813 homes and though 4WD Triton sales (3613) trailed 4X4 ute segment leaders like Toyota’s HiLux, Holden’s Rodeo, Nissan’s Navara, Toyota’s LandCruiser and Ford’s Courier by a significant margin, Mitsubishi’s 4X4 commercial was more popular than 4WDs like Nissan’s Patrol, Mazda’s Bravo, Ford’s F250/350, Holden’s Crewman, Land Rover’s Defender and Suzuki’s Carry in 2004.

In the two-wheel drive ute segment, Triton (3195) trailed car-based utes like Commodore and Falcon ute, and dedicated workhorses like HiLux, Rodeo and Bravo, but out-sold Courier, Proton’s Jumbuck, Navara and F250/350.