Mitsubishi Triton Athlete sprints back into South Africa

Ahead of the reveal of the all-new Mitsubishi Triton in on Wednesday (26 July), South African market pricing has been unearthed of the resurgent Athlete special edition expected to see the current generation out.

Five-year layoff

Revealed in Thailand in November 2020, the Athlete returns to South Africa after bowing in 2018, a year before the current Triton received its one and only mid-life refresh.

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Still to be detailed fully by Mitsubishi Motors South Africa, the information, uncovered by vehicle information specialists, duoporta.com, shows the Athlete taking-up station between the conventional, unbadged Triton and the special Heritage Edition that went on-sale last year.

What has changed?

Based on the specifications of the Thai model where local market Tritons are sourced from, the Athlete’s unique exterior add-ons are likely to be similar and as such, consist of a black Dynamic Shield grille, unique Athlete decals down the rear doors and on the side of the loadbin, black 18-inch alloy wheels, black tailgate handle and rear bumper, and black side-steps.

Set to be included as well are black finishes for the mirror caps, door handles and roof rails, a standard rubberised loadbin, projector-type bi-LED headlights, a gloss black lower intake, black style bar, black roof, a lighter black front skidplate and black headlight clusters.

Subtle changes inside

Inside, more subtle tweaks have been applied, namely a brushed metal effect finish around the gear lever, orange stitching on the handbrake, gear knob and steering wheel, white stitching on the doors, piano-key black inlays and either black leather or a two-tone black-and-orange leather seats with Athlete branded seatbacks.

Specification is set to be identical to the standard Triton and therefore inclusive of a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, keyless entry and push-button start, reverse camera, rear parking sensors, Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control.

No added muscle

Up front, the 4N15 2.4 DI-D turbodiesel engine, which will give way to the upgraded more powerful 4N16 unit in the new Triton, produces an unchanged 133kW/430Nm delivered to the rear or all four wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox.

As previously, the Triton Athlete won’t be offered with a separate two-wheel-drive model, meaning it gets low range as standard, along with an electronic rear diff-lock, plus the SuperSelect-II four-wheel-drive system.

Price

Likely to be available in same colours as the Thai-model, Jet Black Mica, Diamond White Pearl and Sunflare Orange, the Triton Athlete carries a R20 000 premium over the “standard” Triton and has a three-year/100 000 km warranty and five-year/90 000 km service plan included in its price tag.

• Triton 2.4 DI-D single cab GL – R429 995
• Triton 2.4 DI-D double cab GL – R514 990
• Triton 2.4 DI-D double cab – R629 990
• Triton 2.4 DI-D double cab AT – R649 990
• Triton 2.4 DI-D double cab 4×4 – R709 990
• Triton 2.4 DI-D double cab 4×4 AT – R729 990
• Triton 2.4 DI-D double cab Athlete 4×4 AT – R749 990
• Triton 2.4 DI-D double cab Heritage 4×4 AT – R769 990
• Triton 2.4 DI-D double cab Xtreme AT – R718 990
• Triton 2.4 DI-D double cab Xtreme 4×4 AT – R798 990

Information from duoporta.com.

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