Mitsubishi Triton Athlete runs again.. but only in Thailand for now

Mitsubishi has reintroduced the Athlete moniker to the heavily dated Triton, albeit in Thailand only with the range comprising two models.

More extensive than the pre-facelift Athlete, the unique exterior touches include 18-inch black alloy wheels, a black Dynamic Shield grille with the hue carried over to the centre section of the bumper plus the skidplate, special Athlete decals down the rear doors and on the side of the loadbin, a black tailgate handle and rear bumper, black side-steps, projector-type bi-LED headlights, 4×4 decals on four-wheel-drive models, bin-liner and a gloss black finish for the roof, mirror caps and door handles.

Less dramatic is the interior which gets two-tone black and orange leather/cloth seats with Athlete branded seatbacks, a brushed metal effect finish around the gear lever, orange stitching on the handbrake, a leather wrapped gear knob and orange leather on either side of the centre console and front armrest.

Standard specification consists of a new seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth, three USB ports, a four-speaker sound system, push-button start, automatic air-conditioning, cruise control, dual rear USB ports, rear armrest, electric height-adjustable driver’s seat, keyless entry, Hill Start Assist and a surround-view camera system.

Opting for the four-wheel-drive model though, which is based on the range-topping GT Premium as opposed to the two-wheel-drive Plus GT, nets rain sense wipers, seven instead of two airbags, two additional speakers, a rear diff-lock, Hill Descent Control, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, Auto High Beam Assist, Lane Change Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and steering wheel mounted gear shift paddles.

Regardless of the model, both are powered by the familiar 2.4 DI-D turbodiesel engine rated at 133kW/430Nm. Drive is routed to the rear or all four wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox only.

Available in three colours; Jet Black Mica, Diamond White Pearl and Sunflare Orange, the Triton Athlete is priced at 985 000 baht (R500 125) for the two-wheel-drive Plus GT and at 1 156 000 baht (R586 949) for the four-wheel-drive GT Premium. At present, it remains to be seen whether Mitsubishi Motors South Africa would reinstall the Athlete to the local market as its position is currently being occupied by the off-road focused Xtreme launched five months ago.

IMAGES and additional info from headlightmag.com

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