Mitsubishi recently teased the next-generation Triton when it presented its “Challenge 2025” medium-term business plan, which will be in effect for the 2023-2025 fiscal year (FY2023-2025). It is a follow-up to its “small but beautiful” strategy launched in 2020 and the next step in its long-term roadmap to 2035.
According to the Japanese automaker, it plans to launch 16 models over the next five years, including nine xEV models (the generic term used to describe electric vehicles). Specific to certain regions, including the very important ASEAN, 12 models will be launched in the same period, including 7 xEVs.
The sixth-generation Triton (short for “pickup”) is one of the vehicles depicted in the presentation slides, but we can only make out its distinctive light signature. In detail, we can see three sets of “hockey stick-shaped” light bars flanked by three lit squares. The double-layered lighting arrangement of the fifth-generation Triton is likely to carry over, as spy shots of the Thai prototype suggest.
Mitsubishi didn’t say exactly when the new Triton will make its world debut, but according to another slide, it will be sometime this year.a report headlamp magazine It is claimed that the Triton will be built on the current Nissan Navara’s ladder-frame chassis, which would result in a larger vehicle both inside and out.
There’s some evidence to support this claim, as on the same slide we’ve got a side view of the upcoming Triton, which shows similar window lines – we’ll have to wait for confirmation. Mitsubishi has been part of the Renault-Nissan alliance since 2016, so platform sharing was always possible and, for some models, already a certainty.
Turbo diesel power will be an explicit option for the new Triton, but the pickup could also be offered with an all-electric powertrain. Next to the covered Triton is an unnamed model, simply labeled “Pickup BEV,” which is supposed to challenge the production version of the Toyota Hilux Rev BEV concept unveiled last December.
In addition to Triton, Mitsubishi also has a Pickup Platform Vehicle (PPV) coming to the market, which is likely to be a new generation of Pajero Sport. The current third-generation Pajero Sport, related to the fifth-generation Triton, is a passenger-focused SUV with three rows of seats. However, Mitsubishi’s new PPV won’t be arriving anytime soon, as the schedule suggests it will only debut in 2025.
Mitsubishi also mentioned the next-generation Xpander at the launch event, which it says has been highly regarded since its launch in 2017. This is clearly pointed out by the overlay vehicle badged “Xpander HEV”, which confirms that the hybrid is coming to the seven-seat MPV.
Another model due in fiscal 2023 is the two-row SUV previewed in October 2022 by the XFC concept. This will come with a “wet mode” first introduced by Mitsubishi. Designed for use in ASEAN countries, it is safe to drive even on flooded roads and has sufficient ground clearance, the company said.
Mitsubishi didn’t specify which vehicles in the slide are production XFC concepts, but “2-row SUV BEV” and “2-row SUV HEV” are likely to represent and indicate which powertrains will be made available.
As for the remaining models, they are MPV, three-row SUV, Alliance BEV and hybrid MPV. For other regions, there will be a new kei car, the Colt (based on the Renault Clio) and another Alliance BEV.
Under the Challenge 2025 business plan, Mitsubishi aims to achieve sales of 1.1 million vehicles and an operating profit of 220 billion yen (about RM7.37 billion) in fiscal 2025. The company will also increase R&D and capital expenditure investments by approximately 30% over the six years to 2028 to support these goals.
Carbon neutrality is also a focus, with the goal of reducing the average tank-to-wheel CO2 emissions of a new car by 40% by 2030. This will shift the powertrain mix from internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid (HEV) plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and battery electric (BEV) vehicles by 2030 to hybrid, plug-in hybrid Automobiles and pure electric vehicles will dominate, and by 2035, pure electric vehicles will dominate.
The company said it expects xEVs to account for 50% of the sales mix by 2030 and 100% by fiscal 2035. Investing in battery procurement is another of Mitsubishi’s efforts to achieve this goal, allocating 210 billion yen (about RM7.03 billion) to purchase 15 GWh by 2030.