V6 Crew Cabs: Mitsubishi Triton GLX 4x2 3.0

Priced from: $29,990 plus a/c

This leaves the Triton in a desirous price-competitive position for buyers who need the hard-working capabilities of a twin cab with the essentials in cabin amenity.

The Rodeo LX is closest in specification but the Triton is usefully more compact in most dimensions while offering one of the longest trays - it's just a tad shorter than the Courier and HiLux benchmarks.

It is also has the shallowest load wall height – a problem with eskies, but a real advantage for loading from the side. I know several house stumpers who swear by the Triton and when you look at the dimensions, it seems ideal for operators who have to access long and heavy tools or materials from the side quickly.

The Triton, which is another Thai-built entry, was once a class-leader in cabin ambience and layout back when it shared most of its cabin details with the Challenger wagon including a centre handbrake. It is now showing its age, like the Courier, with its heavily grained hard plastics, varying textures and overwhelming greyness. The seats look good but are too flat and small for big Aussies.

There is a key pre-requisite before looking at the Triton as a serious purchase. You will either fit into it comfortably or not at all. The rear seats are no place for full-size passengers for any length of time. It is not that the height of the cabin is any lower than the others, it is the height of the floor that seems to place the seats much closer to the roof.

This also means that your clutch foot contacts the steering column every time you change gear when the high floor forces them all into the same space.

Though the Triton is showing its age, next year's model looks larger and is likely to set the cat amongst the pigeons in terms of styling and standard equipment.

Mitsubishi may well run the two series together when the current Triton's smaller size and eager 3.0lt V6, proven in the Pajero and Magna, provide a good combination of economy and performance. As it stands, equipment is basic and apart from an odd little storage box next to the centre console, internal storage space is at a premium.

Look for Triton special value packs and price incentives as the Triton's age leaves Mitsubishi with some extra margin to add some real value to what is still an attractive, compact and tough little ute.

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