2021 nissan navara vs mitsubishi triton 01
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Bruce Newton1 Jun 2021
REVIEW

Nissan Navara PRO-4X v Mitsubishi Triton GSR 2021 Comparison

The new Nissan Navara PRO-4X takes on black-pack dual-cab 4x4 ute rival, the Mitsubishi Triton GSR
Review Type
Comparison
Review Location
Tasmania

Trucking on

They don’t always dominate the headlines but the Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara are two 4x4 dual-cab utes that just keep trucking on in Australia.

Check out the sales charts and you’ll find the Triton 4x4 is the number-three seller behind the two giants of the segment, the Toyota HiLux and the Ford Ranger, while the Navara is number seven. The Nissan’s rank may sound a bit underwhelming, but supply has been impacted by the roll-over into a significant update in 2021.

That update has included the introduction of a new flagship model called the Nissan Navara PRO-4X, which is being pitched as the off-road adventurer in the family.

With its sophisticated Super Select II 4x4 system, the Mitsubishi Triton has long been regarded as a capable off-roading 4x4 dual-cab, so it makes sense to pitch the flagship GSR against the Navara PRO-4X.

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Price advantage for Triton

While the auto-equipped 2021 Nissan Navara PRO-4X is a little more expensive than the 2021 Mitsubishi Triton GSR at $60,630 plus on-road costs versus $53,490 plus ORCs, they do compare quite well against each other when it comes to equipment.

Both adopt the black-pack look to give the exterior cosmetics a meaner tone. In the case of the Nissan that includes the protruding grille inspired by the full-size Nissan Titan pick-up in the US, alloys, wheel-arch flares, side steps, roof rails, door handles, window surrounds, side mirrors and sports bar with sail panels.

The Mitsubishi also cops the black grille and adds black alloys, door mirrors and handles. Our press car also came with the optional drop-in tub liner and soft tonneau cover.

While they both have LED headlights and daytime running lights, remote keyless entry and side steps, the Navara is the only one with a standard tub liner (the less-preferred drop-in type), roof rails and a tow bar. 

Similarities extend beyond the exterior. The Nissan comes with a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, the Mitsubishi gets a 2.4-litre. The PRO-4X has a seven-speed auto (optional, worth $2500) and the GSR a six-speed auto standard.

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The 4x4 system in the Nissan is the orthodox part-time offering with rear- and four-wheel drive high range, 4x4 low range and a lockable rear differential. In addition, the Mitsubishi allows the centre diff to run unlocked as well as locked in 4x4 high.

The Triton also has specific off-road driving modes for gravel, mud, snow, sand and rock that tailor drivetrain and traction systems. Navara has an off-road mode, along with sport, tow and normal modes.

Other mechanical spec bits to note include the rear suspension, where the Navara has coil springs while the Triton is fitted with orthodox leaf springs. Both vehicles run disc/drum brakes (front/rear) – when newer rivals run discs all-round – and all-terrain tyres: 17-inch Yokohama Geolandars for the Navara and 18-inch Dunlop Grandtreks for the Triton.

Inside the cabin the Navara and Triton both include leather trim, dual-zone climate control, an anti-dazzle mirror, push-button start, rain-sensing wipers and infotainment touch-screens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto interface.

The Triton does offer a series of advantages, though. The driver’s seat is powered and both front seats heated (unpowered and unheated in Navara), the steering wheel adjusts for reach as well as rake, making it easier to get comfortable, and there are paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

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The Nissan is the only one to get embedded sat-nav. You have to reply on your phone in the Triton. The Navara also has a much more legible info screen in the instrument cluster that includes a digital speedo.

The Nissan also has three USB-A and one USB-C outlet. The Triton has four USB-As. Both get two 12-volt outlets as well, but none in the tray. The Nissan also has the Utili-Track sliding hook system.

The Navara comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, a 12-month/20,000km service schedule and a five-year service plan that costs $2847.

The Triton is protected by a five-year/100,000km warranty, a 12-month/15,000km service schedule and a service plan that stretches up to 10 years and costs $6090. For comparative purposes, over five years that program would cost $2599.

Safety is a big deal

For all the dress-ups and go-anywhere messaging, the biggest deal when it comes to the new 2021 Nissan Navara PRO-4X is the huge upgrade in safety.

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Driver assist systems are where the action is and all Navara dual-cabs now come with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – albeit without the ability to detect pedestrians or cyclists – plus forward collision warning, trailer sway control and a driver alert that monitors for tiredness.

By the time you get to PRO-4X blind spot warning, intelligent lane intervention, rear cross traffic alert, reverse parking sensors, high beam assist, auto rain-sensing wipers and tyre pressure monitoring are also part of the safety package.

The 2021 Mitsubishi Triton GSR has AEB with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and lane change assist, blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert.

A feature called ultrasonic misacceleration mitigation reduces the risk of a low-speed accident in tight spots when the accelerator is accidentally pushed.

Both Navara and Triton have LED headlights, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers and trailer sway control. They both have 360-degree cameras, although the Nissan specially activates an off-road mode in low range.

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However, only the Triton has front parking sensors and both miss out on adaptive cruise control, even though it is often twinned with AEB.

Both the Navara and Triton come with seven airbags and a five-star ANCAP rating that dates back to 2015. Both have top tether straps and ISOFIX child seat mounts.

Six years on the road

Those ANCAP results refer to something else these two Thai-built utes have in common: they were both launched in their current generation in Australia in 2015.

Back then the Mitsubishi Triton was the MQ; now it’s the MR with at least three updates along the way.

The D23 Nissan Navara has been through a series of technical and equipment changes since its launch, a lot of them centring on those contentious coil springs. The MY21 is iteration number five.

Anyway, let’s crunch the numbers and see how the 2021 Nissan Navara PRO-4X and the 2021 Mitsubishi Triton GSR now stack up.

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Let’s start under the bonnet where the Nissan’s Renault-sourced engine makes 140kW/450Nm and is claimed to consume 8.1L/100km on average. The Triton makes 133kW/430Nm and is theoretically thirstier at 8.6L/100km. In the real world on test they both averaged 12.3L/100km with a fair amount of 4x4 and low range running.

The Nissan measures up slightly longer (5311mm v 5305mm), wider (1875mm v 1815mm) and taller (1855mm v 1795mm). Unladen ground clearance s almost identical at 224mm (Navara) versus 220mm (Triton).

The Nissan has the slight approach advantage (32 versus 31 degrees), but the Mitsubishi does better on break-over (25 v 22.9) and departure (23 v 19.8). The Nissan’s water fording limit is 600mm versus the Mitsubishi’s 500mm. But the Triton’s compact 11.8m turning circle is significantly better than the 12.5m in the Navara.

The Navara has a porky 2146kg kerb weight compared to the Triton’s 1999kg, but the Navara has a group of key hauling advantages. Its payload is higher (1004kg versus 901kg), it tows more (3500kg versus 3100kg), it has a better gross vehicle mass at 3150kg versus 2900kg and shades the Triton on gross combined mass at 5910kg v 5885kg.

The Triton does have the marginally longer tray (1520mm v 1509mm) and it’s also deeper (519mm versus 475mm) and wider (1560mm v 1470mm). But neither has the width between the arches to fit an Aussie pallet.

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The wilds of Tasmania

No doubt the 2021 Nissan Navara PRO-4X and 2021 Mitsubishi Triton GSR shape up as logical competitors so far. Now it’s time to slip behind the wheel and see what we find.

In this test we’ve focused on driving impressions rather than assessing payload or towing behaviour. And we’ve picked the perfect place to do it: the wilds of Tassie.

Nissan spruiks the PRO-4X as the off-roader in the Navara range. And you know what? There’s more to that claim than advertising hot air. There is real off-roading substance in the PRO-4X. And on-road driving strengths too.

Let’s start on the blacktop. The PRO-4X is quieter than the GSR with less engine, road, suspension and wind noise. It handles more confidently, steers lighter with more feedback and accuracy, doesn’t keel over in corners the same way the Triton does and doesn’t get as upset in its ride – especially at the back – over corruptions.

Oh yes, there’s still feedback off those coils, but it’s just better managed.

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Despite riding better, the bonnet of the Navara vibrates noticeably on even relatively smooth roads. It’s a bit off-putting.

Off-road the PRO-4X’s better clearance and more articulation (especially at the rear) means it can walk up and over obstacles that have the Triton spinning wheels and graunching.

A contributing factor to this contrasting behaviour is the Triton turns off traction control in low range with a locked rear diff, whereas the Navara keeps it active. Sometimes keeping it on is an aid, as the PRO-4X demonstrates.

The Nissan also has better low-range gearing for descending at walking pace. Both are aided by hill descent control as well, something the Triton needs more.

Also, a shout out to the PRO-4X’s Geolandar tyres. We came to admire their grip, comfort and quietness on- and off-road.

But you’ve got to remember these vehicles can only take you so far in stock form. The Navara knocked the cap off the front of a side step in one sandy depression when it ran out of clearance. Part of the front plastic bumper shroud on the Triton was cracked in similar circumstances.

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At higher speeds on gravel roads the Navara tracks better over bumps and lumps and has a far more nuanced tune of anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control. As the Mitsubishi grabbed wheels and released and had another go, the Nissan’s intrusions were barely noticeable and far more effective.

Where the Triton has the advantage on- and off-road is with its much livelier engine tune. Its throttle response is far better than the dopey Nissan. The PRO-4X has to be dialled up into its sport mode to come close or even be shifted manually for the sharpest acceleration and engine braking.

We’ve said it before and well say it again: the Nissan Navara D23 needs a decent V6 turbo-diesel engine.

From the driver’s seat the Mitsubishi feels the better place to be. The trim materials are that little more upmarket, the seat is more supportive and steering wheel reach adjust is a laudable feature all utes should have. By contrast, the wheel always feels dumped in your lap in the Navara.

The Triton has the higher-placed touch-screen on the dashboard, which helps keep eyes on the road. But finger-touch volume and tuning controls aren’t as intuitive as the Navara’s dials.

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The Nissan does feel quite cramped reaching down into the door pockets. However, it has more up-front storage space than the Mitsubishi.

Leg space is tight in the back seat for adults in both cases, a bit knees-up and into the back of the front seats. The Navara has controllable rear air vents, bit no seat-back pockets. The Triton gets pockets and has an air circulator mounted in the roof.

Both get door pockets and a flip-down arm rest with double cup holders.

When not occupied by passengers, the rear seat-base of the Navara can be flipped up, while the Triton’s seat-back can be folded down. Unlike some rivals, neither does both.

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Getting the job done

After sampling the 2021 Nissan Navara PRO-4X and the 2021 Mitsubishi Triton GSR we can see why they are staples of the Australian 4x4 dual-cab ute market. They both just do a decent job.

But in this case, the PRO-4X edges out the GSR because it does more things more impressively.

Yep, the Navara is more expensive than the Triton, but you get that back in on-road manners and refinement, off-road capability, more carrying capacity and a bigger towing number.

The Triton’s sharp pricing and solid behaviour does reinforce why it is so popular. And it does more than edge the Navara in engine performance.

In-cabin appointments such as steering wheel reach adjust and power seating are also advantages.

But it’s not quite enough to reclaim the high ground. The 2021 Nissan Navara PRO-4X is a marginally better ute at a slightly higher price.

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How much does the 2021 Mitsubishi Triton GSR cost?
Price: $53,490 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 133W/430Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 225g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2015)

How much does the 2021 Nissan Navara PRO-4X cost?
Price: $60,630 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/450Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 213g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2015)

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