Mitsubishi Motors Makes Improvements to Triton Pickup Truck for 2024 AXCR

Every year there are rally races and competitions that test the mettle of automakers and their driving teams. Whether it’s a race that goes around in circles or one that crosses sandy dunes, we love to see how well a vehicle can perform when put to the test. Coming up right around the corner is the 2024 Asia Cross Country Rally (hereafter, AXCR). Scheduled for August 11 to 17 of this year (2024), we’re sure a lot of automakers will be competing, and we know of one automaker that is sure to hit the starting line every year – Mitsubishi Motors. 2024 marks the third year Mitsubishi enters with Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, and after beating up its Triton pickup truck last year, the automaker has learned a thing or two to get closer to first place.

“Last year, we tried for a second consecutive victory with the all-new Triton, which had just gone on sale, but we were unable to bring out its full potential, ending in third place…With this year’s Triton, we have made major improvements primarily to driving performance and rough road handling, further enhancing our four-vehicle team as we aim to reclaim our position as champions.”- Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart

Last year may have landed the team in the winner’s circle in third place, but that’s not always the case. In its first year, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart claimed victory in first place. This year, they’re aiming to do it again with significantly increased driving performance for the new Triton. Built for durability, maneuverability, and road handling on rough roads, the rear suspension has been switched out from rigid/leaf springs to rigid/4-link coil springs to absorb more shock when going off road and tackling bumpy surfaces. A high-displacement engine has been paired with a new racing transmission with a high torque capacity for that added maneuverability, and the tread size has been increased for better grip. Put through many high-stress endurance tests, about 500 miles over the course of the seven days, the Triton is ready to drive from Thailand to Malaysia this summer.

For those not in the know, the AXCR is the ASEAN region’s largest cross-country rally. Covering 1250 miles of challenging terrain, the AXCR separates the off-road capable cars from the street cars with 600 miles over this run comes with mountains, jungles, and river crossings. Hopefully, the new Mitsubishi Triton can handle some water fording, or it will be a sinking ship in no time. On August 11, 2024, the beginning of the 2024 AXCR takes place in Surat Thani, on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand in the south for a starting ceremony, but the official start date of the race is on the 12th, and set to end at the capital, Kuala Lumpur after crossing into Malaysia on the 15th, with an awards ceremony on the 17th.

Seeing how well the Triton performs will be a nice intro to the pickup truck Nissan and Mitsubishi are working on for North America. There has been little information on it, but the Triton will be some evidence of the kind of pickup trucks Mitsubishi Motors can produce and how well they perform. Here’s to Mitsubishi Motors winning another race with Team Mitsubishi Ralliart! If you want to know more about the AXCR winners and the Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck, follow us on Miami Lakes Automall social media.

Photo Source/Copyright: Mitsubishi Media