Mitsubishi Motors Wins Asia Cross Country Rally 2022 with Ralliart Tritons

Mitsubishi Motors has been testing the limits and the capabilities of its lineup in recent years. Although no one would think of Mitsubishi when they hear the word “off-road”, it may be a nameplate that comes to mind when someone says “rally cars”. The automaker started in America as a rally car racer, and the Lancer Evolution is still fresh in the minds of many rally drivers. Mitsubishi is even starting to design Ralliart editions of several models in its lineup, starting with the Mirage Ralliart Edition . Mitsubishi has also entered the Rebelle Rally in recent years, a 10-day, 2,000 km navigational course to test its might. Put the two experiences together, and we have the recent Asia Cross Country Rally 2022, which Mitsubishi entered with a Ralliart Triton.

What is the Triton? An overseas vehicle we have yet to see here in America, the Mitsubishi Triton is a pickup truck that the automaker could really do well with if they brought it stateside. However, with a focus on SUVs, even with the midsize pickup truck opening up, Mitsubishi is instead testing the waters of its sports car days with Ralliart editions of models currently in its lineup, and the Ralliart Triton is a good indication of what a Ralliart-infused model can do. The Mirage Ralliart Edition is mostly just racing stickers and a color scheme, but for the Asia Cross Country Rally 2022, Mitsubishi needs to do a little more to make the Triton rally race ready.

“For this year’s AXCR, we built on the high reliability and durability of the Triton by tuning the engine and chassis, and entered the rally with specifications relatively close to the production car. Even so, the two Triton rally cars delivered powerful driving, and I am very proud of our high finish. The superb performance came down to the drivers, who were able to extract the Triton’s performance and show us some great drives, the engineers who worked every day to fine-tune the vehicles perfectly, all the staff who provided support, and the know-how that Mitsubishi Motors has accumulated over the years.” – Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart

The Asia Cross Country Rally 2022 was a race that covered a total distance of 1,524 kilometers (km), including 637 km of timed special stages starting from Thailand to the finish line in Cambodia. With two Triton entries into the race, Mitsubishi Motors had some great success. In first place came driver Chayapon Yotha (Thailand), with a total time of 8 hours, 22 minutes and 42 seconds; driver Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) finished in fifth position, with 17 minutes and 14 seconds on the clock. Not bad for a midsize pickup truck. The fine tuning of the engineers and the skill of the drivers really stand out and show off the performance that Mitsubishi Motors was once known for.

For the first half of the rally in Thailand, the race consisted mainly of high-speed stages on rough, dry unpaved roads, followed by large, deep puddles scattered on muddy roads and a tougher course. If that didn’t deter the drivers, there were five stages that awaited the participants in Cambodia. As grueling as it was, both Mitsubishi entries made it to the winner’s circle. It must have been some race! For those that want to watch the daily highlights, they can do so online at youtube.com/@MitsubishiMotorsGlobal/videos. Moreover, the Triton rally car AXCR 2022 replica will be on display at the company’s headquarter showroom in Tamachi, Tokyo, in case anyone is in the area and wants to see this modified pickup truck for themselves. Want to keep up with Mitsubishi Motors and learn more about their rally race DNA? You can always follow along when you follow us on Miami Lakes Automall social media .

Photo Source/Copyright: Mitsubishi Motors

Previous Post What is the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance Working on Now? Next Post Mitsubishi Mini EV Car Wins the 2023 RJC Overseas