Next-gen Mitsubishi Triton Strada ready for AXCR 2023
Team Mitsubishi Ralliart previews all-new Triton/Strada pickup for Asia Cross Country Rally 2023
It won't be long before Mitsubishi officially takes the covers off the all-new Triton/Strada. In fact, the automaker has already released several teaser images and videos before its scheduled global debut in Thailand on July 26, 2023.
But even before the all-new pickup truck is revealed to the world, a cross-country rally version is already undergoing testing. That's right, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart is set to defend its championship at this year's Asia Cross-Country Rally (ACXR) with the next-generation Triton/Strada.
From June 19 to June 23, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart conducted rigorous endurance tests of the all-new Triton/Strada which is set to compete at this year's ACXR. In an off-road course near the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, the team set up actual rally conditions to fully test the pickup truck's capability. With a completely redesigned body, frame, chassis, and engine, it's no wonder Team Mitsubishi Ralliart put the rally-going pickup through roughly over 800 km of testing over the course of 5 days.
“Based on the original strength of the all-new Triton, the handling performance, stability on rough roads, and ride comfort are further improved as a rally competition car. In addition, the turbocharger has been improved to increase engine response throughout the entire rally range from low to high rpm, resulting in a powerful rally car that can handle any road conditions. We have conducted the endurance test with a harder course setting than the actual rally conditions, but the testing cars were able to drive through about 800 km each without any major initial troubles, confirming performance beyond our expectations and giving us a great confidence for our second consecutive championship,” said Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Mitsubishi Ralliart.
As for the vehicle itself, Mitsubishi is not yet ready to fully reveal the all-new Triton/Strada. However, the thinly-veiled rally-spec pickup received much-needed upgrades. It gets a beefed-up suspension that increased its ground clearance, a snorkel to ensure air intake in any condition, beadlock wheels wrapped in Geolander M/T tires, a roll cage, and racing seats.
Set to get behind the wheel of the all-new Mitsubishi Triton/Strada is Chayapon Yotha of Thailand (the champion driver of AXCR 2022) and Rifat Sungkar of Indonesia – both returning drivers that competed last year. They will also be joined by a new Japanese driver Katsuhiko Taguchi – a member of the Mitsubishi Motors Works Team and has competed in several rally races in the past like WRC and the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).
AXCR 2023 will begin with a ceremonial start on August 13 (Sunday) in Pattaya, Thailand. The official rally starts on the following day August 14 with the vehicles racing east – roughly parallel with the Cambodian border, entering Laos on August 17, and reaching the goal on August 19. Over the course of the rally, drivers cover a total of roughly 2,000 km including over 1,000km of Special Stages. This year's course also has a great deal of variety, including mountainous areas, thick forests, muddy roads, river crossings, and more. The difficult course is expected to put the road handling and durability of the rally cars to the test.
With the all-new Triton/Strada set to be put through its paces after its launch in July, Mitsubishi is wasting no time to get both the pickup and its team ready for the race.
