Could the 2019 Mitsubishi Triton L200 Midsize Truck Find Success in the United States?

 

2019 mitsubishi triton l200 mud rocks
2019 Mitsubishi Triton L200

The 2019 Mitsubishi Triton L200 has a new exterior design called “Dynamic Shield”, enhanced four-wheel drive (4WD) system and their newest safety/driver assistance systems to boot. While it’s not “all-new” the suits at Mitsubishi coined a new catch-phrase. Engineered Beyond Tough is the new phrase in the press release for this new-ish model. Could a truck like this find success in the United States?

Two off-road systems are available for the 2019 Mitsubishi L200, both are said to be advanced and provide better off-road prowess: both the Super-Select and Easy-Select 4WD systems use a new off-road mode which has four settings. In 4WD-high and low, you can select gravel, mud/snow and sand. In 4WD-low, you can select a rock mode. The current Mitsubishi L200 is one of the few trucks in its market to permit an auto 4WD mode for any driving surface. This new system seems to be capable of the same thing, along with additional off-road capability.

 

In addition to larger front brakes and calipers, the 2019 Mitsubishi L200’s list of safety systems grows. The new truck has:

  • Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM), which can detect vehicles and pedestrians ahead
  • Blind Spot Warning (BSW with LCA), which helps avoid sideswiping another vehicle when changing lanes by detecting vehicles behind or at the rear quarter and alerting the driver with an audible alert and flashing light in their door mirror
  • Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) which, in the same way, helps avoid collisions when reversing
  • Ultrasonic Misacceleration Mitigation System (UMS) which reduces accidents resulting from improper use of the accelerator when moving off or reversing in car parks and other confined spaces.

 

Additional improvements include revised dampeners, a new six-speed automatic transmission (Mitsubishi recently updated their six-speed manual transmission and, while they don’t mention it in the press release, we’re fairly sure it’s available in the 2019 model), and a restyled cabin.

The 2019 Mitsubishi Triton L200 rollout begins in Thailand, mid November this year before hitting over 150 markets worldwide.

As for the United States: while there are arguments for and against bringing the L200 here; FCA did announce that they will produce a midsize truck for our market in the next few years. We know they are looking at a few possibilities and, given that they already have a Ram version of the Mitsubishi L200 overseas, like the Ram 1200 which you can read about (here), why not here?

What do you think of the new styling of the 2019 Mitsubishi L200?

Nathan Adlen
Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism - Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. Brought up in the California car culture and educated in theater, childhood education, film, journalism and history, Nathan now lives with his family in Denver, CO. His words, good humor and video are enjoyed worldwide.