The pick-up truck market was challenging last year, but one model was tough enough to rise to the occasion. It was the new Triton from Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia. The vehicle was first shown in Malaysia at the KLIMS 2018, and was a major driving force for the company’s success last year. We thought we’d highlight 10 reasons why it’s one of the most important vehicles in its segment.
- Pick-ups Got Less Popular In General, But The New Triton Got More Popular
For whatever reason, the pick-up truck segment in Malaysia shrunk by a sizeable 21%. That’s a major dip in volume for any segment. There are only a handful of pick-up truck entries in Malaysia, so a big reduction in total volume can be make or break for each manufacturer. Yet despite fewer pick-ups being sold throughout 2019, the Triton managed to grow.
2. Fastest Growing Truck in Its Segment
Gaining market share is always tough task, but the new Triton managed a pretty significant increase. In 2019, they held 16.5% of the market, up 3.8% over 2018. It also contributed 71.2% to the company’s overall business, making it the most important product in their stable.
3. No Drop in Top-Class Customer Satisfaction
Sometimes, when a company starts selling more vehicles, they may stumble in taking care of their customers. But according to J.D. Power’s 2019 Malaysia Customer Service Index Mass Market Study, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia retained their no.1 spot. They’ve been placed at the top three spots for the last 5 years too!
4. After-sales Satisfaction Hasn’t Suffered
Similarly, selling so many new cars can sometimes lead to a drop in after sales performance. Having too many vehicles and not enough bays, staff or parts can lead to some very angry customers. Some brands are very familiar with this situation. Mitsubishi though has planned accordingly and J.D. Power’s Sales Satisfaction Index Study placed them at No.2. The study measures car owner’s satisfaction and experience at authorised service centres.
5. The New Triton Brought Advanced Safety At A Reasonable Price
The pick-up truck segment usually falls behind in terms of safety equipment compared to passenger cars. But last year, Mitsubishi became the first Japanese brand to offer active safety features. The Adventure X variant came with Forward Collision Mitigation, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and more. And it was still reasonably priced despite these segment rarities.
6. They Didn’t Wait To Improve The Lineup
Normally, if a product is doing reasonably well, manufacturers may hold off on upgrades or further expansion of the product lineup. With the new Triton, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia ended up adding new accessories to the Adventure X and AT Premium models within a year or so of launch. Not only that, but they also launched the lo-rider Triton Quest and the limited edition Triton Knight variant by the end of 2019.
7. Still The Best Warranty In Its Class
Trucks regularly get put through abuse by owners. To be fair, that’s what they’re engineered for! It takes a certain confidence in one’s own product to say it’s tough enough to go through 200,000km of this typical abuse. And Mitsubishi continues to be the only manufacturer in Malaysia offer this high mileage, 5-year warranty on the new Triton.
8. It’s Genuinely Good Looking
The first Mitsubishi Triton which was launched in 2005 (see picture below) had a unique, curvy bodyshape and the 2nd Triton did little to change that. Some liked it, some didn’t. It was polarizing, for sure. But this new Triton is genuinely a good-looking truck. They’ve gone done a more angular route this time around and it’s clearly resonating with a lot of customers.
9. Running Costs
It is always on the edge of every question asked by a potential buyer. The overall running costs has been proven to be reasonable and it is easy to verify with a visit to the Mitsubishi Triton owners facebook page where plenty of information is shared.
10. Tough Enough For The Dakar
Yes, this new Triton has had years of experience in many rough terrains around the globe. Closer to home, it has had numerous runs at the yearly Borneo Safari without a hitch. But the toughest off road event in the world has not managed to deter the tough and reliable nature of the Triton. At the Dakar Rally, the Mitsubishi Triton has been a real champion by taking a Guinness World Record of 12 wins at this gruelling rally. Now, which other pickup truck can claim this fame?
