Mitsubishi has given us a date for the reveal of the new L200 / Triton pickup truck, which will debut on November 9.



Along with the date, the Japanese car maker also released a new teaser image, showing the new truck from a distance on a dirt road. As expected from their previous teaser, and from our spyshots, the new L200 / Triton will sport the new Dynamic Shield front end treatment.

That includes a set of slim LED headlights combined with secondary units mounted below them that are probably housing the fog lights. Compared to the current model, expect to see a more angular bodywork with plenty of silver -or chrome- trim.

The “Series 6” Mitsubishi L200 / Triton is designed to be “Engineered Beyond Tough” and will offer enhanced performance, functionality, durability, safety and refinement, always according to the car maker, who didn’t share any technical details of the new pickup truck.

The cabin is expected to be revised, featuring a design similar to that of Mitsubishi’s latest offerings, as well as more tech features, both for the infotainment and for safety.

The current model is offered with a 2.4-liter DI-D turbodiesel four-cylinder engine in Europe, with either 151hp or 178hp. Chances are that the new model will continue using the same engine in an updated form.

The new Mitsubishi L200 (known as the Triton in some markets) has been developed to embody the Engineered Beyond Tough keyphrase which underlined its creation. Elements making it significantly more competitive include: More powerful styling that incorporates the latest iteration of the Dynamic Shield front design concept; an enhanced 4WD system that delivers improved off-road performance and the latest in active safety and driver assistance systems. Overall, the new model features significant refinements to the durability and reliability required by the commercial user and to the comfort and ride quality sought by the private user.

Powerful "Engineered Beyond Tough" Design

The new Mitsubishi L200 features a revitalized design under the concept "Rock Solid" that embodies, both inside and out, the full essence of its "Engineered Beyond Tough" development keyphrase - a toughness fully underpinned by engineering prowess and knowhow.

The front of the vehicle incorporates the new-generation "Dynamic Shield" front design concept: The high engine hood line and beefier-looking lamps located higher up give the new model a more powerful and imposing front end. Newly sculpted body curves with contrasting sharp lines, extended wheel flares and bright accents add modernity and embody the strength of a Mitsubishi Motors' truck. The lighting and bumpers become part of the tough design, framing the front and rear designs and adding visual width.

Inside, the restyled cabin of the Mitsubishi L200 expresses a modern and robust feeling with frame surroundings for the switch panel and air outlets. A high quality look is created by soft pad materials and stitching on the floor console, armrests and parking brake.

4WD System Delivers Enhanced All-Terrain Performance

New Mitsubishi L200 4WD models are fitted with either Super-Select 4WD, which delivers optimum traction and handling characteristics for any given surface, or Easy-Select 4WD, which simplifies switching between drive modes for different road surfaces. With the addition of new drive modes, both 4WD systems deliver improved off-road performance.

Both Super-Select and Easy-Select 4WD systems use a new Off-road Mode which has GRAVEL, MUD/SNOW, SAND and ROCK (in 4LLc only) settings. When engaged, Off-road Mode integrally controls engine power, transmission and braking to regulate the amount of wheel slip and thereby maximize all-terrain performance and self-extraction performance in mud or snow. Hill Descent Control electronically controls the speed to allow the driver to negotiate steep or slippery descents more safely and with more assurance.

Active Safety / Driver Assistance Systems

New Mitsubishi L200 retains the current model's high-durability, high-reliability ladder-type frame and high impact-safety cabin structure while featuring class-leading advanced active safety and driver assistance systems.

Systems providing all-direction safety and reassurance are:

• 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.

Providing convenient driver assistance are the Multi Around Monitor, which generates a bird's eye view image of the area around the vehicle, and Parking Sensors.

Pickup Truck Performance & Functionality

The new Mitsubishi L200 features many detail improvements, directed by the Engineered Beyond Tough development keyphrase, to the durability and reliability sought in commercial use and to the comfort and ride sought in private use. Braking performance and feel are improved with the use of larger front discs and calipers; ride is improved with the use of larger rear dampers which contain more damping oil and switching to a six-speed automatic transmission from the current five-speed auto to allow smoother, more powerful acceleration and improved refinement.

Earlier this year, Mitsubishi debuted a tough-looking concept version of its Triton midsize pickup truck called the Triton Absolute. In short, it was billed as a competitor for the Ford Ranger Raptor, which debuted last August for markets outside of North America. Mitsubishi’s venerable Triton (AKA L200 is certain markets) is also a not-for-U.S. staple in the truck world, and though the Absolute was billed as just a concept, talk immediately surfaced about a possible production model.

Now, that talk is elevated a couple notches. Australian motoring website CarAdvice claims to have trademark application images from Mitsubishi showing two versions of a possible production-spec Triton Absolute. One version is very mild, looking mostly like the newly facelifted 2019 pickup with fender flares, side steps, and a suspension lift. The other is more aggressive, incorporating bed-mounted side sails and bars, and a roof rack with integrated lights similar to the concept vehicle. The purported images are available to view in the CarAdvice report; we tried digging up the specific trademark application mentioned as the source but came up empty-handed. No other details about a possible production model are known.

If such a thing comes to pass, the concept likely provides clues to how a production version would get along. The mechanical changes on the Triton Absolute are limited to the suspension, with a two-inch lift providing a bit more ground clearance. Engineers also widened the truck’s stance and increased its suspension travel for a more accommodating off-road ride. Whether it’s capable of taking small jumps like the Raptor is unknown, as are any potential changes to the engine. On the aesthetic/functional side, the concept also gets skid plates front and rear and meaty off-road tires for better grip on loose surfaces. Aforementioned bed and roof add-ons complete the crux of the package.

Mitsubishi is currently on tour with its Triton Absolute concept, and we suspect the automaker is gauging response on the truck rather closely. A trademark application certainly isn’t a smoking gun for an imminent production model, as such things are submitted regularly for designs and inventions just to make sure the intellectual property is protected. Still, there’s no denying that pickup trucks are gaining popularity around the world, and we’re sure Mitsubishi would love a bigger slice of the market.