Putting the Premcar-tuned Mitsubishi Triton Raider through its paces
Words: Scott Newman
Photos: Nathan Jacobs
There are almost half-a-million kilometres of unsealed roads in Australia. Other countries have similarly vast networks – Mongolia, Canada, Argentina, South Africa and more – but Australia’s are relatively unique in being generally well-tended and therefore capable of supporting higher speeds. If you have the right vehicle for the job, that is.
During the development of the Mitsubishi Triton Raider, Premcar spent a lot of time in this wide, brown land on wide, brown roads, homing in on a setup that would give drivers confidence and control regardless of road surface, but especially at higher speeds.
This allows for greater comfort and less fatigue on arrow-straight roads that disappear into the centre of the horizon like a laser sight, but also pays dividends when they twist and turn over cambers and crests, like those that run through the Wandong State Forest north of Melbourne.
These are rally roads, exceptionally smooth by unsealed standards, of the sort that would make Tommi Makinen pull his belts tighter and prepare for maximum attack in a Lancer Evolution VI. You could easily drive a regular passenger car along them, but the Raider’s Bridgestone AT002 all-terrains dig through the loose top layer into the hard-packed surface below.
The Triton’s steering is among the best in class and guides the nose accurately, while a click to 4H on the Super Select 4WD II provides all-wheel drive traction without the need to lock the centre diff. You don’t need to be off the beaten track to feel the benefits of this, as it improves stability when towing and on wet or greasy tarmac.
A 20mm track increase front and rear provides a wider footprint, the Raider unperturbed by the road’s constant rise and fall, the uprated suspension keeping the body firmly under control as a billowing dust cloud traces our progress.
While in general the surface is little more arduous than your average highway, every now and then a cluster of deep potholes appear. Often presenting out of nowhere, the first couple of times they elicit a wince in preparation for impact, only for the giant divots to suddenly become mere ripples.
Like a magician waving their wand, well-tuned, high-end suspension seems to make bumps disappear without so much as an abracadabra. The Raider’s Monroe shocks have greater oil capacity, a larger piston, variant-specific rebound springs and new bump stops to shield occupants from undue disturbance, and the ROH ‘Assault’ wheels are designed to soak up punishment.
They look good, too. Function is paramount, but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of form. Those rims are 1.5-inch wider than standard (now 18 x 9.0-inch) with an extra 20mm of tyre (now 285/60) to really fill the wheel wells, while the side steps, sports bar, unique front bumper and red bash plate give it a presence beyond even that of the GSR.
While improving high-speed composure was a top priority for the Raider program, that doesn’t mean traditional dual-cab values have been ignored. The Triton’s 3500kg maximum braked towing capacity is retained and there is 990kg of payload.
Those aesthetic upgrades enhance its off-road ability, too; 10mm-taller front springs combine with the larger rolling stock to lift the body by 25mm at the front and 15mm at the rear. Yet if the going is really rough, the tougher bash plate provides peace of mind that vital components are well protected.
Which is just as well, as there’s a strong chance they’re about to be put to the test. I’ve come this way before, but in my memory this climb was half the length and half as rough. It towers ahead of the Raider, deeply rutted and with boulders of ever-increasing size jutting out of the earth like barnacles on the side of a boat.
Two twists of the dial converts 4H into 4LLc, Rock mode is selected and the rear diff lock is engaged. It is amazing what standard production utes are capable of, or at least ones that have been developed with Australia’s toughest conditions in mind, for while there is the odd scrabble and one scrape from the sidestep on a particularly large rock, this gnarly climb has failed to frighten this Triton in the slightest.
It’s warm today, with a blazing sun high in the sky, so the discovery of two deep ruts filled with mud and water is a surprise. A welcome surprise for both the photographer and the driver, who is still five years old at heart.
A depth test with a cutting-edge piece of off-road technology – aka a long stick – shows that it’ll pose no problem for the increased ride height of the Raider, but the smell that emanates from the stagnant pool suggests it hasn’t been disturbed in a long time and has us beating a hasty retreat.
Returning to faster, more flowing roads has the flagship Triton once again showing its consistency and control. You might find yourself seeking out gravel shortcuts, traveling as the crow flies; the journey might not be completed any quicker, but it’ll be infinitely more interesting.
Driving for 12 hours a day at an average of 80km/h, it would take 521 days to cover Australia’s half-million kilometres of unsealed roads, but with the backing of Mitsubishi’s 10/10/10 aftersales support, there’s plenty of time.
Mitsubishi Triton Raider Specifications
Price: $74,990 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel
Outputs: 150kW/470Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption: 7.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 203g/km (ADR Combined)
Kerb weight: 2195kg
Gross Vehicle Mass: 3185kg
Max towing: 3500kg (braked)
Gross Combined Mass: 6200kg
Visit raideraustralia.com.au for more information.
About Premcar:
Premcar Pty Ltd is a leading Australian vehicle engineering business that specialises in the automotive, defence and aerospace industries. For 30 years, global car-makers have made Premcar their go-to partner for the complete design, engineering and manufacture of niche-model new cars, full-scale new-vehicle development programs, and electric vehicle (EV) conversions and manufacturing. Premcar’s body of work is extensive. It is the name behind more than 213,000 new cars and 55,000 new-vehicle engines. The company has delivered technical advancements and sales success for major car brands from Europe, the USA, Japan, China and Australia. Visit premcar.au.
