Earlier this year, Mitsubishi Motors South Africa launched a limited edition of the Mitsubishi Triton. Marketed as the Triton Xtreme, it is available in both 4x4 and 4x2 double-cab body styles. The Xtreme brand was first introduced in the mid 1990’s, as part of the Colt bakkie range and this new Triton Xtreme Limited Edition is the fourth time the Xtreme brand has been used to customize a limited number of Mitsubishi Double cab bakkies.

General Manager of Mitsubishi Motors South Africa Nic Campbell says that this new Xtreme Limited Edition is a local development, based on customer research from the launch of the new Triton. He adds that present-day bakkies, with their car-like drivability and passenger-car comfort, define the standing of the modern-day double-cab bakkie owner because of the multiple lifestyle and practical benefits of its versatile body style configuration. He says that the imported body styling kit provides extra protection for high-risk components such as; the front and rear lights, the grille and bonnet, wheel arches and tailgate, protecting it against superficial damage on off-road excursions.

The Triton Extreme factory-fitted body kit includes; bonnet guards, grille and fog lamp covers, front and rear light guards, wheel arch covers, front and rear door handle protection covers, Triton branded scuff plates, heavy-duty rubber mats, tonneau cover, style bar, tailgate cover, fuel flap cover plus black and chrome alloy wheels shod with Cooper Adventurer All-terrain tyres. All fitments are done and quality-checked by Mitsubishi, using imported body kits, which means all the additional Xtreme accessories are covered by the original manufacturer's factory warranty. All this adds up to a massive value of over R60 000, however this factory-installed body kit, will cost buyers just R20 000 more than the listed retail price of the standard Triton double-cab into which it is installed. The bold design of this special edition body kit does not only offer a distinctive look, but it also makes the macho Triton Xtreme stand out in a crowd.

The new Triton Xtreme Double Cab is powered by Mitsubishi’s all-new 2.4-litre MIVEC turbo diesel engine, pushing out a healthy 133 kW at 3 500 RPM and peak torque of 430 NM at 2 500 RPM. Based on a road test I did on a Mitsubishi Triton Double Cab a couple of months ago, I can honestly say that the interior of the Xtreme is very well equipped and quite luxurious for a bakkie. Travelling around town, the excellent power steering system and relatively small turning circle makes it easy to handle, while on the freeways travelling at 120 km/h, the engine ticks over at just 2 200 RPM and when you need to overtake, power comes in so strongly that you don't need a long run-up to get safely by. Fuel consumption will average about nine litres per 100 km’s in the combined cycle.

In terms of safety, the new Mitsubishi Triton Double Cab achieved a full five-star safety rating in the Australian NCAP safety performance test, aided by Mitsubishi's patented Reinforced Safety Evolution Technology. This is coupled to features such as; driver and front passenger airbags, a fully collapsible steering column and additional side-impact bars in the doors, with the Active Stability and Traction Control system, ABS and EBD, as well as Hill Start Assist all fitted as standard.