“Go Beyond Limits” – Taking the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton on an awesome trip North
Since its PH release at the start of the year, the Mitsubishi Triton’s following has all but grown. Dropping the Strada nameplate may have changed things up, but the all-new model is more than just an exterior nip and tuck. The folks at Mitsubishi Motors Philippines gave a few of us in the Media a quick travel North of Luzon for a road trip and a bit of an adventure with the Triton just to show us how, with their newest pickup, to “Go Beyond Limits”.
A tale of 2 pickups: the Mitsubishi Triton GLS and Athlete
The Media Drive with the Mitsubishi Triton started pretty early, and it was a good thing that the morning rendezvous was at a familiar coffee shop. Coffee, pickup trucks, a road trip. Not much for “going beyond limits”, really. But it was a welcome start nonetheless. The early hours had officials from Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) and event organizers run us through what was to be a long and busy day but it did well to get us pretty excited for what was to come.
MMPC continued reiterating that phrase, “Go Beyond Limits” throughout the morning, and the rest of the day. We’re just glad to report that it was a good build-up to what limits we could go beyond.
Flag-off!
The Mitsubishi Triton Drive saw us travel north – way north of Luzon – to the province of Bataan. As you can imagine, it was going to be long and arduous. The morning traffic in the city and the Skyway didn’t do much to put smiles on our faces, but sitting behind the wheel of the Triton 4×2 GLS was enough to make me say “Yeah, once we hit the highways, it’ll be fine”. And fine it quite was.
But again, what “limit” are we going beyond at this point? After some rest stops and continuing the long drive, we think the first limit we needed to get past was our taste in food. No, more like “What’s your limit to the food you’re willing to eat”?
Lunch was served at this charming restaurant named Lola Nor’s, still within the confines of Pampanga and still a way off from Bataan, our intended destination. The Mitsubishi Triton made quick work of the Skyway, NLEX, and SCTEX drive; make no mistake that the 4×2 GLS which was our trio’s steed for the Drive feels very much at home on the road. Fuel consumption was frugal, the ride quality supple and remarkably comfortable, plus the participant-customized Spotify playlist made for a relaxing and fun drive. Now, back to lunch and limits.
The spread was incredible, mind you. But towards the end of the buffet table – and I have no clue if the folks who came up with this Mitsubishi Triton Drive did this on purpose – was a small bowl of what looked like a combination of burnt (but only to a delicious crisp) adobo and chicharon bits. Beside it, a nameplate: Kamaru.
Kamaru is a delicacy in Pampanga; I’m fortunate enough to know what it is given how this author’s Mum loves Kapampangan food. If this was the first test of how to “go beyond limits”, familiar as I was, I was not keen on feasting on rice field crickets. Yes, crickets. It looked unlike anything – but you can tell it was of the 6-legged animal kind – and smelled delicious, but thank you, no. I’m sure it was good, though! Perhaps next time, yes?
Limit challenge 1: failed, we suppose. Now off to the next stop for some proper off-road fun with the Mitsubishi Triton.
The next stop was the Cabog Cabog View Deck. As the name implies, the View Deck sits atop a mountain or a very high hill overlooking a treat that was prepped by MMPC: an off-road track. It was flat for the most part with a good number of steep inclines and descents, and it was wet and muddy. We alighted from our 4×2 GLS and hopped into the 4×4 Triton Athlete for this one. Let the second Go Beyond Limits challenge commence.
As sedate as the GLS was on-road, the off-road capability of the Mitsubishi Triton Athlete shone and was shown admirably on this “trail”. The torque was fantastic, barely any input was needed to get you crawling past bumps and rocks deeply eroded “potholes”. The steering of the Athlete remained taut, its grip unwavering. So much so that on an open right-hand bend, I punched the throttle, went sideways (but only just. I didn’t want our instructor to smack me across the head), corrected, and felt how whether fast or slow, the Triton Athlete has more than enough to give in the power and pull department, as well as in stability and handling.
Our instructor did tell me to punch it again on the next left-hander, but seeing as some of our fellows were near a pretty threatening water hole, we both thought better not to, lest give the folks an unwelcome mud shower. With all the fun seemingly over, we had to drive to the resort where we’ll be staying for the night. Fortunately, the road from the View Deck and going back to the mountain roads were also filled with muddy hills; much muddier than the makeshift trail. This time, we had to navigate through the rough terrain in the 4×2.
While not a beast meant for such conditions, the Mitsubishi Triton 4×2 GLS still held its own well. A bit of slips and slides here and there, and the threat of getting stuck in a mud bank were some things we needed to get past, and we did. Not as easily in a 4×4, but again, to subject the GLS to such punishment was enough to test its, err, limits.
Go Beyond Limits Off-Road Challenge in both a 4×2 and a 4×4 Triton? Passed.
The pack of Mitsubishi Tritons made its way to Rancho Bernardo, which by all means was a resort that set a limit of its own in the resorts industry. The photo you see above (the red Triton GLS on the left was our unit for the trip) was the facade that greets everyone at the entrance. I mean, come on. The place had its own Arc de Triomphe and Trevi Fountain! Not much for us participants, but for MMPC and Rancho Bernardo, this venue made going beyond anyone’s limits very easy!
The day ended with a relaxing dinner, a fun program with music and friends from MMPC and the industry, and just like that, limits were reached and everyone welcomed the chance to get rest, relaxation, and quiet, undisturbed sleep.
The second day of the Triton Drive was a lot more steady, slow. If we are to go back to its “Go Beyond Limits” slogan, here’s a view from one of the higher points of Rancho Bernardo. If that doesn’t reach or break limits in the breathtaking view department, we don’t know what will.
Before breakfast, some of us signed up to go the the highest point of the resort which was aptly named “The Peak”. There stood two Mitsubishi Tritons which were ready for a quick photo op with us Media folks. The view from the top, even more beautiful. Again, limit reached. No, broken and gone beyond of.
It didn’t take too long for us to realize that the busy day that was and the long drive that waited for us were inevitable precursors to the end of this Triton Drive. It’s opportunities like this that give us time to think a lot about what we do and why we do our jobs in this industry. In the case of the Mitsubishi Triton, both its GLS 4×2 and Athlete 4×4 variants took center stage to show off what they can do and on what. And that’s what we’re here to write about. That, and more.
After an amazing overnight workcation, we drove back to Metro Manila to another treat from the Mitsubishi Triton. After traveling more than 400 kilometers, coupled with spirited bursts on the expressways and mountain roads, a lot of throttle mashing to keep ourselves out of muddy pits, and a total of almost 13 hours on the road, our Mitsubishi Triton 4×2 GLS averaged 12.8 kilometers per liter. Perhaps this may seem high to some, but again, if you look at it in relation to the distance traveled, it’s not that bad. It’s not that bad at all.
With a smidge more than half a tank left, memories of a fun long drive and off-road adventure, and images of sights (as well as sounds) atop a mountain resort, our Mitsubishi Triton Media Drive came to its end.
It was quite simple, yes. But it was in its simplicity that we were shown that the Triton, regardless of its variant, its garb, its now cleaner and classier appearance, that to “Go Beyond Limits” is something that it can still do and pass with flying colors.
The only question now is what your limit is, and what your Mitsubishi Triton weapon of choice will be. Yes, depending on what your limits are, on- or off-road, there is a Triton that is built for your exact wants and needs, and as clear as the sunrise, we found that either way, a Triton is a good choice for the pickup fans and the Mitsubishi faithful.
