Popularity Contest

CAN THE NEW MITSUBISHI TRITON CHALLENGE THE CLASS LEADERS FOR TOP 4X4 UTE HONOURS? WE LINE IT UP WITH A HILUX AND RANGER TO FIND OUT

- MATT RAUDONIKIS

IT'S no secret that double-cab 4x4 utes are the biggest selling vehicles in Australia right now. Be they for family, work or adventuring, these light trucks have taken over as the rig of choice for so many Australians as auto-makers flock to join the rush and add more brands and models to the segment.

The Australian ute segment has been a two-horse race for the past five years with Ford's Ranger challenging the long-standing top dog, the Toyota HiLux, for sales supremacy. If you go back a decade Toyota had the market lead to itself and in 2023 Ford Ranger overtook HiLux as, not only the best-selling 4x4 ute in Australia, but the best-selling car overall.

While Toyota and Ford duked it out at the top of the list it was daylight to third place where the Mitsubishi Triton was selling in big enough numbers on a value-for-money package to have third place to itself for many years. But as the Triton aged and the segment moved on, its sales waned and Isuzu's newer D-MAX stole Mitsubishi's long-held bronze medal.

The triple-diamond brand is fighting back and wants its third place returned, or even better. Its latest weapon is an all-new Triton range that covers everything from two-wheel drive single-cab-chassis to the leather-clad GSR double cab with the promise of more to come.

The double-cab 4x4 models are the most popular so we've pitted the new Triton against the HiLux and Ranger to see if it has what it takes to challenge the hierarchy.

Our three contenders are a bit mixed in specification and price. At the top of the list is the Ford Ranger XLT four-cylinder which retails for $63,640+ORC. Next down the order is the new Mitsubishi Triton GLS at $59,090+ORC, while the Toyota HiLux SR is the cheapest vehicle here at $56,2130+ORC.