Mitsubishi Triton Raider 2026 review

The Mitsubishi Triton Raider is the most hardcore factory-backed Triton ever.

It follows the lead of other Aussie-honed, off-road-pitched flagships including the Toyota Hilux Rugged X, Isuzu D-Max Blade, Ford Ranger Wildtrak (it’s a step down from the Raptor), Kia Tasman X-Pro and, of course, the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior.

Like those others, Raider is all about chassis and visual changes, with upgrades to suspension, styling, wheels and tyres, but no more power.

But unlike those other utes, Mitsubishi is quite clear where the Triton Raider fits, as a high-speed gravel specialist — a callback to Mitsubishi’s golden era when Lancer and Pajero Evolutions captured enthusiasts’ hearts and minds.

Leading the modifications was Australian second-stage manufacturing outfit Premcar. You may have heard of them from the Navara Warrior (or FPVs and Tickfords, for the older audience).

The Raider sits 25mm higher at the front and 15mm taller at the rear, with 20mm wider tracks thanks to custom, Australian-built ROH Assault alloys. Their bronze paint doesn’t aid performance, but it does amp menace.

Additionally, there’s subtle Raider extras including chunky side-steps, unique black sports bar, red contrast front underbody protection, ‘Raider’ badging outside and in, plus embossed headrests, and black mirror caps. Colours are limited to white, silver, grey or black.

The changes do add up, though, making the Raider more than $10K dearer than the GSR ($63,690 driveaway) on which it’s based, priced at $74,990 on the road. And notably, it’s missing any sort of integrated bullbar or lighting upgrades.

As with any other Mitsubishi Product, the Triton Raider is covered by 10 years of roadside assistance, 10 years of capped-price servicing and up to 10 years and 200,000km of warranty providing you service at a dealer beyond five years.

Why not call it a Ralliart? Mitsubishi says that’s because it isn’t a Ralliart product.

One of those would have greater performance, cleverer suspension technology and more imposing looks. It sounds like there could potentially be one in the future — providing the Raider program is a success. We understand that 1000 Raider sales in 12 months would be considered an excellent result.

To achieve enough sales, the Raider needs to be good. But there’s more to it than that; it also needs to crown Mitsubishi’s range until Pajero arrives, stand out from the crowd and justify its extra asking price.

How does the Triton Raider drive?

The Raider builds on broader MY26 change to the Mitsubishi Triton ute; all grades will get a firmer damper tune and the ability to disable the still-annoying driver-attention monitoring in two clicks. High-grade GSRs and Raiders score Yamaha Performance Dampers between the frame and body to reduce cabin noise and limit shudder over bumps.

Setting the new off-road flagship apart are new, 10mm taller front coil springs, specially-valved Monroe dampers with internal rebound spring, more progressive bump stops and Bridgestone AT002 tyres wrapped around lighter 18-inch alloy wheels.

There are no changes to the powertrain, a 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel producing 150kW at 3000rpm and 470Nm from a broad 1500-2750rpm. It’s quite a flexible motor but has to work hard and is vocal under duress.

On the face of it then, the Raider is a similar recipe to what anyone could do in the aftermarket but as always, the devil is in Premcar’s detailed execution.

Somehow, the steering feels tighter with less dead-zone around the centre. It’s also better weighted. The whole ute feels more stable on the road, thanks to the suspension changes, and yet small-bump compliance remains superb.

The only place the Raider feels stiffer than the regular ute is below 40km/h, where it can still be abrupt over speed humps. It’s a pick-up at the end of the day, though, and one that retains a useful 990kg payload and a 3.5-tonne towing capacity.

Sending drive to four wheels is a six-speed automatic transmission and Mitsubishi’s Super Select II 4WD system, allowing all-wheel drive on sealed surfaces. It means more grip more of the time and greater agility on gravel. That’s exactly where the Raider shines brightest, as promised by Mitsubishi.

On high-speed, unsealed roads the calm steering and supportive ride make it an ideal platform for covering ground. While we didn’t experience some of the more horrible corrugations Australian roads have to offer, the railway crossings and mid-corner bumps encountered prove Premcar has done a great job.

Mitsubishi’s ESC calibration is excellent with a sensible amount of leeway and smooth operation when the nannies step in for ultimate confidence.

If there’s one criticism, the Raider could have done with a ‘Rally’ or ‘Raid’ mode that sharpened throttle and gearbox response and allowed some more slip angle. That’s outside the scope of Premcar and Mitsubishi Australia, unfortunately.

A minor trade-off comes from the tyres. They’re undoubtedly excellent on dirt roads but they introduce a whisker more road noise. You’ll get used to it, though.

We got to try out some lower speed 4WD obstacles as well, including rutted hill climbs and offset moguls. Compared to the Hilux’s gold-standard smooth shifts in low range, the Triton is a little clunky. Aside from that, the Triton was already one of the more capable 4WDs on the market and the Raider only improves things.

More clearance means less getting hung-up, greater compliance and control stops you being thrown around the cabin, while good articulation and quick-to-act traction control mean you barely need to rely on the rear differential lock.

How is the Triton Raider’s interior?

Inside the Raider is essentially a top-spec Triton GSR with a few bits of Raider insignia.

The variant name is embossed into the headrests and sits on a plaque ahead of the traditional gear shifter. Features such as orange stitching, leather-accented upholstery and six-way power adjustable driver’s seat with heating are lifted straight from the GSR.

The Raider’s seats are comfortable, the three-spoke dimpled leather-appointed steering wheel feels nice in the hands, and there’s reasonable cabin storage with four cup holders offered.

Materials are a little better than some rivals with squishy pads dotted around, but it is a $75,000 ute, so you should expect some creature comforts. We would have also liked to see the luxury of ventilated seats, as found in the Kia Tasman X-Pro, which can be had for $65K driveway on offer.

Technology is solid, with a 9.0-inch colour multimedia touchscreen that supports wireless or wired smartphone mirroring. There’s a wireless charging port, 12-volt socket and both regular USB-A and USB-C charge points.

Usability of key controls is good with shortcut buttons on the steering wheel and physical HVAC stack beneath the screen.

We notice that, although the Super Select, Drive Mode and hill descent control switches are all smartly located on the centre console, the rear differential lock switch doesn’t stand out in its spot next to the 12-volt socket. A colourful or textured surround would make it easier to locate when you need it.

The back seat of the Triton Raider isn’t bad with good width across the bench, though toe-room is tight if you’re wearing boots. The roof-mounted vents seem to be a love or hate solution but there’s no doubting the air conditioning’s power — it can get icy cold.

Around the back, the tub is nice and wide (1545mm) but not as long (1430mm) as a Toyota Hilux’s. There are four tie-down points and a drop-in bed liner. The Triton Raider comes outfitted with a soft tonneau cover and steel sports bar finished in black.

The honest verdict

This is the most capable and well-rounded Mitsubishi Triton ever. It’s better than a GSR in every way: more compliant, nicer to drive and with greater capability.

Mitsubishi Australia and Premcar have done extremely well with the Raider package. It reminds us a little bit of the original, diesel-powered Ranger Raptor. A really good chassis asking for some more grunt.

Will it sell in vast quantities? It seems unlikely. Newer names are moving fast, with GWM’s Cannon Alpha and BYD’s Shark 6 improving every day and grabbing headlines.

The Triton Raider doesn’t go after sensational figures like some others, and in a sense it’s all the better for it — even if it is a little expensive.

As a warm-up for a potential future, punchier Ralliart project and all-round excellent dual-cab ute, the Premcar-fettled Mitsubishi Triton Raider feels satisfyingly greater than the sum of its parts.