Nissan and Mitsubishi are already global alliance partners, and their connection has become even closer in Australia after the latter brand picked the former’s existing engineering partner to hone a new version of the Triton.
The Mitsubishi Triton Raider has been revealed today as the new off-road flagship of the ute’s local lineup, arriving in dealerships from May 2026.
According to Mitsubishi, development of the Triton Raider was led by Andrew Lynch, senior engineering partner to Premcar, the former Ford Performance Vehicles operations which has, in recent years, developed the off-road Nissan Navara and Patrol Warriors.
The appointment of Premcar to the development of the Triton Raider further blurs the line between it and the new-generation Nissan Navara, which is twinned with the Triton in every aspect bar its Premcar-developed dampers, tuned for the Australian and New Zealand markets.
As reported last week, Mitsubishi announced the Triton is getting a handful of updates in Australia soon which includes revised dampers, however this is a global change and is not exclusive to the local market.
In the Triton Raider, Premcar has taken the existing Triton GSR flagship and fitted what Mitsubishi calls “a unique front and rear suspension damper package”, which includes the front shocks incorporating an internal rebound spring.
While it says this package was developed for the Triton Raider, the Navara also features a front internal rebound spring. Where the Raider differs is in its new front springs and bump stops.
The Triton Raider also retains the new GSR’s Yamaha Performance Damper, fitted across the chassis at the front and rear to give the ute better body control and reduced NVH.
All Triton Raiders are fitted with ROH 18-inch alloy wheels, finished in Brushed Bronze with ‘Raider’ centre caps, while being shod in 285/60 Bridgestone Dueler AT002 all-terrain tyres.
Mitsubishi says the Triton Raider sits 25mm higher at the front than the Triton GSR (with 15mm due to the new wheels and tyres, and 10mm thanks to the front springs), while the rear is 15mm taller than standard. The front and rear track widths have also been extended by 20mm.
Other exterior enhancements include unique ‘Sandstorm’ side decals, bespoke Raider badging, a Raider-branded heavy-duty red-coloured bash plate, and specific sports bar and side protection bars with red highlights.
Inside changes are minimal, consisting of Raider-branded front headrests and a further Raider badge fitted to the centre console.
The Triton Raider is powered by an unchanged twin-turbo 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, which makes 150kW and 470Nm, mated to a four-wheel drive system and a six-speed automatic transmission.
Mitsubishi is yet to set a price for the Triton Raider, though it’s expected to be north of the GSR’s $65,590 before on-road costs tag.
Though it’s unlikely to be followed up by an even more hardcore Triton, the Raider previews some of the changes we can expect to the Navara when its latest Warrior variant launches this year.
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