At a special media preview today, MMM announced that the new model will be officially launched on November 20 2006 and as with the current L200, there are no plans to assemble locally. Also, for the immediate future, only the doublecab 4WD variant will be offered; the singlecab and 4x2 variant may come later on. The price of the Triton will only be confirmed during the official launch but MMM’s CEO, F. Minami, said that it is estimated to be RM88,000 for the manual transmission version and perhaps another RM5,000 more for the automatic.

New styling is bolder than the model being replaced (below). Radical looks should make the Triton stand out more

More eye-catching is the design of the cab with  curved rear side doors. Some may like it, some may not but it certainly will make this pick-up stand out! The rounded edges suggest good aerodynamics and there is a reduction in the Cd (drag) value to 0.52 – terrible by passenger car standards but creditable when you consider that the current L200 has a Cd of 0.62! A lot of wind tunnel work must have be carried out and there are even tiny projections on the door mirrors to smoothen airflow as it whips around the sides of the housings.

Under the bonnet is a new engine with 2.5-litre displacement. This is a technologically-advanced DOHC 16-valve turbodiesel with a common-rail fuel delivery system. Optimized fuel injection is assured by an electronically-controlled pump and a 32-bit ECU with feedback function. The result is an impressive output of 136 ps at 3500 rpm and 314 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm.

The muscular character is partly due to the use of a turbocharger with an intercooler that reduces the temperature of the air going in so it can be more dense. Though the previous engine had the intercooler on top of the cylinder head and had an air-scoop on the bonnet, the new engine’s intercooler is behind the bumper where it gets the best cooling.

New 2.5-litre turbodiesel has commonrail fuel delivery. MMM says there are no problems with local diesel quality

The rear axle is equipped with a hybrid limited-slip differential (LSD) which manages torque transmission on the rear wheels to ensure stability even when one wheel spins. The ‘hybrid’ feature makes it possible for the LSD to co-exist with the ABS and enhance off-road driving significantly.

A notable point of the Triton is its turning circle which is 5.9 metres in radius, pretty tight for this type of vehicle. Its overall length may still make parking a chore at times but being able to turn around in a smaller circle would certainly be welcome.

Alloy rims are provided as standard with a diameter of 16 inches. The standard tyres are dual-purpose types with a size of 265/70. They would generally be okay for mild off-road driving but those who want to venture deep into the jungle, especially where it gets very muddy, would be advised to switch to proper off-road tyres – though noise levels will be higher on the road.

Typical rear suspension with leafsprings

The suspension system is typical for a pick-up – double wishbones in front and a robust live axle with semi-elliptic leafsprings. The telescopic shock absorbers are angled to reduce axle wind-up during hard acceleration.

In the past, pick-ups used to given basic safety features to keep costs down and it was also though that they were not that necessary. Today, however, with such vehicles being used as daily transport and also able to attain high cruising speeds on highways, the need for safety features is very great.

For the Triton, two airbags are standard at the front and there are other important features such as a collapsible steering column, anti-intrusion brake pedal (which will fold away during an accident) and beams inside the doors. The brake booster is also said to be the largest in its class at 10 inches diameter and to prevent skidding, ABS is standard along with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD). The latter is important because the rear end is light and the wheels can easily lock up on slippery conditions; EBD adjusts braking pressure between front and rear wheels according to the load carried for balanced braking.

For the driver, the layout is very well arranged, putting everything within easy reach. The blue-faced meters have that overlapping arrangement for the three circles and for the Triton automatic, the gear position is indicated in the LCD panel within the speedometer.

Clever ideas in the Triton

The off-road drive was much more exciting and the Triton gave a good first account of itself in conditions that had become very muddy due to the heavy rain these past two days. The current L200 already has a pretty good ride comfort level and the Triton continues this pleasant character. It felt like there was more room to shift the body around and could be due to the new design of the seats.

The driving position is excellent and what was very nice was the smaller turning circle. There were many tight turns along the track and the Triton could get around them without having to do 3-point turns. Of course, even if you have to do that, with power steering these days, the effort is greatly reduced so it is more the hassle.

High-position of air intake opening makes it possible to go through water this deep!

The conditions were not so tough as to make it challenging for the engine but for now, it can be said that its smoothness was noticeable and diesel clatter also seemed to be suppressed better. It can’t be just the insulating sheet under the bonnet and is probably partly due to the commonrail delivery system as well which promotes better combustion.

The Triton is a very important model for MMM and is expected to sell at a rate of 200 units a month. It has strong rivals in a very competitive segment but the bold new styling should draw many people to it while the new engine will also be a strong point. Looks like 2007 will see the Battle of the Pick-ups!