SPONSOR SHOUTOUT: I used seat covers from our sponsor FitMyCar, which are made from super durable canvas that lasts for ages and is completely waterproof so childrens' spills won’t seep into your car seat fabric! They have a great website where you pop in your make and model, and they’ll show you all the accessories that fit along with a picture of the car to make sure you’ve got the right products. Delivery is free to your door too so it's a huge time saver! If you find BabyDrive helpful, please support us by supporting our sponsors!
I am a HUGE fan of the Mitsubishi Triton after testing the previous model last year and found it the easiest Ute to install child seats into. So I was very excited to be given two of the new 2019 Mitsubishi Tritons at the same time! The GLS Premium model and the GLX base model. Normally I might feel quite stressed at the thought of having to install child seats into two utes in the same week but this time I was looking forward to the handy zip access to the top tether anchorages, so knew I didn't need to worry with the Triton.
The main point of difference is the exterior of the Triton looked quite different, the previous model's side profile reminded me of the shape of a Genie's lamp and I know lots of parents told me they either loved it or hated it. Well, that is gone, and instead, the nose is wider, flatter and more conventional looking, which may make the Triton more popular?! The GLX and GLS Premium models both have quite distinct differences in styling at the front too.
I still think the Triton is one of the best utes I have tested for making the crossover into being a family friendly vehicle! It feels fantastic to drive, nice and smooth and like driving a car rather than a Ute. The GLS Premium has more safety features than the GLX base model including Lane Keep Assist, Auto Emergency Braking (AEB) and being one of the first Utes to come with blind spot monitoring.
The media system in the GLS Premium model is a touch screen, it is still quite basic but it has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto whereas the GLX does not have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, the screen is smaller and the system even more dated and basic with a list like system and it is controlled with the buttons surrounding the screen..
The storage inside the cabin is very similar in both spec models and hasn't really changed from the previous model Triton. The glove boxes are of generous size and fit an iPad and wallet in with the manuals. There are two cup holders in the front and two in the back that all hold a re-usable or disposable coffee cup well. There are glasses cases in both ceilings and well-sized door bins in the front and back for large refillable water bottles.
The phone wells in front of the gear lever differed between the two models, the GLX had a hard plastic tray that is removable and has a hidden compartment underneath. Whereas the GLS Premium has a smooth rubber lined well.
The central console storage boxes differ too. The GLX's is slightly smaller and has a tray at the top, whereas the GLS Premium has no tray and is slightly larger.
The GLS Premium has very large rear air-con vents situated in the ceiling. The size of the vents are misleading, and the air flow power does not reflect the size of the vents thankfully! It is quite a subtle gentle flow that does not over-chill your little passengers! The vents are easily reached by the driver to shut them off and there are controls in the back, as well as in the panel in the front ceiling with the sunglasses case.
There are some aesthetic differences between the two models like the seat upholstery. Leather in the GLS Premium and woven fabric in the GLX. I found the seats are exceptionally comfy, with really supportive back and side hugging and shaping. In the back, they are also very comfortable for rear seats.
There are ISOFix points and top tether anchorages for the two outer rear seats in the Triton. I find attaching the top tether to the anchorages easier in the Triton than in most other utes for two reasons; one is the single pull tab on the seat back to bring the entire seat back forward as opposed to lots of other utes that have a tab at either end of the seat back and you have to pull both tabs at the same time. The second is the two zips behind the fold-down armrest that allows you to put your hand through and access to the top tether anchorages.
You can not put a child seat in the central seat of the Triton, I did sit between a forward facing and rear facing child seat but it was a squeeze and I'm only 162cm. The front seats fold really far forward giving you great access through to the middle rear seat! Legroom is quite good in the Triton and we could sit a 182cm passenger in front of a rear-facing child seat.
I like the honesty in only fitting two child seats and not pretending to have room for a third child seat when it really doesn't, although it doesn't give you the flexibility of putting one child set in the central seat and an adult passenger either side.
The Triton's tray is big, holding 30 shopping bags in comparison to the Nissan Navara's 24 bags and the Toyota Hilux which held 29. It was quite easy to access the first two rows of shopping from standing on the floor and to slide strollers in and out, however, I really struggled to reach over the sides!
Another favourite feature of mine on the GLS Premium model is the keyless entry and exit, I LOVE IT!! I could just press the button on the car door to lock and unlock it without having to fumble around with keys while trying to carry a toddler and all the gubbins that goes with them and just leave the key in my handbag all week without touching it!!
Underneath the floor mats in the GLX base model, is a simple plastic floor that you could easily clean or mop out. The GLS Premium has a carpeted floor which is harder to clean kid spills out of!
The Triton is a great BabyDrive, however, my one biggest gripe is the shrill, loud beeping when you first get in, to alert you to the fact you haven't put your seat belt on yet. I found it really made the start of each journey more fractious than it needed to be, setting a hassled tone to the start of every journey and disturbing little passengers. You just have to learn to put your seatbelt on, then turn on the engine but that's not always practical, especially if you just want to cool the cabin quickly as is often the case in our Australian summer!
There is also no digital speedo. it's an old school dial, which I don't find accurate enough with cruise control and speed cameras.
Like all utes, the back window is flat, so sunlight comes straight in rear-facing passengers, which can be a consideration if it is your main family car.
The interior of the cab still has Mitsubishi's shiny black plastic, which I am not a fan of, but it shrinks and wraps around you more like a car interior than a ute.
Overall, I found not too much had changed inside the Triton, it had just had a nose job! It is still a great BabyDrive and both models drive really well, though there are a couple of features on the GLS like the safety features, rear air vents, Apple CarPlay and keyless entry that I found more preferable than the base GLX model.
The Mitsubishi Triton scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2015 and has seven airbags as standard.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How much can you fit in the tray of the Mitsubishi Triton?
Storage in the tray of the Mitsubishi Triton is enormous! It will hold 30 shopping bags when empty. That's six more than the Nissan Navara, and one more than the Toyota Hilux. I struggled to reach over the sides of the Triton but could reach the first two rows of bags in the tray quite easily, I'm 162cm.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Tulsi’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres ia not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The Mountain Buggy Duet Twin stroller fits in the tray with 20 shopping bags alongside it.
The Britax Flexx tandem stroller fits widthways with 20 bags around it.
The Mountain Buggy Urban Jungle single stroller fits with 20 shopping bags around it.
With the Mountain Buggy Nano compact stroller in the tray, I can fit 29 shopping bags in with it. The compact stroller is small, so you could put it in the footwell in the cab instead.
Storage in the cab of the 2019 Triton hasn't changed much. There are little storage wells in all the door handles which I love for putting the keys or little things my daughter has in her hands in when I'm taking her in and out of the car.
The front door bins are and will hold my large refillable water bottle and an iPad fits too.
The central console storage box differs slightly in the two utes, the GLX base model has a little tray in the top and a larger area below with a 12V socket in. The GLS Premium just has a slightly larger console box with no tray in the top. There is a groove cut to allow for a phone cord to run in and out of the box withthe lid closed, which is a nice detail.
In both there are two cup holders in the central console, they are a good size for a disposable and reusable coffee cup.
Another difference in the two specs is the phone tray in front of the gear lever, in the GLX there is a rigid shelf that is removable and has a secret storage well below it and in the GLS Premium, it is a smooth rubber phone well.
The glove box is a good size and I could fit my wallet and iPad in with the manuals.
There is a glasses case in the ceiling of both models, which is lined to protect your lenses. There are no mirrors or lights in the driver's visor in either ute. The front passenger had a mirror in the GLS Premium.
There are 1/3 map pockets that will hold an iPad in the back of both front seats, but not conceal it.
The rear door bins are small but will hold a large refillable water bottle.
In a fold down in the rear central seat back are cup holders, a disposable and reusable coffee cup both fit in them well but. large refillable water bottle does not.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
The new Mitsubishi Triton is still a quieter ute to drive and doesn't have that tractor like engine that I find with a lot of other utes. The road noise is minimal in the Triton too and when I got out of it into a small hatch I found the hatch made a lot more road noise on the motorway!
The GLS Premium has lots of fantastic safety features! It is possibly the first ute to have blind spot monitoring (BSM), which is a safety feature I love and don't mind the beeps from!! It has lane assist and auto emergency braking (AEB), you can turn the latter two off on the control panel by your right knee.
Cruise control buttons in the Triton are situated on the right on the steering wheel. The controls themselves are easy to use but there is no digital display of your speed, which I found frustrating throughout the week. The cruise control was surprisingly accurate on fast flat motorway roads but raced away even up to 10km/h over the set speed on some occassions when I went down hills.
There are large air-conditioning vents in the central dash and a smaller one at either end. The controls in the GLS Premium were really nice and simple to use.
The GLX model didn't have the digital air-con controls but they were still very simple to use.
The GLX has no rear aircon vents, however, the GLS Premium has enormous rear aircon vents that I thought would create too much airflow looking at the size of them! The airflow is surprisingly gentle though and the great thing is I could reach the flaps while driving.
The airflow in the front and back is not too loud and blowy when on full.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
The media screen in the two Tritons differ too. The GLS Premium is slightly larger with a nice flat touch screen and it has a modern system with Apple CarPlay and Andoird Auto.
The GLX uses a much older list-style media system and does not have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. You use the button controls around the edge of the smaller screen.
The reversing camera image is better in the GLS Premium model and has different camera view options.
The parking sensor visual comes up in the display in front of the steering wheel and I found that awkward to look between the steering-wheel the to the camera image on the media screen etc. The button to turn off the parking sensors is below the aircon controls.
The visibility is good in the Tritons, the rear windows do slope up a lot at the back but I didn't find it affected visibility too much when driving or parking.
The windows open quietly and close with a bit of a clunk but not too baby waking. The doors also open and close quite quietly.
With baby asleep you can get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy. The same for the windows their mechanism is not too noisy and I didn’t notice them having a loud opening or closing sound.
With baby asleep you want to be able to get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy and wake Bub up!
There is a seatbelt removal alarm, which also flashes up on a visual on the central console to tell me exactly which seatbelts are fastened.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
In the back of the Triton, there are two top tether anchorages behind the backrest and attached to the wall of the ute. They are only for the outer seats, so the Triton is a two child seat car.
Accessing the top tether anchorage is made easier in the Triton with two zips hidden behind the central seat back armrest that allow you to reach your hand through to the top tether anchorages.
There is also a single tab pully in the central seat back that you pull to release the backrest forward. This is better than in a lot of utes I have tested where there is a tab at either end of the seat back and it is really difficult to reach both at once to pull them.
There are ISOFix points in the two outer seats between the seat back and base cushions, they are not within plastic guides and are quite easy to connect to.
The ISOFix points are easy to locate but are a little bit harder to connect to than the types that are housed in plastic guides.
The cab of the Triton is quite spacious, with enough leg room for a 182cm driver or passenger in front or a rear-facing child seat.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
The front seats in both specs were super comfy! I was stuck in a three-hour traffic jam on my way home from picking them up and I was super comfy but still, a bit stuck in traffic grumpy!! 😉
The GLS Premium had black leather seats and the front ones had heating so the central panels are perforated, which again makes them harder to keep crumb-free!
The seats in the GLX model are upholstered with woven fabric which would, of course, be harder to keep kid spills and dirt out of. But…
SPONSOR SHOUTOUT: I used seat covers from our sponsor FitMyCar, which are made from super durable canvas that lasts for ages and is completely waterproof so childrens' spills won’t seep into your car seat fabric! They have a great website where you pop in your make and model, and they’ll show you all the accessories that fit along with a picture of the car to make sure you’ve got the right products. Delivery is free to your door too so it's a huge time saver! If you find BabyDrive helpful, please support us by supporting our sponsors!
The central rear seat is a bit hard on your back because of the fold-down armrest and there is a hump in the footwell you have to straddle too.
For the first year of Tulsi's life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Tulsi, I know many other mums that do too, so it’s important to check the comfort of the back seats as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The seat belt buckles in the back are sticking out on hard rubber stalks that really stick up into your bum! They are really uncomfortable and are not easy to bend.
The headrests in the Triton do not allow for a ponytail in the front or back!
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get it just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
The steering wheel in the Triton is adjustable both up/down and in/out. This is great because in most utes I've tested, the steering wheels only adjust up/down.
There is a flat back windscreen in the Triton which does send the sunlight straight in onto rear-facing passengers' faces and they get quite cooked!
There are visors on both sides in the front, they are not extendable, and there is only a vanity mirror on the passenger side and it's not lit.
There is a central light in the back that I could not reach in the GLS Premium spec model because it is behind the aircon vents.
In the GLX model there is a light centrally located in the ceiling that I could reach  while driving.
I have found Tulsi does not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light. Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a 5minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!! It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.
There are handles and hooks above both back doors where I could hang a toy in a good position for rear-facing passengers.
There are carpet floor mats in both models of Triton. The GLX has a rubber floor underneath that would be easy to clean out, whereas, the GLS Premium has carpeted floor.
The gear lever feels a bit cheap in your hand, it clunks through an old-style staggered shape in the plastic surround in order to change gears, rather than straight up and down.
The Triton is great to drive around town because it doesn't feel like a big ute when you're driving it and it's quiet and comfortable out on the open road too.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Tulsi has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread when we get the big cars and utes as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Triton was really easy and enjoyable to drive and to park!
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
The Mitsubishi Triton scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2015 and has seven airbags as standard;Â dual frontal, side chest and head-protecting curtain airbags plus a driver knee airbag.
It got an overall score of 36.22 out of 37, getting 15.22 out of 16 for frontal offset test, 16 out of 16 for side impact and pedestrian protection was rated acceptable.
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
The 2018 Mazda BT-50 is a simple and surprisingly nice ute, but I had to fit my own top tethers, there’s no Isofix and only two child seats can fit in the back. I could fit more strollers and shopping bags into the BT-50’s tray than the Navara and Triton, it matched the Hilux but held less than the Amarok and Colorado Read More
1 Comment
All you need to say is that the cheapest stock standard white ones look awful, but the Black Top of the range ones look great.
The stock level ones with the low dragging front are so horrible looking that they have already turned many people off Mitsubishi Triton’s.
Please, Mitsubishi please, could you release all your Tritons in future with “Decent Wheels & Tyres”. As they are now they look weak & easily breakable.
All you need to say is that the cheapest stock standard white ones look awful, but the Black Top of the range ones look great.
The stock level ones with the low dragging front are so horrible looking that they have already turned many people off Mitsubishi Triton’s.
Please, Mitsubishi please, could you release all your Tritons in future with “Decent Wheels & Tyres”. As they are now they look weak & easily breakable.