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Mitsubishi refreshes the Triton truck for 2019

In September, Mitsubishi showed a teaser image of the new, redesigned Triton/L200 truck that refreshes the model originally introduced in 2014. Now, the new truck is here, except not here in the sense of being sold in the United States. Alas, we can hope. The new Triton/L200 is a global truck in the sense that it'll be sold in some 150 countries around the world, from Europe to Africa and Oceania, the Middle East and Latin America, but North America isn't part of the plan. Sales start Nov. 17 in Thailand, where the truck is built. Some 180,000 global yearly sales are planned. Looking at the photos released by Mitsubishi, the truck's nose has gained the new corporate styling direction that can also be seen on the Outlander, the Eclipse Cross, and even the re-facelifted Lancer that is sold in some countries. The front design is called "Dynamic Shield" in corporate Mitsubishi language, pointing to the more pronounced grille-intake combo with chrome effect. Otherwise, the basics of the Triton remain as before, with the truck likely to keep the time-honored 4G64 2.4-liter gasoline engine and two inline four diesel options. There are two 4WD systems on offer, either Super Select or Easy Select. Like we said in September, the small truck segment is hotly contested in the U.S. right now, and the Triton, were it sold in the States, would compete against the Tacoma, the Colorado and the Canyon, the Ford Ranger, and a possible Ram truck that would slot underneath the 1500. But the 25 percent Chicken Tax it's subjected to as a foreign-built truck makes it impossible to compete. The currently sold Ranger T6 is originally of Australian design, and as well as being made in Michigan it is also produced in Thailand like the Triton. Related Video:

Mitsubishi celebrates 40 years in UK with Evo festooned with aftermarket bits

Mitsubishi has an anniversary to celebrate. It has been selling cars in the UK for the last 40 years, and in recognition it is launching the Lancer Evolution X FQ-440 MR special edition with some real performance upgrades from top aftermarket companies. The models will be limited to 40 units in Frost White and priced at £50,000 each.
The special Evo uses a tweaked ECU to boost power to 440 horsepower and 412 pound-feet of torque with a six-speed, twin-clutch Sports Shift Transmission, and the engine receives a long list of augmentations with an intake, intercooler piping and tubular manifold from Janspeed, plus motorsport-specification, high-flow fuel injectors. To keep up with the acceleration, it gets six-piston front brake calipers and upgraded rear brakes behind 18-inch BBS forged alloy wheels. The suspension is lowered by 35 millimeters (1.378 inches) in the front and 30mm (1.181 inches) in the rear with Eibach coil springs.
The interior gets improvements to fit the performance upgrades. Leather-covered Recaro seats are found up front, along with an eight-speaker, Rockford Fosgate audio setup complete with a subwoofer. Navigation is standard with a seven-inch LCD touchscreen. The special edition definitely won't be making it to the US, but it's nice to see Mitsubishi commemorating itself with a performance model. Scroll down to get the full specs in the press release.

1,400 Mitsubishi vehicles lost in shipping tragedy

A cargo ship carrying 1,400 Mitsubishi vehicles from Japan and Thailand collided with another vessel off the coast of Belgium and the Netherlands yesterday. The 485-foot Baltic Ace was carrying cars from Zeebrugge, Belgium to Kotka, Finland when it collided with the 439-foot Corvus J. While the Corvus J sustained damage during the incident, it is not in danger of sinking, and its 12-man crew is currently still on board.
The Baltic Ace, meanwhile, went under. Three ships from the Royal Dutch Sea Rescue Organization, two navy vessels, four helicopters and one coastguard aircraft spent the evening searching for survivors, but rough seas and high winds hampered the effort. Eighteen of the Baltic Ace's crew, including the captain, were rescued after being found in life rafts, but six remain missing. The search for survivors has officially been called off.
The collision occurred in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the North Sea, and the managers behind the Baltic Ace said they believed human error was to blame for the incident. Dutch police are currently looking into whether or not they can investigate the sinking despite the fact that the collision took place outside of the country's territorial waters.