Mitsubishi has stated that it will not use hybrid technology from its Alliance partners Nissan and Renault to accelerate the launch of the hybrid Triton ute. Instead, the company plans to depend on its own in-house resources, Carexpert reported.
Although Nissan is set to launch its new Navara in Australia next year using the latest Triton platform and its own e‑Power hybrid system, Mitsubishi has taken a different approach.
Mitsubishi Engineer Kaoru Sawase told CarExpert that Mitsubishi will not share hybrid technology with Alliance partners Nissan and Renault while acknowledging that rapid development is needed to bring the hybrid Triton to its global lineup.
“Quite honestly, we are thinking about developing this vehicle stand-alone. First, we want to develop this Mitsubishi Motors technology, and there is no impact of Nissan speeding up the process,” Sawase said.
Mitsubishi joined the Renault–Nissan Alliance in 2016, an alliance formed in 1999 to allow the three automakers to share platforms and powertrains, reducing development expenses and benefiting from economies of scale. This partnership has resulted in models like the Mitsubishi ASX, which is a rebadged Renault Captur, and the Outlander, which rides on the same platform as the Nissan X-Trail.
“Although it’s an alliance, we have different companies, and we have to add cost for the differentiation at the moment. As a result of considering the total cost, we concluded that we will use our own technology,” Sawase added.
In 2023, Mitsubishi revealed plans for an electric ute, though its global head of engineering and product strategy, Hiroshi Nagaoka, noted that a hybrid—whether plug‑in or conventional—would need to come first. The company has scheduled the ‘electrified’ ute for release in 2028 and has not indicated any revisions to that timeline.
The current-generation Triton, introduced in 2023, is equipped with a 2.4‑liter turbo‑diesel engine delivering 150 kW and 470 Nm, paired with a six‑speed automatic transmission—a powertrain also anticipated to feature in the 2026 Navara.
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