Mitsubishi Has a New Mid-Size Pickup Truck, and It Looks Legit

• Mitsubishi has launched a new generation of its Triton mid-size truck in Southeast Asia, but unfortunately the workhorse won't be coming to the U.S.

• The Triton features a turbodiesel engine with between 243 and 347 pound-feet of torque and is offered with a six-speed manual transmission.

• The four-wheel-drive system includes a two-speed transfer case and a center limited-slip differential, as well as hill descent assist.

Mitsubishi exited the truck game in the United States in 2009 with the death of the Dodge Dakota–based Raider, centering its lineup instead around the cheap Mirage and crossovers including the Outlander. But overseas, Mitsubishi remains a big player in the mid-size truck arena and has just revealed a new generation of the Triton, a staple of the Southeast Asian market. Also called the L200 in certain countries, the Triton won't be offered stateside, and its old-school formula is a reminder of how the U.S. truck market has shifted over the past decade.

While American automakers such as Ford and Chevy now exclusively sell their mid-size trucks in a crew-cab configuration, Mitsubishi still offers the Triton with single-cab and extended "Club cab" setups. The Triton's body is mounted on a ladder-frame chassis that Mitsubishi claims is significantly more rigid than before but with a minimal weight gain over the outgoing truck. While the front end gets an unequal-length control arm suspension, the rear continues to utilize a leaf-spring setup, although Mitsubishi beefed up the shocks for the new generation.

Under the hood is a new turbocharged 2.4-liter diesel four-cylinder with three output levels. The top dog produces 201 horsepower and a healthy 347 pound-feet of torque at 1500 rpm. There is also a 181-hp, 317-pound-foot version and a base engine with 148 hp and 243 pound-feet. The diesel engine is paired with a six-speed automatic, but Mitsubishi also still offers a six-speed manual transmission with a hill start assist function.