Mitsubishi is planning on releasing multiple high-end versions of its new L200/Triton truck under the Ralliart badge, company representative Yoshiki Masuda said in an interview to Drive Australia. He added that one of them could end up with a boosted V6 engine that would let it compete against the Ford Ranger Raptor.
He explained that Australia was one of the key markets for Mitsubishi, where high-performance versions of the Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara and Toyota Hilux have traditionally been in demand.
The automaker is now considering fighting for a slice of this niche market. According to Masuda, the Ralliart fan crowd has varied preferences: some will be fine with a sporty-looking and affordable truck, while others are willing to pay extra for actual performance. This is why the company decided to produce not one, but several L200 Ralliart models.
This is not to say that the model has never received a tune-up – the company created a particularly capable truck for the Asian Cross Country rally. It was loaded with suspension and chassis improvements, but the turbo diesel engine stayed stock at 204 PS (201 hp / 150 kW) and 470 Nm (347 lb-ft) of torque.