2024 Mitsubishi Triton GLX+ vs 2024 Isuzu D-MAX X-Rider

It’s a two-horse race in the mid-size 4x4 ute popularity contest with the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux duking it out for top honours over recent years, with the Blue Oval’s Ranger forging ahead these days.

Behind Ranger and Hilux we’ve always had the other class stalwarts comprising of the Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara, Isuzu D-MAX and even the sorely missed Holden Colorado. Mitsubishi had a firm grip on the bronze medal position on the dais, selling its Triton ute in big numbers on the back of value-for-money pricing and longer-than-most warranty periods, but as the Triton aged and an all-new D-MAX came to market, the Isuzu soon overtook the Mitsubishi ute.

Now the tables have turned and the Triton is the latest model in the segment while the D-MAX is one of the oldest. But the D-MAX remains a solid performer with plenty of fans, and clawing that third place position back will be a difficult task for Mitsubishi.

To get a better handle on the new Triton’s chances of regaining its past position, we’ve lined up a pair of mid-spec models to see how they compare 👇

JUMP AHEAD

• D-MAX X-Rider
• Triton GLX+
• Suspension set-ups
• Warranty and servicing
• Verdict
• Specs

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Isuzu D-MAX X-Rider

Adding some freshness to the recently facelifted D-MAX line up is the new X-Rider model at $59,500.

We’ve lined the X-Rider up with the new Triton in GLX+ specification which tips the till at $53,290. Sure a Triton GLS at $59,090 would have been a better match on price, but it gets even more kit over the X-Rider and the GLX+ was all that was available at our time of testing.

Isuzu’s new D-MAX X-Rider gets the exterior blackout treatment normally reserved for higher spec models like the top-of-the-range X-Terrain, but is based on the mid-spec LS-M model so it has vinyl-covered floors, cloth seats and a new-eight-inch infotainment screen.

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Black trims extend to the doorhandles, wheels and badges, while a soft tonneau cover adds some protection in the tray and a black sports bar adds ... well nothing really. Bi-LED headlights are a nice addition at this spec level.

The X-Rider adds $1500 to the price of the LS-M model it is based on. The LS-M is the second model up in the 3.0-litre-powered double-cab D-MAX range, just as the GLX+ is the second up in the Triton line-up.

The D-MAX’s suite of safety kit includes eight airbags – dual front, dual seat side, dual full-length curtain, front knee and centre airbags; AEB with Turn Assist; Forward Collision Warning; Adaptive Cruise Control; a Speed Limiter; Mis-acceleration Mitigation; Driver Attention Assist; Traffic Sign Recognition; Lane Departure Warning; Lane Departure Prevention; Lane Keeping Assist; Emergency Lane Keeping; Blind Spot Monitoring; Rear Cross Traffic Alert; Trailer Sway Control; Adaptive Cruise Control; Rear Cross Traffic Brake; and a digital reversing camera.

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Isuzu has softened the sensitivity of its electronic driver intervention systems, making them less intrusive and annoying than they were in the earlier iterations of the current generation of vehicles, and it’s an appreciated change.

Unfortunately the LS-M and hence the X-Rider miss out of Isuzu’s clever new TPMS, which is only available in the higher grades with the bigger dash screens and 18-inch wheels. The X-Rider has a digital dash that is very busy in a video-game sort of way, but the new eight-inch infotainment screen is a step up from the old seven-inch unit.

The infotainment has Apple and Android phone mirroring, both available wirelessly, which is just as well as the new Isuzu no longer has a USB outlet in a convenient place; just one on the rear view mirror to work with dash cams, and smaller USB-C outlets on the audio system and at the back of the console.

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The X-Rider is powered by the popular 4JJ 3.0-litre, single turbo-diesel engine that is an honest workhorse and puts out a modest 450Nm and 140kW. It’s only offered with an automatic transmission, which is the excellent Aisin six-speed unit.

It’s a drivetrain that isn’t all about the power but gets on with the job now matter if you are on road or off, towing or not. And I still rate that Aisin box as the best in the segment. It sounds like Isuzu has taken measures to better insulate the cabin from driveline noise, but there’s no hiding the diesel rattle when you put your foot down and load it up. At light throttle and around town, it's reasonably quiet.

Four-wheel drive comes via a part-time, dual-range transfer case that is electrically switched. It’s backed up by a locking rear differential and electronic traction control, which now benefits from Rough Terrain mode.

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Rough Terrain has come across from the MU-X wagon for the 2024 facelifted D-MAX and, when deployed, it sharpens up the traction control, bringing it in at lighter throttle response and engine revs to be super effective.

It works really well, but I still can’t see why the electronics wouldn’t automatically switch to that mode when you select low range. It’s something to keep the marketing department busy, I guess, but it does improve the Isuzu’s off-road ability.

Being LS-M-based the tub in the X-Rider is a basic affair, but it does add the aforementioned vinyl tonneau cover. There’s no lighting, power outlet or tub liner; although, the test car did have a heavy duty rubber mat on the floor that is a genuine accessory and does a great job of protecting the paint and restricting cargo from sliding around. Four tie-down points are standard.

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Mitsubishi Triton GLX+

While the X-Rider is a new variant in an upgraded-for-2024 D-MAX line-up, the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton is pretty much all new; and it’s a big step up from the model it supersedes.

Big in that it is physically a bigger car than the old Triton, offering more room for the driver, passengers and cargo. Switching between the Triton and the D-MAX, the driver’s seat in the Mitsi offers more space and comfort for the driver who is fronted by a simple analogue gauge cluster with an information screen between the speedometer and the tach.

It’s a much easier dash to view than the busy one in the D-MAX, but it still has all the features you need. The GLX+ also has automatic climate control where the X-Rider makes do with manual HVAC.

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Likewise, the Triton’s nine-inch multimedia screen is big, easy to see and use, and well-positioned high on the dash.

It has large tactile dials for volume and track selection, plus phone mirroring with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, inbuilt sat-navigation and two USB inputs, with another two USB outlets is at the back of the console for rear seat occupants. The cabin and the driving experience it offers is by far the biggest step forward for this new Triton.

The Triton’s cabin is not as quiet as that of the D-MAX, and the 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel engine makes itself known a lot more than that in the Isuzu. More annoying is the stop/start engine function which is quite abrupt and needs to be switched off every time you restart the car.

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Mitsubishi’s 2.4-litre diesel engine has been upgraded with a pair of turbochargers, and new and improved injection and calibration to up its outputs to 150kW and 470Nm. This gives the unladen Triton sprightly acceleration and performance; although you do hear it when you put your foot down.

The Triton also uses the Aisin six-speed automatic transmission, but it is calibrated differently to the one used in the D-MAX. It has a more aggressive tune to its shifting, making it keen to downshift on deceleration like it’s in a sport mode when you really don’t want it to be. It does the job well but feels a bit too aggressive at times when you are cruising around the suburbs.

Following on from feedback after the launch of the new Triton, Mitsubishi has recalibrated the driver monitoring camera to be less invasive, and they have certainly succeeded there.

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Yes, it will still beep at you if you spend too long looking at the multimedia screen or out the window, or if you drive with your hand on top of the steering wheel and block the camera’s view of your face, but it’s less intrusive than it was in the past.

We drove this exact same car a few months back and you can notice the difference, but it doesn’t bother me as much as the stop/start function. The driver monitoring system is part of the extensive safety kit required to attain the latest five-star ratings, and the new Triton has gained that.

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Also in the safety package are all the regular technologies such as AEB; ABS; ESC; ETC; lane departure warning and intervention; rear cross traffic alert; TPMS; and nine airbags. The GLX+ misses out on the front cross traffic alert system that comes on the Triton GLS and GSR variants above it.

Four-wheel drive is again via a part-time, dual-range transfer case backed by a RDL and ETC. Only the Triton models higher up the range get the Super Select 4x4 system that includes full-time 4x4. It’s a nice function to have and gives the Triton a point of difference to most of the mid-size 4x4 utes, but not having it is no dealbreaker as you can easily slip between 2WD and 4x4 high range on the fly, as you can in the D-MAX.

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Suspension set-ups

While both of these workhorses utilise a traditional ute live axle on leaf springs under the back end, each brand calibrates theirs differently. Isuzu uses a softer version of the three-leaf set-up under the ute and only offers the heavy duty set-up under cab-chassis models.

Mitsubishi sees the GLX+ as more of a working-class truck and fits a heavier duty leaf pack in its rear suspension with lighter leaves in higher spec variants. The GLX+ also has heavy duty Toyo all terrain tyres. You can feel this in the way each of them drives when unladen, with the Triton being much firmer and verging on bouncy over rough terrain, while the D-MAX soaks those bumps up to provide a softer ride.

Both utes have payloads north of one tonne and 3500kg towing capacities, but the Triton is more attractive with higher GVM and GCM capacities for when you load them up.

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Warranty and servicing

Many owners buy Isuzu vehicles due to their reputation for durability. New D-MAX owners will enjoy five-year flat price servicing program at $449 per year/15,000km intervals, a six-year/150,000km warranty, and up to seven-year roadside assistance.

Meanwhile across at Mitsubishi you have the longest new car warranty offered in the business with its 10-year warranty and 10-year capped price servicing program over 12-month/15,000km service intervals. The first five services (to 70,000km) are $485 a pop.

Roadside assist is also included for 12 months and renewed for another 12 months when the vehicle is serviced in accordance to the capped price servicing program for a maximum of four years.

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Verdict

They might not be the top-selling utes in the country, but the D-MAX and the Triton remain two of the more popular options. At this price-point they are ideal choices as a work-and-play vehicle or something on which to build your perfect touring rig.

While the D-MAX has a few years on the new Triton, it doesn’t show its age except that it lacks some of the latest safety tech such as the driver monitor, but most buyers would be happy to drive without that.

The X-Rider D-MAX is a little bit more refined than the Triton thanks to its softer suspension, smoother transmission calibration and quieter engine, but the GLX+ wins back brownie points with its more spacious cabin, automatic climate control and heavier GVM and GCM capacities.

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Between these two models the Mitsubishi represents considerable savings, and if you’re not excited by the X-Rider’s black-out treatment it would be the obvious choice.

A standard D-MAX LS-M, which is the same truck without the black-outs, starts at $55,800. If you were to step up to the Triton GLS at $59,090 you’d be getting a better-equipped ute with the Super-Select 4x4 system.

It’s a close race on spec and features and one that will come down to what your requirements of a car include. But with all things considered, the Triton GLX+ would be the ute to find its way in our shed from this pair.

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Specs

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