Car design awards are usually given to sportscars and supercars, maybe some nine out of 10 times. But for the 2024-2025 Japan Car of the Year Design Award, it wasn’t a svelte coupe or a curvy convertible that won, but rather a pickup truck… yup, you read that right.
A jury of 59 judges awarded the 2024-2025 Japan Car of the Year Design Award to the all-new third-generation Mitsubishi Triton, marking the first time a pickup truck has ever picked up the accolade.
In awarding the Design Car of the Year, the jury commended the all-new Mitsubishi Triton’s “rugged yet inspiring design that encourages customers to explore a new lifestyle”. We’re not quite sure what the latter means, but we definitely agree on the rugged aspect, courtesy of the pickup’s new “Beast Mode” design language.
While the exterior styling is definitely the main criteria for winning the award, the newly redesigned dashboard of the all-new third-generation Mitsubishi Triton has also contributed here. Mitsubishi says the Horizontal Axis concept of the dashboard helps drivers easily notice changes in the vehicle’s posture while driving, so it’s both good-looking and functional!
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The all-new third-generation Mitsubishi Triton made its official debut in Malaysia in October this year, with five variants on offer in its line-up. We won’t be surprised if it’s the top-of-the-range Athlete variant (RM165,980) that won them the award, since it’s definitely the best-looking one with its blacked out accents!
The range-topping Mitsubishi Triton Athlete also packs the most powerful version of the new 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine, pushing out 204 hp and 470 Nm. It’s paired to a six-speed automatic transmission exclusively, with drive sent to the ground via the Super Select II 4WD system, which allows 4WD to be continuously engaged even on grippy paved roads.
