Mitsubishi Gives the Triton Street a New Face, but Keeps It Thailand-Only

Mitsubishi has quietly given the Triton pickup a new face, and like a concept car that accidentally slipped into production, it’s both intriguing and oddly limited. The catch? This redesign is reserved exclusively for the Triton Street—a Thailand-only, entry-level trim that looks like it showed up to the lineup wearing a completely different helmet.

The Triton Street is based on Mitsubishi’s Mega Cab configuration, a Goldilocks body style that splits the difference between the Single Cab and Double Cab. What really grabs your attention, though, is the front end. Mitsubishi has ditched its familiar “Dynamic Shield” design language in favor of a squared-off, high-contrast nose that wouldn’t look out of place in a Star Wars casting call. Stormtrooper chic, if you will.

The new look includes a reshaped grille, a chunkier black skid plate, and slightly reworked bumper intakes. It’s aggressive, modern, and noticeably distinct from the rest of the Triton family—almost to a fault. As this is the entry-level trim, the Street skips LED lighting in favor of halogen headlights and does without fog lights entirely. No frills, just face.

Despite the tough styling, the Triton Street is very much a pavement-first pickup. It rides at standard suspension height and rolls on 17-inch black alloy wheels that complement the monochrome vibe. Color options are limited to Solid White, Blade Silver, and Graphite Gray, each contrasted with black accents that lean into the urban theme.

Under the hood, Mitsubishi keeps things simple. Power comes from the familiar 2.4-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel, producing 148 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. That’s the base-spec engine, not the more muscular 181-hp version offered elsewhere in the Triton lineup. It’s paired exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission driving the rear wheels. Four-wheel drive isn’t on the menu, but Mitsubishi does include an active limited-slip differential that uses brake-based torque vectoring to help maintain traction when things get slippery.

As the most affordable Mega Cab variant, the Street’s equipment list is predictably modest. Inside, you’ll find fabric seats, a two-speaker audio system, and a trio of airbags. There’s also hill-start assist, a Forward Collision Mitigation system, and—surprisingly—a large 10-inch infotainment screen that feels generous for the price point.

Speaking of price, the Triton Street is already on sale in Thailand, starting at 649,000 baht, or about $20,700. That positions it as an accessible, style-forward option for buyers who want a midsize pickup without venturing off the beaten path.

Whether this new front-end design will spread to other Triton trims remains an open question. It could preview a broader facelift—or it could remain a Thailand-only experiment that never leaves Southeast Asia.

Introduced in 2023, the current Triton is still early in its lifecycle, but a mid-cycle refresh around 2027 would make sense. A few strategic updates—styling tweaks like this one included—could help Mitsubishi keep pace in a fiercely competitive midsize pickup segment dominated by heavy hitters such as the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, and Nissan Navara. Add the Isuzu D-Max, Mazda BT-50, Kia Tasman, and a growing wave of Chinese contenders, and it’s clear Mitsubishi is testing ideas wherever it can.

Even if the Triton Street never leaves Thailand, its bold new face suggests Mitsubishi isn’t afraid to experiment. Now the real question is whether the rest of the lineup will be brave enough to follow.

Source: Mitsubishi

Toyota Restomods the Land Cruiser Prado

The Land Cruiser badge still means something inside Toyota, even now that the U.S. has moved on to the new 250 Series. But Toyota isn’t ready to let the old iron fade quietly into the classifieds. Instead, it’s giving the previous-generation 150 Series—sold stateside for years as the Lexus GX—a factory-backed glow-up that feels part restoration, part restomod, and part philosophical exercise.

Dubbed Newscape, the update targets the long-running Land Cruiser Prado built between 2009 and 2023. Though production has ended, Toyota is offering a comprehensive facelift that touches both the exterior and interior, effectively giving the old SUV a second act. In some configurations, it even looks tougher than it ever did when new.

The idea debuted as a concept at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, but enthusiasm apparently convinced Toyota to put it into production. The Prado Newscape is set to make a return appearance at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon—this time with a price tag and an order sheet.

The project was developed by Toyota’s Conic Pro division in collaboration with an unlikely group of partners: The North Face, biotech firm Spiber, and Toyota’s own Corde by brand, which specializes in customizing used vehicles. The broader goal is sustainability—extending the life of older vehicles through factory-approved updates rather than pushing customers straight into new ones.

Buyers get two visual flavors. The Graphite Gray version leans into the overlanding aesthetic, with matte-black bumpers, bolt-on fender extensions, and Mango Orange accents highlighting the fog lights and rear tow hook. The Meld Grey alternative dials things back with body-colored bumpers, black trim, and Saffron Yellow detailing. Both versions come standard with a roof rack, rear ladder, mud flaps, and a fuel door stamped with The North Face logo—because collaborations demand visibility.

Seventeen-inch matte-black alloys and 265/65R17 all-terrain tires are standard across the board, giving the Prado a properly rugged stance. It’s not a mechanical overhaul, but it doesn’t pretend to be one.

Inside, the updates are subtler but more interesting. The seats are reupholstered in Brewed Protein fiber, an eco-focused material developed by Spiber, and wear The North Face branding. New Toyota floor mats round out the cabin changes, reinforcing the idea that this is a refresh, not a reinvention.

The Newscape kit goes on sale in Japan on March 7, 2026, but compatibility is limited. It’s only offered for TX-grade Prado 150 models built between September 2017 and April 2024, and only if they left the factory with black fabric seats. Gasoline and diesel engines are both supported.

Pricing starts at ¥3.96 million (about $25,300) for Graphite Gray and ¥3.85 million ($24,600) for Meld Grey, plus another ¥150,000 ($960) in miscellaneous costs. Add the roughly ¥4 million ($25,600) required to buy a used Prado in the first place, and you’re staring at a total near ¥8 million ($51,200).

That’s a tough sell when a brand-new Land Cruiser 250 starts at ¥5.2 million ($33,300) in Japan—and even the larger, more advanced Land Cruiser 300 undercuts the Newscape build on price.

Which raises an awkward question. If sustainability is the mission, does it make sense to spend more money refurbishing an older SUV than buying a new one outright? Toyota seems to think the answer is yes—at least for buyers who value preservation over progress, or who simply want to keep a familiar, well-proven Land Cruiser alive a little longer.

In that light, the Prado Newscape isn’t about logic. It’s about loyalty—and Toyota is betting that still counts for something.

Source: Toyota Conic Pro

Ford Bets Big on Level 3 Autonomy with 2028 Debut

Ford is taking a measured but ambitious step into advanced driver-assistance technology. The automaker has confirmed it will introduce a hands-off, eyes-off Level 3 driver-assistance system in 2028, built atop its affordable Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, which itself is set to launch in 2027.

This move marks a notable pivot from Ford’s earlier autonomous ambitions. Back in 2016, the Blue Oval boldly predicted it would have Level 4 autonomous vehicles on the road by 2021, bypassing Level 3 entirely. Fast-forward to today, and the company, like many of its peers, acknowledges the technical hurdles of advanced autonomy have been more challenging than expected.

Ford’s forthcoming Level 3 system will lean on LiDAR to perceive the environment, a key ingredient for hands-off driving. While the company says the technology will debut on a vehicle built on the new UEV platform—a flexible architecture starting with a midsize electric pickup priced around $30,000—it has not confirmed if that pickup will wear the honor of hosting the first Level 3 system.

Doug Field, Ford’s EV chief, told Reuters that the system won’t come standard on the entry-level $30,000 model. Instead, customers can opt in, though the company has yet to finalize whether it will be sold as a subscription or a one-time purchase. “Autonomy shouldn’t be a premium feature,” Ford emphasizes, noting that by developing the hardware and software in-house, it can offer more capability at roughly 30% lower cost than relying on outside suppliers. The move is aimed at making Level 3 driving more scalable and attainable.

Key to Ford’s strategy is its new unified vehicle brain—a compute powerhouse that consolidates infotainment, ADAS, audio, and networking systems. This brain not only accelerates complex computations and gives engineers greater control over semiconductors, but it’s nearly half the size of previous computers and significantly cheaper to produce.

Ford is also expanding its in-car technology beyond autonomy. At CES, the company unveiled a dedicated AI assistant, tailored specifically for Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, this assistant understands the nuances of Ford ownership: snap a photo of firewood, and it can calculate how many logs will fit in your F-150 bed. Next year, the AI will move from app-based interactions to onboard screens, adding a new layer of intelligence to the driving experience.

Ford’s approach suggests the company is ready to embrace autonomy incrementally, pairing advanced driver-assistance with a platform designed for affordability and flexibility. For now, Level 3 won’t put hands-free driving in every driver’s hands, but it signals that Ford sees the future of autonomy as something everyone—not just the tech elite—can reach.

Source: Ford

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