All-new Mitsubishi Strada planned for 2023 PH launch
New Strada will likely share platform with next Navara
Here's a bit of interesting news for Mitsubishi enthusiasts in the Philippines.
According to a very senior and credible source, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) is planning a very special launch for 2023. And that model is the all-new Mitsubishi Strada.
It's no secret (well, it is) that Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) is working on a new generation Strada/L200/Triton pick-up truck. The current generation has been in production since 2014; actually, we flew to Japan to drive and test it back in November 2014 prior to the Philippine launch.
It would be part of the first wave of these new generation trucks that emphasized (at least in our market) a mix of traditional truck qualities (load, ruggedness, off-road) with more daily driver attributes (comfort, refinement, smoothness, technology). But since its launch here in 2015, it rather became dated quite quickly as two of its prime rivals, the Navara and Hilux, were also launched as new-generation models that same year.
Now, it seems Mitsubishi will be preparing for a new generation model to be launched in 2023 in the country, but the thing is that the new generation model hasn't been revealed yet. There has been no world premiere of a new generation Strada/L200/Triton yet, so the confirmation by our source comes as a total surprise, but a very welcome one.
That could mean we can expect the new generation Strada to be revealed sometime earlier in 2023, possibly even late 2022 unless it gets delayed.
For now, all we know about the model is that it will have an entirely new design riding on a new platform, updated diesel engines, new transmissions, and lots of other improvements like the ability to carry a European pallet (1200mm x 800mm) on the bed.
What is very likely (or certain) is that the new generation Mitsubishi pick-up and the next-generation Nissan Navara will be platform brothers. That was according to Nissan's Ashwani Gupta in 2020, as Nissan does hold a big stake in Mitsubishi and will definitely leverage the potential mutual benefits of their alliance.
Needless to say, we'll be keeping our eyes and ears open for any new developments on the new generation Strada.
