The Strada gets a facelift, and it looks stunning

NEW FACE. The refreshed Strada will — as expected — look like the Montero Sport.

Mitsubishi’s bet in competitive pickup truck segment now sports Dynamic Shield design

The pickup truck segment in the country has always been competitive.

This year, sales in this segment rose due to the exemption of pickups from the revised automotive taxation rates brought about by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN) law.

The top players in the category are the Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, and the Mitsubishi Strada.

Among the current batch of pickup trucks in the market, the Strada looks the oldest with its outdated design.

But that’s about to change as the 2019 Strada gets a refreshed look that now sports the patented Dynamic Shield face.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) last Friday in Bangkok announced the world premiere of the new Strada, known as the TRITON/L200 pickup truck in other markets.

The new Strada is the latest version of a model that is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The rear gets a new look, too.

According to the Mitsubishi’s global website, the Strada vehicle is a global strategic model which, following its Thai launch, will be launched in other ASEAN markets as well as Oceania, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Latin America. Eventually it will be sold in some 150 countries around the globe.

In Cebu, insiders from Mitsubishi Cebu say that the refreshed Strada will be arriving within the first quarter of 2019.

During the world premiere, Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko said the “Strada is one of our most important global strategic models.”

“Its success will accelerate the momentum of the company’s sustainable growth.. The new model brings enhancements to the durability, reliability and comfort developed over the 40 years since the introduction of the series,” he said. “I am fully confident the New TRITON/L200 will meet the diverse needs and wishes of our customers around the world.”

Highlights of the new Strada include a more powerful styling that incorporates the latest iteration of the Dynamic Shield front design concept. This means it will share the same design with the Montero Sport and the Xpander, which are among the top-selling vehicles of Mitsubishi in Cebu.

According to a press release in Mitsubishi’s global website, the Strada will also have an enhanced 4WD system that delivers improved off-road performance, and the latest in active safety and driver assistance systems.

Overall, the new model features significant refinements to the durability and reliability required by the commercial user and to the comfort and ride sought by the private user.