Mitsubishi Ralliart defends its crown at the Asia Cross Country Rally 2026
For those who are lamenting the “death” of Mitsubishi’s Ralliart division that had its heyday in the early 90s and 2000s, well, the automaker has constantly proven them wrong as it went back to participating in one of the most grueling rallies out there: the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR).
Mitsubishi Team Ralliart has won first place with the Triton three times, with car #112 driven by Chayapon Yotha and Peerapong Sumbutwong winning last year’s edition. This time around, the title has been defended, but by an incredibly slim margin, which shows just how exciting rallying can be.
The winner this time is Car #106, driven by Katsuhiko Taguchi and co-driver Takahiro Yasui, with a total time of 12:58:20. Following them in second place is Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand’s Hilux #102, which bagged a time of 13:00:45, and third place went to Isuzu Suphan Trane Titanium Yokohama Nexzter Rally Team with a time of 13:08:22.
Led by team director Hiroshi Masuoka, a veteran of Mitsubishi Ralliart’s efforts in the World Rally Championship and multiple other high-speed off-roading competitions, this wasn’t an easy cruise to the finish.
The Tritons weren’t in the top places right away, with the top spots constantly swapping between the Toyota Hiluxes of Team Tein and Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand, and the Isuzu D-Max of Isuzu Suphan. It was only by the third stage that Taguchi managed to get to first place and hold onto it in the end, separated from Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand’s Hilux by two minutes and 25 seconds.
Car #118 of Kazuto Koide and Eiji Chiba finished 27th, and Car #101 of Chayapon Yotha and Peerapong Sombatwong finished in 36th place, with the latter suffering from mechanical issues that incurred time penalties and inevitable delays due to repairs.
This year’s AXCR spanned more than 2,000km and took place over the course of one week. With the race starting from Pattaya on August 9, 2026 (Sunday) and ending in Phitsanulok on August 15, 2026 (Saturday), this takes manufacturers through some of the most grueling conditions found in Thailand, with hazardous conditions, steep climbs, river crossings, and bits where cars will get destroyed.
As for the 2026 Mitsubishi Triton AXCR Rally Car, it still retained most of the modifications done to previous iterations such as carbon fiber panels for weight reductions, the mostly stock 2.4-liter turbodiesel (4N16) producing 204 horsepower and 470 Nm of torque save for a single variable geometry turbocharger and HKS competition exhaust, mated to a bespoke six-speed sequential manual transmission (with Car #118 running a six-speed automatic for R&D purposes).
Of course, it has the Super Select 4WD-II four-wheel drive system, Cusco front-and-rear limited-slip differentials, fully adjustable rally-spec suspensions, Cusco strut bars, various safety systems, Endless four-piston brakes, Work wheels, and Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 (235/80R17) tires.
As for the future of the Triton AXCR rally car, Mitsubishi will probably continue to field it in the T1D category. The brand has confirmed that its learnings from this race will help the development of the upcoming Pajero, which seems interesting as it doesn’t really confirm this nameplate’s return to rallying, but the possibility of it is always there.
Photos from Mitsubishi and Asia Cross Country Rally
