Mitsubishi teases 2019 Strada facelift

MANILA: Mitsubishi is well known for its pickup vehicles in the global market. However, to keep things as competitive as ever, the company is all set to make changes in the current model of the Strada. This particular pickup vehicle was earlier spotted with mild camouflage in Australia, which is expected to be the facelifted version for 2019.

Mitsubishi has even released a teaser image of the 2019 Strada, revealing how the pickup would look front on. Considering this image, we can definitely say that it would be a major redesign. It looks like a combination of current models of the Montero Sport and Xpander.

The sleek LED headlamps on the front profile are completely different than the one in the outgoing model. Highlighting the company’s Dynamic Shield designing approach, the front bumper and grille get a sharp restyling. Even the fog lamps up front are bigger, taking cues from the new MPV.

Apart from this, though the company hasn’t revealed any teaser images for the rear profile, the 2019 Strada facelift is sure to get a lot of changes. This can be ascertained with the help of the images that appeared from the Australian spy shots. It will even get new 6-spoke alloy wheels and wider fenders.

Further, though it would continue to be built on the J-Line, splitting the cab and the cargo bed, the latter is now a bit longer than before. This would make the Strada have a bigger load carrying capacity.

Mechanically, the upcoming Mitsubishi Strada facelift is expected to be powered by the same turbocharged 2.4-litre motor. However, since the competitors from Toyota, Isuzu, Ford, etc., are focusing on upgrading their vehicles, to make the Strada very up-to-date and favorable, Mitsubishi may consider tuning the engine to make more power and torque than the current 181 PS and 430 Nm.

The current Mitsubishi Strada has the 5-speed automatic and 6-speed manual gearboxes offered. Hence, the new model could get an 8-speed automatic as well. We can expect the vehicle to make its public debut by the year-end.