Toyota HiLux vs Mitsubishi Triton: Australia’s last manual utes

Mitsubishi has confirmed it will offer just one manual version of its updated 2026 model year Triton – down from three – making it one of only two mid-size utes on sale in Australia with three pedals, alongside the Toyota HiLux.

The top-selling Ford Ranger dropped the option of a manual transmission entirely when the current generation was introduced in 2022, ending a run of cog-swappers dating back to Lew Bandt’s famous Model 40 Coupe Utility, which pioneered Australia’s ute genre in 1934.

While Ford’s global boss Jim Farley told CarExpert last month the manual version of its iconic Mustang sports car would have to be extracted from the automaker’s “cold, dead hands”, manual dual-cab 4×4 utes have proven to be not-so-sacred.

The Isuzu D-Max – the third-best selling ute in Australia last year behind the Ranger and HiLux – also dropped manual options in 2025.

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Fourth on Australia’s crowded ute sales ladder was the Mitsubishi Triton, which has since reduced its manual offering.

For its MY26 update due in local showrooms next month, however, Mitsubishi has retained a single three-pedal model variant: the Triton GLX 4×4 dual-cab/chassis, priced at $47,490 before on-road costs.

“The move to reducing number of manual models is following the market, particularly in fleets, where many now demand automatics only,” a spokesperson from Mitsubishi Australia told CarExpert.

“There has remained some demand (around 11 per cent) for GLX Dual Cab Chassis 4×4 in manual transmission, geared for the smaller fleet/private buyer types.”

That 11 per cent equates to around 2079 Tritons with manual gearboxes, based on combined sales of the entire lineup in 2025.

The HiLux, which entered a new generation in December 2025, continues to offer two manual variants: the $33,990 (plus on-road costs) Workmate 4×2 and the SR 4×4.

Toyota told CarExpert the manual remains a strong seller, reflecting the company’s previous disclosure that almost half of all HiLuxes sold go to fleets.

“Manual variants currently account for approximately 10 per cent of HiLux sales,” Toyota Australia said.

Based on 2025 figures – totalling 51,297 units across 4×2 and 4×4 HiLux variants – that equates to more than 5129 manual HiLux buyers, which is enough for the Toyota to continue offering the option.

“There are no immediate plans to change the availability of manual variants in the HiLux range,” said Toyota.

“We regularly review the lineup to ensure it continues to reflect customer demand, market conditions and regulatory requirements.”

That leaves the HiLux SR5 as the only mid-size manual styleside (pickup) ute – as opposed to cab/chassis – on sale in Australia, and when it comes to manual cab/chassis variants, it’s HiLux, Triton or nothing.

Even stepping up a size, manual options are limited to the LandCruiser 70 Series in two variants, which Toyota says accounts for around 40 per cent of total sales – roughly 4000 vehicles based on full-year 2025 figures.

Full-size US pickups – including the Toyota Tundra, Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500 – are sold locally in automatic guise only.

With the rise of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electric utes, there are no new manual pickups on the horizon, leaving the HiLux and Triton in a stand-off to be the last one standing in Australia’s popular mid-size ute segment.

MORE: Explore the Mitsubishi Triton showroom MORE: Explore the Toyota HiLux showroom