Team Mitsubishi Ralliart
TOKYO, August 7, 2025 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announced that Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, which receives technical support from the company, will compete in the upcoming Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) 2025 scheduled for August 8 to 16 in Thailand1. The team will enter three Triton2 pickup trucks, aiming for its first overall championship in three years.
In early June, the team conducted high-load endurance tests simulating actual rally conditions on off-road courses around Khao Yai National Park in central Thailand, covering distances that exceeded the expected length of this year's Special Stages. Throughout the testing, the team fine-tuned the suspension and other chassis components, while also verifying the reliability and durability of the engine and body.
On August 5, three days before the start of the rally, the team carried out a shakedown at a test course in Thailand to check each part of the vehicle, ensuring it is in optimal condition for the 2025 competition.
"Building on the significant upgrade in driving performance last year, the Triton rally car has undergone further enhancements for this year's AXCR," said Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart. "In addition to increasing engine torque and improving durability, we have refined the chassis to enhance both steering stability during high-speed cornering and reliable traction in muddy terrain. The rally will take place in northeastern Thailand, a landscape with sprawling plantations and flat dirt roads. This means we can expect high-speed racing, and I am confident that our refined chassis will demonstrate its strengths. One of our rally cars serving as a support vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission (AT). We aim to successfully navigate the harsh conditions of the AXCR, verify the durability and reliability of the AT model, and gather feedback to apply to our future vehicle development. I hope we can showcase the strength and audacity of Mitsubishi Motors-ness by reclaiming the overall victory for the first time in three years."
Overview of AXCR 2025
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the AXCR, drawing a significantly larger number of participants - 93 vehicles in total: 47 in the Auto category, 44 in the Moto category, and 2 in the Sidecar category. The rally will kick off with a ceremonial start at Walking Street in the city of Pattaya, one of Thailand's major tourist destinations on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. The rally proper begins with Leg 1 to Prachin Buri, approximately 130 kilometers from Bangkok. Leg 2 runs from Prachin Buri to Khao Yai, one of Thailand's leading highland resort areas, while Leg 3 takes place within Khao Yai. Leg 4 returns to Prachin Buri, and the rally will remain in the Prachin Buri area for Legs 5 and 6. In Leg 7, the rally returns to the starting point in Pattaya, and on the final day, Leg 8 finishes at the Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya.
Overview of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Support Cars
Four Delica D:5s will once again assist Team Mitsubishi Ralliart as support cars. Team engineers will wait for the rally cars at the Passage Controls located along the course and perform maintenance on the cars returning from the Special Stages. This means that the support cars carrying the team director and engineers must be able to reach their destinations without fail, regardless of road conditions.
The Delica D:5 is an all-around minivan featuring a robust body with a rib-bone frame and an electronically-controlled 4WD system that provides optimal maneuverability and road handling in a variety of weather and road conditions. Having operated as the support car for Team Mitsubishi Ralliart in the AXCR since 2023, it will once again be used this year by Team Director Hiroshi Masuoka to inspect the rally course. In order to enhance handling on rough terrain, the vehicle is equipped with an aluminum engine guard and is lifted by approximately 20 millimeters using dedicated front and rear suspension.
The support cars will also share the same livery as the Triton rally cars this year, featuring the team's signature energetic red and a digital sandstorm graphic that evokes swirling dust, stretching from the front to the center of the vehicle. The Ralliart logo is displayed on both sides of the body.
Updates on the rally will be posted on Ralliart's official Instagram account.
https://www.instagram.com/ralliart.official/
AXCR Special Website: https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/brand/ralliart/axcr/axcr2025/
1. Due to the closure of the border between Thailand and Cambodia, the event is now being held in Thailand only.
2. Sold as L200 in some markets.
About Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (TSE:7211) — a member of the Alliance with Renault and Nissan — is a global automobile company based in Tokyo, Japan, which has about 28,000 employees and a global footprint with production facilities in Japan and the ASEAN region. Mitsubishi Motors has a competitive edge in SUVs, pickup trucks and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and appeals to ambitious drivers willing to challenge convention and embrace innovation. Since the production of our first vehicle more than a century ago, Mitsubishi Motors has been a leader in electrification — launched the i-MiEV, the world's first mass-produced electric vehicle in 2009, followed by the Outlander PHEV, the world's first plug-in hybrid electric SUV in 2013. With a target of increasing the sales ratio of electrified vehicles to 100% by 2035, Mitsubishi Motors will deliver models that embody Mitsubishi Motors-ness and contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society. For more information on Mitsubishi Motors, please visit the company's website at https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/