This Mitsubishi Work Truck Has Earned Its [Diamond] Star

While certain tax loopholes have made it fashionable for some contractors to drive Ram and Silverado 2500s and Ford F250s in Israel, most pickup trucks are much smaller and get worked much harder. Like this Mitsubishi Hunter L200 Triton, a truck we don’t get to see back in America.

Welcome to Little Car in the Big City, where we highlight fascinating cars we found walking around a town that is known for being uh… more prickly..? than everything else, but where every car is fighting to stand out: New York, New York. Tel Aviv, Israel.

Like most everyone the world over, my car-spotting opportunities have been drastically cut back by the lockdown regulations put in place to prevent the spread of covid-19. Here that means I can’t leave a 100-metre radius around my apartment, keeping the selection super thin these days.

Others, particularly those with jobs deemed necessary, like those in the healthcare, food, or defence industries or those working on infrastructure projects, get some more freedom. Like the driver of this pickup, a previous-gen Mitsubishi Triton that has seen quite a bit of action by the looks of it.

Based on the markings, this truck belongs to a company called Tecnasol-Lipsker Geotecnics, a firm that provides engineering services for projects that require complex soil anchors. In a country as geologically complex as Israel, this work is extremely important. Many projects have not been designed to withstand complex geological forces and companies like this one help retrofit structures to make them more resilient.

As for the truck itself, it’s apparent that this vehicle has spent substantial time around work sites. The bed has a liner/organiser situation installed inside it that holds all manner of industrial fluids.

A small tube-shaped tank that I think is for water is installed over the front of the bed. If anyone has more information on these little tanks, please let us know in the comments. I see them all the time on little pickup trucks used for work around here.

The Mitsubishi Triton seems at first glance a little ill-suited for heavy work. Unlike better-selling trucks like the Toyota Hilux, the Triton has a rounded rear passenger area that appears to me less heavy-duty, less work-oriented than more conventional, squarer designs.

Perhaps price point is a better rationale than looks. My understanding is that the Tritton undercut other competitors like the Volkswagen Amarok and others on the Israeli market. That’s ultimately going to be how a truck is chosen for a job like this, and I guess that ought to cut it.