Team Mitsubishi Ralliart has secured its second consecutive overall victory in the 2026 Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR), with the Mitsubishi Triton rally truck taking the top spot in the grueling event held in Thailand.

Katsuhiko Taguchi and co-driver Yasui completed the 2,145.19-kilometer rally, which included 921.80 kilometers of Special Stages in 12 hours, 58 minutes and 20 seconds. Their victory also marked the first overall AXCR win for a Japanese driver and co-driver pairing, finishing 2 minutes and 25 seconds ahead of their closest rival.

Taguchi made a strong start by finishing third overall in Leg 1 despite difficult conditions brought by heavy rain. He then set the fastest Special Stage time in Leg 3 to take the overall lead. The pair steadily extended their advantage through the subsequent stages, building a lead of more than five minutes by the end of Leg 5.

With only 58.62 kilometers of Special Stage remaining on the final day, Taguchi and Yasui adopted a conservative approach to protect their advantage. They avoided unnecessary risks on the final mountainous stage and brought the Triton safely to the finish to secure the overall win.

The 2026 AXCR covered challenging terrain across Thailand, including muddy tracks, rocky climbs, river crossings, plantations, forests and heavily rutted roads. The conditions tested the drivers' pace, navigation and vehicle durability, with heavy rain adding another layer of difficulty during the opening stages.

It wasn’t a smooth rally for Team Mitsubishi Ralliart either, as the team's other two Tritons faced their own setbacks. Mitsubishi Motors employee driver Kazuto Koide recovered from a Leg 1 ditch incident and went on to finish 27th overall, while defending champion Chayapon Yotha endured multiple punctures, contact damage, and engine trouble before completing the rally in 36th place.

The result gives Team Mitsubishi Ralliart back-to-back AXCR overall victories, further highlighting the Triton's capability in one of Southeast Asia's toughest cross-country rallies.