Mitsubishi L200 Pick-Up Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance CARS: Mitsubishi L200 range
Performance: [134bhp] Max Speed 103mph / 0-60mph 14.6s
Fuel Consumption: [134bhp] (combined) 32.8mpg LOAD LENGTH: Single/Club/Double 2220/1805/1325mm – Long Bed Double Cab extends this by 18cms

CURVY BUT WORTHY

Our Rating: 7.1 / 10

Mitsubishi’s latest L200 gets higher specifications, a useful Dropside derivative and a bigger Long Bed version with more power. Oh and it’s still as practical as ever. Steve Walker reports…

Mitsubishi’s L200 pick-up has a rich history in the UK pick-up market, at one point mopping up over 45% of total sales in its 2003 heyday. Today’s curvier version must of course face far stiffer competition from rival products, hence its Japanese maker’s continual attempts to improve it.

It would be no exaggeration to say that Mitsubishi has had much to do with the pick-up’s meteoric rise to prominence on these shores, sales in a sector dominated by their L200 growing by 347% in the six years leading up to the end of 2004. In more recent years though, their current generation model has had to face up to tough competition from Toyota’s HiLux, Ford’s Ranger, Isuzu’s Rodeo and Nissan’s Navara. It’s still No.1 but rivals are catching it up: hence, in recent times, a series of improvements to the range that have included specification tweaks, the addition of a useful Dropside derivative and most importantly, the availability of a more powerful Long Bed version with 18cms of extra loading capacity.

Before we get into the improvements, let’s look at the L200 range as a whole. While it’s undoubtedly the lifestyle end of the pick-up market that has accounted for the lion’s share of recent growth, a successful product must also cater for customers who still want a no frills commercial vehicle. The L200 attempts to do this via a range of trim levels, bodystyles and transmission offerings. Mitsubishi’s successful 4Work branding of its 4x4 commercial vehicles continues with the entry level L200s. Next come the better equipped 4Life derivatives, the imposing Warrior models which are likely to account for the majority of sales and the Animal which is the result of a tie-in with the adventure sports brand of the same name. Perhaps most interesting are the Elegance and Diamond models. These are up-spec derivatives designed to offer understated luxury of a kind that the flamboyant Warrior and Animal alternatives can’t quite deliver. Mitsubishi bill them as alternatives for SUV buyers who need the extra versatility of a pick-up.

And those changes? Well, there are body-coloured wheelarches to give the Warrior a more aggressive look, to add to a complete kit quotient that runs to 17" alloy wheels, cruise control, a 420watt stereo, a revised cloth seat design and Mitsubishi’s Super Select 4WD system. Opt for the plusher Animal version and you can expect a full DVD satellite navigation system with seven inch colour screen, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, specially branded ‘Animal’ leather seats, ‘Animal’ illuminated door entry guards, a six disc CD auto-changer and the option of a ‘Rallitronic’ Power Upgrade.

Beyond the trim levels, there are various bodystyles to mull over. The single cab is reserved very much for businesses that need a proper old school working pick-up. Its traditional two seats and extensive 2,220mm load length mean it prioritises cargo over cabin and it’s only offered in the base 4Work and 4Life trims. The second option is the Club cab. This is for single cab customers who might occasionally need to transport more than one passenger. It offers a 1,805mm load length with additional capacity behind the cabin’s front seats for secure storage or small passengers. The club cab is available with the three lowest trim specifications.

Most L200 customers however, opt for a double cab body, a variant offered in any trim level you like. This is a five-seater model with a decent amount of legroom for the rear passengers and seat backs angled at 25 degrees which make a pleasant change from the staunchly upright seating provision usually found in older double cab pick-ups. There has to be a compromise for this extra passenger space and it comes in the shape of a modest 1,325mm load length. Aware of this, Mitsubishi have moved in recent times to address the problem by offering a Long Bed version of this model with an extra 18cms of load length. Whichever L200 bodystyle you choose, it will have a 1,085mm load width, a capacity to carry in excess of 1,000kg and a 2,700kg braked tr