L200 is Mitsubishi's best pick-up yet

Test Drive by Graham Breeze

Mitsubishi has been picking up accolades for its tough vehicles for as long as I can remember and the L200 is without doubt its best pick-up to date.

And those are views shared across the industry where “Best Pick-Up” awards for 2018 are being thrown in Mitsubishi’s direction thanks to high standard specifications, on and off-road performance and simple value for money.

The reasons quickly become clear when you drive the beast. Equipment levels are far higher than you would expect and the 2.4litre diesel engine will haul over three tonnes, while it is just as good off-road as it is on.

The L200 has been at the centre of everything Mitsubishi for over 30 years now, playing a huge part in establishing the brand, and whether used for work or play this model ticks just about every box there is.

Priced from as low as £19,000 the L200 is available in single, club and double cab body styles and battles head-to-head with Ford Ranger, Fiat Fullback, Isuzu D-Max, Nissan Navara and the impressive Volkswagen Amorak for sales in the UK.

Awards keep coming because the L200 come close to the top in the essential areas of refinement, efficiency, performance, load capacity areas and value for money.

The increase in towing capacity to 3.5 tonnes headlines the latest improvements taking the capability, practicality and appeal of the Mitsubishi L200 to new levels with best-in-class total carrying capacity when towing at the maximum weight.

In addition, the L200 is also the only pickup that can tow 3.5-tonnes on tarmac in four-wheel drive thanks to extra strengthening to key load-bearing areas.

A towing capacity of up to 3.1 tonnes is possible with one- or two-axle braked trailers and a towing capacity of 0.75 tonnes is possible regardless of the number of axles or whether or not the trailer is braked – and that makes the vehicle an even more attractive offer to the business driver.

Towing is further aided with the standard fitment of the advanced Trailer Stability Assist system, which works to brake independent wheels on the Mitsubishi L200 to restore stability should the trailer start to ‘snake’.

The L200 also offers a bed payload of up to 590kg at its maximum towing weight, significantly greater than that offered by many of its rivals.

The latest L200 is further enhanced with Mitsubishi’s touchscreen- and voice-controlled Smartphone Link Display Audio (SDA) infotainment system, which links with the majority of popular smartphones.

SDA also integrates the vehicle’s reversing camera display to assist when hitching up a trailer.

Trim levels range from 4Life, through Titan to Warrior and Barbarian and all models get air-conditioning, Bi-xenon headlamps, a switchable 4x4 system and a class-leading array of safety kit including seven airbags, traction control and Trailer Stability Assist.

There's a choice of 6-speed manual or 5-speed paddle shift auto gearboxes but all new Mitsubishi L200 models get the 2.4-litre MIVEC diesel engine

There are choices of 178bhp with a claimed 44.1mpg economy figure in luxury models and 151hp with up to 40.9mpg in 4Life trim – though you might struggle to reach those figures as we did in the Warrior DC Auto. CO2 emissions range from 180g/km in the 4Life to 196g/km in the auto models. 

Mitsubishi bosses have plenty of confidence in the model, offering a five year or 62,000 miles warranty with 12 years of anti-corrosion cover – which is exceptional when you consider the conditions many off these vehicles will be asked to work under.

Inside the cabin all the controls are exactly where you want to find them with a particularly impressive 4X4 control dial found neatly behind the gear lever for ease of use.

You get the feeling this L200 will be earning a lot more awards for the Mitsubishi trophy cabinet.