Road Tests: Mitsubishi L200

By any standards, Mitsubishi’s performance in the UK’s light CV market has been little short of miraculous. In the first 11 months of 2002 it more than doubled its sales and, unless we’ve been looking in the wrong places, it has done so without any massive advertising campaign or incentives (apart from cutting the price of the L200 pickup range in response to an influx of private imports). In August, Mitsubishi revealed its 21-model “4Work” range of light CVs, ranging from the basic 4x2 L200 pickup to a van version of the luxury Shogun. It’s from this new line-up that this week’s road test subject is taken in an effort to find the secret of Mitsubishi’s success.

The expanded L200 family now seems to offer something for everyone, including “lifestyle” models like the Animal and Warrior, targeted primarily at those who are taking advantage of the tax concessions available by using “commercial” vehicles as company cars. Being a serious journal, however, we’re more concerned with the working models, starting out with the lowly single-cab 4x2 which extracts 88hp from its 2.5-litre charge-cooled engine. The 4x4 versions get a variable-geometry turbocharger to help generate a healthy 114hp; other features on both ratings include balancer shafts and now unfashionable indirect-injection from a Bosch VE rotary pump. All models have a five-speed transmission, although the 4x2 has a different set of ratios, both internal and final drive. The 4x4s also come with a dual-range transfer box, giving a 1.93:1 reduction and selectable all-wheel drive with a free-wheeling front diff, for economy, and a locking rear end for traction. As well as the standard body (the only choice for 4x2 versions) there’s a four-door five-sat crew cab. Styling of the bodies was freshened up at the beginning of 2002, when a new front bumper and grille joined the big dragster-like charge-cooler scoop on the bonnet to give a sportier appearance.

Most of the 4x4 pickup market has developed from roots that were, until recently, created artificially by import restrictions on non-EU pickups. Only now are they gradually beginning to develop more individual identities and abilities. The result is that they still tend to return fairly similar performance and fuel results. In this context the L200’s economy is on the right side of par for the class. Its old-tech engine is comfortably outclassed by the most modern engine in the sector, Toyota’s D-4D, but journey times are excellent as befits its high power output. Anyone buying a pickup for the company car tax benefits is unlikely to get the loadspace dirtier than the occasional trip to the dump or taking the jet-ski to the beach. But for those who do plan to use it, the cargo bed is 1,500mm long and 1,470mm wide, with 400mm-high sides. Again, this is similar to the opposition. The sides of the box are double skinned and it comes with a plastic load-liner, complete with cut-outs for the tie-down rings. The front ladder-support rack has a mesh in-fill to protect the cab glass, as well as the usual fold-out restraint lugs. The sides and rear of the box have a generous complement of tie-down hooks and rails along the top edge. To be accepted as a CV by the taxman, pickups need a genuine 1,000kg of net payload – the Mitsubishi comes with 85kg in credit to allow for a few accessories to be included. If the full whack is used it’s worth remembering that the combined axle capacities just have 170kg of tolerance to play with. Mitsubishi’s warranty terms are generous, at three years or 100,000 miles, including pan-European roadside assistance. Not so attractive, though, are the servicing demands. It’s that old-tech engine again, requiring a service every 4,500 miles or six months. To put that into perspective for high-mileage operators, that could mean no less than 22 scheduled workshop visits before the warranty runs out.