Road Tests: Mitsubishi L200 4WORK

Function or fashion. When it comes to this decision some people throw logic out the window and go with what they find the most appealing. It might not be the right choice when all the facts are in, but it’s their choice, and that’s enough. For example, for those of us over 21 it’s debatable if girl/boy bands could be described as musicians, but to some their aesthetic qualities are enough to validate their existence – and it could be said that the same applies to the Mitsubishi L200.

We at CM were never enthused by the old model. It felt sluggish, lacked power and handled with all the panache of a trouser press. But despite the lack of dynamism it sold in bucket loads, accounting for 35% of the entire market and staying firmly at the top of the sales charts for the past five years.

Furthermore it was the top-end models that attracted most operators, making up 80% of all L200 sales. Names like Warrior and Animal coupled with loud graphics and pumped up bodywork gave the Mitsubishi an edge, and along with it the kind of street kudos that rival manufacturers were slow to react to.

But now the competition has cottoned on to the sales potential of this market, and new models from Nissan and Toyota have been refocused to grab a piece of the pie. With so much at stake Mitsubishi knew its revised model wouldn’t be able to solely rely on a pretty face: but what a face. Instead of playing it safe the L200’s design is radical, to say the least.

From the front its squinting features and sinister headlights give it a bold look, but the biggest change goes on at the side, where the slanted rear of the cab section contrasts sharply with the load area, giving the impression that the two are separate entities bolted together. In the top-spec version this works well, as the extra kit gives it proportion. But in the lowly 4Work version that we drive it looks a little bare, particularly around the wheels where the standard offerings fail to fill the arches to any great effect. Moving onto the technical side L200 operators can still pick from three configurations: single-cab, crew-cab and double-cab. But there’s a brand-new engine, complete with common-rail technology. Producing 134hp with an optional power upgrade to 160hp (standard on the Animal), this turbo-diesel delivers 314Nm of torque at a lowly 2,000rpm. Choices now extend to shifts; you can have a five-speed manual or a four-speed auto. Improvements have been made to the chassis too, with a claimed 50% improvement in torsional rigidity and a 70% increase in bending rigidity compared with the outgoing model. Front suspension is now a fully independent double-wishbone set-up; the rear gets a tweaking to improve stability. The four-wheel-drive transmission comes in two versions. The commercially geared 4Work and the 4Life gets Easy Select which allows the driver to shift from 2WD to 4WD at up to 62mpg with a torque split of 50/50. The Warrior, Animal and Elegance get Super Select which allows 4WD high ratio to be used at any speed, while the viscous-coupling centre-differential will distribute more torque to the axle with most traction. The higher end models also sport stability control called M-ASTC to keep them in check in difficult road conditions; Mitsubishi claims this is a first in its class. M-ASTC combines the sensors used for the ABS system with measurements of the vehicle’s steering angle, G-force and yaw rates to assess available grip. Standard equipment includes CD player, ABS and immobiliser on the basic 4Work model. Next up is the 4Life with a few more goodies, then the Warrior and Animal and finally the Elegance, all adding that bit more kit. Prices range from £12,249 for the 4Work with single-cab to £19,999 for the range-topping Elegance double-cab auto.

Where would we be without common-rail technology? The new L200 achieved 31.5mpg on its laden fuel run, compared with 27mpg for the old direct-injection model (CM24 June 2004). This puts the Mitsubishi in joint first with Toyota’s Hilux when comparing the new generation of pickups. Running unladen improved its consumption to a creditable 38.1mpg, far ahead of the rest. Its nearest rival is Nissan’s Navara with 33.9mpg. On the payload front the 4Work handles 1,045kg with a GVW of 2,890kg. Loading up is simple enough; just drop the rear gate using the central handle. It can be dropped to 180o using the two catches on either side of the support cables. However, the load area’s design does not make the most of the available space due to the slight curving of the side of the load box. It didn’t loose out dramatically but we felt there was a hint of fashion over function in this aspect of the design. Servicing intervals have been extended from the previous model’s 9,000 miles to 12,500 miles. This is some way off the Navara’s class-leading 18,000 miles but it’s still a worthwhile improvement.