I think its safe to say that here in Rev.ie and our sister website farmingproducts.ie we love a good pick-up truck. At this years Ploughing Championship we were particularly busy on our stand but in a rare 10-minute break we took time out to visit the motoring pavilion where the official launch of the new Mitsubishi L200 was taking place. Those of you that are regular readers will know that we have tested a couple of L200’s over the years and we have always found them to be a pretty strong workhorse. When we laid eyes on the heavily face lifted fifth-generation pick-up we knew we just had to book a test-drive. A few weeks later when the vehicles were registered, we took the keys to a 2.2 Intense model. The first thing we must talk about is the looks! Gone are curves in favour of a more angular design and the nose is particularly striking wearing a ‘Dynamic Shield’ grille and now some 40mm taller than its predecessor.
The four-wheel-drive workhorse comes with a choice of manual or automatic six-speed gearboxes and has a WLTP-certified fuel economy of between 29.1mpg and 32.1mpg and we got pretty close to that on the motorway cruising at 28.2mpg. The L200 features two different four-wheel drive systems and a number of new drive modes. These include new off-road drive settings for gravel, snow, sand and rock that help to regulate engine power, transmission and braking to reduce wheel slip. A hill descent control system, which is now on most pickups, has also been added to the L200. With this in mind we headed for the hills to give the L200 a run over soft ground and some challenging trails.
In a break from our usual test strategy we decided to leave it in 2-wheel drive for as long as possible and we were surprised how far it went even on regular road tyres. When the going did get tough we rotated the switch to “all wheel drive” and let the L200 work its magic differentials. As well the range of driver assistance features mentioned previously, Mitsubishi gave the L200 a number of smaller ‘detail’ changes, including larger front brake discs, calipers and larger rear dampers to cope with weight in the load bed. The 2.2 litre turbo-charged diesel engine generates 150hp & 400Nm of torque, which doesn’t seem over the top but it is perfectly capable and retains the 3.5 tonne towing capacity.
From a safety perspective the L200 doesn’t fall short either with our test vehicle running Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Blind Spot Warning, Ultrasonic Misacceleration Mitigation System, Auto High Beam, Forward Collision Mitigation, Lane Departure Warning, Hill Descent Control, Active Stability & Traction Control System, Hill Start Assist, a Birds Eye Multi Around View Monitor and so much more! I think its safe to say that even when used as a passenger family wagon, you are in good hands.
In the Republic of Ireland buyers will have a choice of an entry Business spec model priced at €35k. Our Intense manual test vehicle was priced at €37,850 and the top of the range Instyle model with all the bells and whistles will be €41,935. For our Northern Irish readers the choices are a little better. The entry-level 4Life Club cab models, starts from £21,515 for commercial buyers and the 4Life trim is also available with the larger double cab, starting from £22,715 for commercial buyers. The Warrior spec will be £26,400 commercial and no doubt the one that we would pick is the Barbarian trim, which costs £29,300 commercial and comes fully loaded!
Our week-long test drive was over before we knew it but it was pleasant to say the least. It’s not hard to see why the L200 is one of Mitsubishi’s best-selling vehicles in the UK and even becoming increasingly popular among private buyers. In 2020 we are determined to test an automatic versions and see how it will fair out pulling some of our event trailers! Watch this space…
Mitsubishi L200 Spec
Engine Size – 2.2 litre
Fuel Type – Diesel
Power – 150 hp
Torque – 400Nm
Acceleration (0-100km/h) – 7.5 seconds
Top Speed – 174km/h
Consumption (Combined) – 8.8L/100km
CO2 Emissions – 231g/km
Road Tax – Commercial €333
Price From – £22,715 | €35,000 (Double Cab)
