Test of the new Mitsubishi L200: a lot of pick-up for what it costs

A lot of car for what they cost: that has always been the motto of pick-ups and, although it is not always fulfilled, the Mitsubishi L200 does it by far. And that’s even when the Japanese manufacturer, which has been associated with Renault/Nissan since 2016, also produces this fifth generation of its pick-up in a cheap labor country like Thailand, not far from the tourist stronghold of Pattaya.

But instead of sun, beach and party, this Mitsubishi represents something completely different: like all pick-ups in this genre, it is ready for hard work.

Austere… but not so much

In the basic version of this four-door crew cab model, which costs just 35,000 euros, the real purpose is clear: scant 16-inch steel wheels, scant fabric upholstery, scant window cranks, scant radiator grille. black plastic, few additional parts such as mirrors and door handles made of the same material… scarce.

But the credit is that for such a tight price you get a powerful 5.31 meter long pick-up in a classic frame design with bolted bodywork, a willing 2.3 liter turbodiesel engine with 150 hp and 400 Nm, traction total and off-road capabilities in which there is no lack of a reducer, 100% rear axle lock and a robust and stable chassis… yes, with a rigid rear axle on leaf springs.

A chassis design that was also common in car manufacturing in the 1930s, when they needed to be really stable in any type of conditions, because there were practically no paved roads anywhere in the world outside the cities.

That may have changed in the last 90 years, but there are still many areas where the road network is incomplete or dilapidated at best.

But what are we supposed to do with such a vehicle in gentrified Europe? Well, there is enough potential clientele here: foresters, horse groomers, arborists, power line installers… and all those who practice high mountain sports or simply have left their life in the cities behind because they feel like a fish in water. in rural areas.

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All of these outdoor professionals (and those who aren’t) appreciate a vehicle to reliably carry people and cargo even in adverse road and weather conditions. And also, with low maintenance costs.

Optional automatic transmission

The six-speed automatic transmission costs around 2,000 euros extra, an expense that must be considered carefully. Because this gearbox is still the type that was already known on Japanese cars decades ago: it is simply installed roughly without spending too much time on tuning.

This is not so noticeable when driving on smooth roads, but it is in urban areas and even more so in mountainous areas. Much more efficient is the six-speed manual transmission, which is also available.

Engine and behavior

And that has an effect on driving performance and fuel consumption. Now the “lowered” turbodiesel that has been installed since the great facelift of 2019 with a displacement of 2.27 instead of 2.4 liters and its 150 hp instead of the previous 181 is not a prodigy of power.

In addition, it reacts somewhat delayed to movements of the accelerator pedal. And then it slows down even more if you opt for the automatic transmission.

But this does not mean that we are facing a pick-up lacking in power. The L200 accelerates strongly from idle, yes, assuming a great sound presence from its diesel engine.

From a speed of 140 km/h, the forward thrust decreases noticeably, and for the maximum speed of 171 km/h, the L200 needs a good acceleration and in fifth, forget about sixth. That is why it is better to stay below 160 km/h, because that reduces noise and fuel consumption. Although all this is true for a German Autobahn without a speed limit (where we have tested it) but, on our highways limited to 120, it will never be a problem and we will always have an engine with sufficient power reserve.

Automatic transmission, on the other hand, unnecessarily increases diesel consumption. Because even when driving at a leisurely pace, you change gears late, thus keeping the lowest times unnecessarily long and forcing the engine to rev up, which in turn increases fuel consumption.

Also, the transmission often engages the fuel-saving converter lock-up clutch late because it increases efficiency. It usually idles up to a speed of 70, so consumption increases dramatically, especially in urban traffic.

All in all, our test consumption of 9.0 liters per 100 kilometers is still discreetly low. But woe if the trip takes place more in the city or in mountainous areas! There, it goes up extremely easily to 10.5 liters per 100 kilometers.

The best? Its all-wheel drive

Here, the Mitsubishi offers cutting-edge technology that’s hard to beat. While the basic version mentioned has a somewhat old-fashioned additional all-wheel drive, all higher-equipped versions starting at around 40,000 euros come with real permanent all-wheel drive.

A center differential distributes torque to the front and rear axles in a 40:60 ratio. A viscous brake in the center differential takes over an automatic locking function if an axle begins to slip, as long as we have the lever knob in the 4H position.

Advantage of this configuration: you don’t have to worry about anything, even if the road constantly changes between wet, snowy and dry.

In addition, the center differential can be manually locked if ground conditions are very slippery (position 4HLc). If even more power or engine braking is required, set it to 4LLc, which engages the gearbox and increases torque by a factor of 2.57.

You can also disable the four-wheel drive (2H) if you put yourself in economy mode, but this does not translate into lower fuel consumption, as we have measured.

Turning radius of about 13 meters

Every L200 (even the budget base version with added all-wheel drive) has a manual rear-axle lockout in case the well-functioning slip control gets overwhelmed under braking.

This allows the L200 to climb even the steepest slopes. Only when the going gets really tough does the large turning radius of around 13 meters and the three meter wheelbase have a negative impact; this pick-up then seems difficult to drive and bulky.

It is not the most comfortable… but it measures up on the road

Of course, the robust chassis, very firm for resiliency and high load-carrying capacity, only filters out the worst of minor bumps, and the L200 rumbles awkwardly over more pronounced irregularities such as transverse joints.

Long waves absorb it better. But that’s also typical of pick-up trucks, which are primarily conceived for roads and paths in the wildest parts of the world. The diesel engine is remarkably rough, but it’s fairly well insulated.

In short: you can make relatively long trips without physical wear and tear on the occupants, also because of its comfortable space.

The front and rear are comfortable and airy enough for the legs, something that is not very common in pick-ups, no matter how much they are called “double cab”.

Lots of load capacity

It can handle almost a ton of payload, as well as 3.1 tons of trailer payload. The surprising thing about this is that the 150bhp turbodiesel pulls that better than one might think given the sheer data.

Despite its purist character, Mitsubishi has provided the L200 with some modern assistants. There is no lane departure warning system with steering intervention, but there is an audible warning.

And emergency brake assist with pedestrian detection is available, but not adaptive cruise control that reacts to the vehicle ahead. So the driver has to do it himself, which really corresponds to the character of such a car.

Factors to decide the purchase

Chrome and leather notwithstanding, the L200 is, at heart, a true workhorse with plenty of payload, towing capacity, and a flexible all-wheel-drive system that’s virtually unique. And besides, it’s cheap for what it offers.