Mitsubishi L200 review

When Mitsubishi withdrew from the UK new car market in 2021, few imagined it would return quite so quickly. But here we are with an all-new Mitsubishi L200 pick-up. Well, all-new for us, at least — it has already been on sale in Australia for a couple of years, where it wears the Triton badge.

Mitsubishi is keen to call this continuity rather than a relaunch, pointing out that its aftersales network never went away. Fair enough, but new-car sales very much did leave, which makes the L200’s return a significant moment for a brand that was once a serious force in the UK pick-up market.

The new L200 arrives with ‘beast mode’ styling that’s bold, if not exactly beautiful, and a tightly focused two-model range. The entry-level Titan is aimed squarely at working users, with vinyl flooring, a painted metal load bed and Mitsubishi’s Easy Select four-wheel-drive system, while the Barbarian is the plusher jack-of-all-trades version. It adds more equipment, tougher-looking styling and the more sophisticated Super Select-II four-wheel-drive system.

There’s no sign of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power, despite Mitsubishi’s long history with the technology, and no battery-electric version to rival the Isuzu D-Max EV or Toyota Hilux BEV. Instead, every L200 uses a diesel engine, and that’s it.

The market has changed dramatically since Mitsubishi disappeared, with tax changes making double-cab pick-ups prohibitively expensive for many company car drivers. Mitsubishi will answer that with commercial versions of both Titan and Barbarian, removing the rear seats to restore proper commercial vehicle status, but the regular double-cab still has to work harder than ever to justify itself.

And it’s returning to a busy field. The Australian-developed L200 has to compete not only with established rivals such as the Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and Volkswagen Amarok, but also a new KGM Musso, Toyota Hilux, and Chinese-sourced GWM Poer300, as well as the incoming BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid.

While many pick-ups are built like cars, with the bodywork and mechanical package all directly connected, the L200 – like the KGM Musso – does things the old fashioned way, with the engine and suspension mounted to a separate chassis, to which the bodywork is attached. The old L200 used the same setup, but Mitsubishi says the new version’s underpinnings are 40% stronger.

Every L200 has a new 2.4-litre diesel engine. This four-cylinder twin-turbo unit produces 201bhp, backed up by 347lb ft of torque. That’s quite a step up from the previous L200’s 148bhp, and brings the Mitsubishi back up to par for the sector. It’s still some way short of the most powerful versions of the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok, but it’s comfortably ahead of the Isuzu D-Max.

By pick-up standards, it’s a reasonably refined engine, rarely sounding too intrusive unless you’re asking a lot of it. It’s paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox — there’s no manual option — which shifts smoothly enough once you’re moving, even if it can be a little slow to react when pulling away.

Peak torque arrives from just 1500rpm, and that easy low-rev shove is useful most of the time. However, combined with the slightly lazy gearbox response, it can occasionally lead to a scrabble from the rear wheels when exiting junctions or roundabouts with too much enthusiasm, at least until the traction control steps in and reins everything back in.

Ride comfort is decent enough, although our test car had an empty load bed, which is rarely the best way to judge a pick-up. There’s still some low-speed fidgeting over broken surfaces, and you’re always aware that there’s a leaf-sprung rear axle behind you, but the L200 copes well enough with potholes and rougher roads.

At higher speeds, it settles down nicely. There’s some wind noise from the door mirrors and the engine is never entirely absent from the background, but it cruises comfortably and doesn’t feel hard work on faster roads. The steering is light and accurate enough, too, so while the L200 never feels remotely sporty, it’s easy to place and doesn’t feel cumbersome.

Off road, it’s very convincing. Titan models get Mitsubishi’s Easy Select four-wheel-drive system, while the Barbarian tested here gets the more advanced Super Select-II setup. That allows the L200 to run in rear-wheel drive, full-time four-wheel drive, locked four-wheel drive, and low-range four-wheel drive, with extra terrain modes for gravel, snow, mud, sand, and rock.

Switching between the main road-focused settings is easy, using a rotary selector on the centre console. The L200 can move from rear-wheel drive to four-wheel drive at speeds of up to 62mph, although low-range mode needs to be engaged while stationary.

On a muddy, rutted and steep off-road course, it shrugged off awkward cambers, slippery climbs and deep troughs with very little drama. The limiting factor is likely to be the vehicle’s length, rather than its traction. Crossing rivers will need some care, though. Mitsubishi isn’t sharing wading depth capabilities, but a diff breather and a relatively low air intake behind the wheel arch mean it’s unlikely to rival the Ranger’s 800mm figure.

The Super Select-II system also allows on-road running in four-wheel drive, unlike most pick-ups, which adds an extra sense of security and comes in handy when towing. It tows well, too, with Mitsubishi laying on a triple-axle trailer loaded with another L200, where the pick-up felt stable, strong and reassuringly unflustered. There’s trailer sway control to keep things on the straight and narrow, although our urban speeds meant that wasn’t tested to any meaningful degree.

“The Barbarian’s party trick is that it can behave like a normal rear-drive pick-up, an all-wheel-drive tow car or a serious off-roader, depending on where you point it.” – Phil Huff, Van reviewer

The L200’s cabin is a welcome reminder that not everything has to be controlled through a touchscreen. There is one, of course, but most of the important stuff still gets proper buttons, switches and rotary controls, including the heating and ventilation, drive modes and four-wheel-drive system.

That makes the Mitsubishi feel a little old-fashioned next to the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok, but not in a bad way. If you’re using it with muddy boots, work gloves or frozen fingers, straightforward physical controls are far more useful than glossy touch-sensitive panels.

The driving position is good, too. You sit high, with a commanding view out, and the Barbarian tested here gets leather upholstery, heated and electrically adjustable front seats, and lumbar support. The seats are broad and comfortable rather than heavily bolstered, which feels right in a working truck.

Material quality is pretty mixed, but mostly appropriate. There are plenty of hard plastics, but they feel tough rather than cheap, and there’s enough soft-touch trim and contrast stitching in the Barbarian to stop it feeling too utilitarian. Titan models are more obviously work-focused, with vinyl flooring that should be much easier to clean after a wet building site or muddy farm track.

It isn’t as plush or car-like as a Ranger or Amarok, but the L200’s cabin gets the basics right and does it better than the Isuzu D-Max.

The infotainment system is less impressive. It’s easy enough to use, and there’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but the screen, graphics and response times don’t feel as modern as those in Ranger or Amarok. Thankfully, because Mitsubishi hasn’t buried every major function inside it, that isn’t as annoying as it might have been.

Phone storage is well thought through. There’s a large tray ahead of the gear selector, with both USB-A and USB-C sockets close by, while Barbarian models add wireless phone charging. You also get two cupholders in the centre console and another pair at the outer edges of the dashboard. Those extra ones sit directly in front of the air vents, though, so expect your coffee to be rapidly chilled if the air-con is working hard.

“The L200’s cabin feels refreshingly normal: proper buttons, useful storage, clear controls and no sense that Mitsubishi has tried to turn a pick-up into an iPad on wheels.” – Phil Huff, Van reviewer

Interior space is good by pick-up standards, with Mitsubishi claiming the L200 is wider inside than its rivals — although only by a centimetre or two. There’s certainly plenty of room up front, with more leg room than in the previous L200. Rear-seat passengers are better catered for than they were before, too, with decent legroom and roof-mounted air vents. Everybody gets a chunky grab handle, too.

The L200’s load bed measures 1555mm long, 1545mm wide and 526mm deep, which makes it usefully competitive against its main rivals. It’s the same length as the Toyota Hilux’s load bed, and longer than the one in the Isuzu D-Max, although the Ford Ranger still has the edge here with its 1638mm load length. The Mitsubishi claws back some ground on width, though, because its load bed is wider than those of the Hilux and D-Max, and only slightly narrower than the Ranger’s.

In the real world, the L200 won’t feel significantly less useful than any of its rivals, which all follow the same familiar pick-up pattern. If you’re regularly carrying awkward materials, the Ranger’s extra bed length might matter, but the Mitsubishi is otherwise right in the mix.

Payload is where it needs to be, too. Every L200 can carry more than a tonne — 1092kg for the Titan, and a lower 1025kg for the Barbarian thanks to the heavier 4x4 system and the addition of a chunky sports bar. It hits the target for VAT purposes, though, and keeps it in line with the rest of the pick-up class. It can also tow up to 3500kg, equalling the Ranger, D-Max and Hilux.

Titan models get a painted metal load bed, which suits its workhorse positioning, while Barbarian versions get a plastic liner. The tailgate is heavy, despite being assisted, but is reassuringly stable. While there are side steps along the pick-up, there’s no dedicated step at the rear to access the load box, though the corner of the bumper is strong enough to take a person’s weight.

There’s no single-cab or extended-cab version, but Mitsubishi will offer a Commercial version of both the Titan and Barbarian, removing the rear seats and replacing them with an enclosed, secure flat load area and tie-down points.

As a pure load carrier, then, the L200 doesn’t rewrite the rulebook, but it carries a tonne, tows 3.5 tonnes, and covers the basics very well.

“The L200 doesn’t have any clever load-bed gimmicks, but it does the pick-up basics properly: a useful bed, a tonne-plus payload and enough towing muscle for serious work.” – Phil Huff, Van reviewer

The L200 range is refreshingly simple. There are just two regular double-cab models, with the work-focused Titan starting at a little over £36,000 and the plusher Barbarian knocking on the door of £40,000, before VAT.

That makes the Mitsubishi look competitively priced rather than bargain-basement cheap. The entry-level Titan is slightly more expensive than either the entry-level Active trim of the V6-powered Ford Ranger XLT or the Toyota Hilux.

At the other end of the two-model range, the Barbarian undercuts both the Ranger Wildtrak and Hilux Invincible. Against those, the Mitsubishi looks like decent value.

The Barbarian is particularly tempting, because it adds leather trim, heated and powered front seats, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, 18in alloy wheels and, of course, the more advanced Super Select-II four-wheel-drive system.

Titan models are less glamorous, but they still get plenty of useful kit, including a six-speed automatic gearbox, rear differential lock, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and a suite of safety systems.

The options list is limited to just paint, with black costing nothing. The eye-catching Yamabuki Orange is a Barbarian-only option, costing another £1000.

Commercial versions of both trims are coming, too. These remove the rear seats and seatbelts, replacing them with a flat load area, tie-down points and a solid bulkhead grid behind the front seats. More importantly, they should qualify as proper commercial vehicles, with a flat van-style Benefit-in-Kind rate and 100% plant and machinery allowance.

That’s important because the regular double-cab is caught by the same tax problem as almost every other pick-up. For company car drivers, it is treated as a car rather than a van, and with CO2 emissions high enough to put it in the top Benefit-in-Kind band, the tax bill will be hard to justify.

Fuel economy is competitive rather than exceptional. Mitsubishi quotes a WLTP combined figure of 33.3mpg, which is in line with most diesel pick-up rivals, but expect that to fall once you start towing, carrying a payload, or spending time off-road.

The warranty is less impressive, however. Standard cover lasts for five years, which sounds good, but the 62,500-mile limit is low for a working vehicle. Mitsubishi will raise that to 125,000 miles for a £450 fee, but that feels stingy when rivals offer more generous limits as standard.

Ford normally comes off looking bad here, but its three-year warranty runs for 100,000 miles. KGM covers the Musso for five years or 100,000 miles, while Isuzu and Volkswagen back the D-Max and Amarok for five years or 125,000 miles. Toyota’s service-activated warranty can keep your Hilux protected for up to 10 years, although it’s still limited to 100,000 miles.

Confusingly, Mitsubishi’s own Outlander SUV gets an eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty.

“The L200 looks tempting on price and kit, especially in Barbarian form, but the short service intervals and modest warranty mileage limit stop it feeling like a slam-dunk bargain.” – Phil Huff, Van reviewer

Buy it if…

- You’re likely to take your pick-up truck off-road

- Physical controls are important to you

- You value a wider-than-average load bed

Don’t buy it if…

- You want an electric or plug-in hybrid pick-up

- A long warranty is a key consideration for you

- You need a single-cab or extended-cab

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