The Mitsubishi L200 has enjoyed a strong and loyal following for many years among buyers seeking a pick-up truck that’s tough and rugged enough to be a working vehicle, yet also works as an everyday family car. If the Mitsubishi L200 sounds like a used vehicle you’d look to buy, you are in the right place.
Rivals to the Mitsubishi L200 include pick-up trucks such as the reliable Toyota Hilux, the popular Ford Ranger and the Nissan Navara.
In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the latest Mitsubishi L200, including what it’s like to live with, plus the trim levels and engine choices that are available to you.
The Mitsubishi L200 has very strong credentials as a working vehicle. It has a large load bed that can hold up to 1000kg in some models, and it can tow up to 3500kg. It’ll soak up any amount of hard, heavy-duty use, and it’s pretty much unstoppable if you need to venture off-road along muddy, rocky or sandy tracks.
Five adults can fit inside, so there’s more than enough room for a typical family. The seats are quite comfortable and most models have many of the same features you’d expect to find in a saloon or SUV. Usefully, the base of back seats tips up, creating an inside space big enough for carrying a bike or a couple of large dogs.
As with all double cab pick-ups, the Mitsubishi L200 is quite long, which means parking takes a bit of forward-planning. However, it fits under multi-storey car park height restrictions with room to spare. On the open road, the steering feels light, the engine hauls heavy loads easily enough, and you can enjoy a great view out. It feels stable on bumpy roads and solid as a rock on motorways, although carrying a bit of weight in the load bed does help smooth out the ride.
There are few vehicles as useful as a double cab pick-up truck, and the Mitsubishi L200 is a fine example of the breed. It’ll happily work very hard for its living, hauling heavy loads and workers to a site during the week, then going off on family adventures (or just doing the shopping) at the weekend.
Running costs for the Mitsubishi L200 compare pretty well to a large diesel-engined SUV and it’s extremely reliable. This kind of truck is always in high demand as a used buy, too, so retained values are strong.
If you are after a workhorse, then the Mitsubishi L200 4Life comes with enough kit to prevent it from being too sparse, but not much more. Air conditioning, cruise control and 16-inch alloy wheels are about the only nods to luxury.
The Mitsubishi L200 Trojan adds a bit more kit but with more of a focus on off-roading. It gets DAB digital radio, forward collision monitoring and lane departure warning and auto lights and wipers among other items. The most important element is the addition of the super select 4WS.
Those who want to spend more time away from tarmac might be tempted by the extra off-road equipment of the Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian, but there is little benefit in heading further up the range. If you want a luxurious pick-up then rivals such as the Volkswagen Amarok do a better job.
There’s only one engine available in this generation of Mitsubishi L200: a 2.3-litre diesel. You can, however, choose between manual or automatic gearboxes, both of which have six speeds. There are more powerful trucks, but the Mitsubishi L200’s engine is perfectly happy to haul heavy loads, and it’s very tough and reliable.
Mitsubishi L200 2.3D diesel manual – This model has a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that produces 150PS. Zero to 62mph takes 12.4 seconds, with CO2 emissions of 198g/km – and both of those figures compare well with similar pick-up trucks. A six-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel-drive are fitted as standard.
Mitsubishi L200 2.3D diesel automatic – The automatic gearbox is fitted to exactly the same 2.3-litre diesel engine as the manual. Again, it produces 150PS, which translates into a 0-62mph time of 13.5 seconds. CO2 emissions are a bit higher, at 206g/km.
The entry-point Mitsubishi L200 4Life model is relatively basic in its standard features, but it’s aimed at the kind of people who’ll primarily use their truck as a working vehicle. Models nearer the top of the range are aimed at buyers who might be considering a pick-up as an alternative to an SUV.
Mitsubishi L200 4Life: The entry-level Mitsubishi L200 is equipped with air conditioning, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, keyless entry and cruise control. Which is all you really need in what is intended as a working vehicle.
Mitsubishi L200 Trojan: The Trojan comes with more of the features that private, rather than business, buyers might want, including DAB radio, climate control air-con and an adjustable steering wheel. There are also more safety features, including extra airbags and lane-departure warning.
Mitsubishi L200 Warrior: The mid-range Mitsubishi L200 has a touchscreen media display with smartphone connectivity, dual-zone air-con, keyless entry, LED headlights and privacy glass.
Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian: This model has heated front seats, leather upholstery, extra interior and exterior lighting, a spring-assisted and damped tailgate, an off-road driving mode and hill-descent control.
Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian X: The top-of-the-range Mitsubishi L200 gets all the features mentioned above, plus a heated steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera system, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and a package of unique decals and interior trim.
The Mitsubishi L200’s exterior dimensions are:
Length: 5,225mm (Barbarian and Barbarian X: 5,305mm)
Width: 1,815mm
Height: 1,780mm
The Mitsubishi L200’s payload capacity is up to 1,080kg, depending on model.
Load bed length: 1,520mm
Load bed width: 1,470mm (1,000mm between rear wheel arches)
Load bed depth: 475mm
The cost here will depend on whether the Mitsubishi L200 you have is registered a light commercial vehicle or a private light goods vehicle. If it's the former, you'll pay £320 for a year's road tax, while if it's the latter the cost will be £180 for 12 months of road tax.
Thanks to all versions of this generation of Mitsubishi L200 sharing the same engine, they are closely grouped for insurance. The most basic model sits in group 37, while the top line Barbarian X is in group 42.