ROVERS RETURN (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Mitsubishi's L200 pick-up returns to fight another day in this Series 7 form. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 53

The Mitsubishi L200 pick-up returns to the UK in this more aggressive-looking 'Series 7' form, marketed by a new importer and sold by a fresh dealer network. It's just as tough as it's always been but sticks with traditional diesel power and an improved version of the usual capable Super Select 4WD system.

Backgroundword count: 174

Think Mitsubishi and if you don't think Lancer Evo, you'll probably be thinking of this model, the L200 pick-up. You might also be thinking of a brand no longer sold here, the original importers the Colt Car Company having discontinued UK sales back in 2021. But now Mitsubishi has returned to our market - and so, inevitably has the L200 pick-up, with a fresh importer International Motors (who also handle Isuzu); and a fresh more aggressive look that the new UK dealer network hopes pick-up customers won't be able to ignore. The Mitsubishi marque has for some time been owned by the Nissan Renault Alliance, a conglomerate likely to provide this model line with an EV drivetrain at some point. For the time being though, this 'Series 7' generation design gets developed version of the 2.4-litre diesel we saw in the old MK6 model of 2019. L200 sales date right back to 1982, with subsequent generations following in 1986, 1996, 2005 and 2015. So what of this MK7 version? Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 243

You might think that pick-up newcomer would these days have to launch with some kind of electrified engine, but there's nothing of that sort here. The four cylinder 2.4-litre twin turbocharged diesel that's the only unit currently on offer is a re-engineered version of the powerplant many potential owners will be familiar with from the previous sixth generation model. It's now got more torque and puts out 201bhp - considerably more than a rival Isuzu D-Max (162bhp) for instance. Power goes via a six-speed auto gearbox and there are seven different driving modes - Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand and Rock, each one varying how power is needed to optimise performance. With the plusher 'Barbarian'-spec model, there's Hill Descent Control; and the brand's latest 'Super Select 4WD II' all-wheel drive system, which can switch seamlessly between two and four wheel drive. There's also a low gear centre-locking differential. And across the range you get the segment's usual 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity. For a pick-up, there's a reasonably tight turning circle too. There's only so much you can do to make a pick-up enjoyable to drive but Mitsubishi has made more effort in this regard as part of this update, conscious that any L200 is likely to spend the majority of its time on tarmac. But since there's still the same combination of solid chassis and live rear axle, things will still get a bit bouncy from time to time unless you're careful.

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