Mitsubishi L200 Review (2007)

On sale since the 1st March 2006 - the all-new Mitsubishi L200 starts at £12,462 for the 4Work 4WD single cab and raises to £22,512 + VAT for the range topping double cab Diamond.

Mitsubishi targets two markets with the L200 - starting with the 4Work range which is aimed directly at the no-nonsense business user and the 4Life range which is designed for the lifestyle user, who might use their L200 during the day for work and then at the weekend for domestic duties and family life.

The L200 is available in three body styles ( single, club and double-cab) and is based on the Dakar Rally inspired rally raid Shogun/Pajero Evolution, which has won the Dakar Rally no less than 12 times.

Mitsubishi has sold 53,000 of the previous L200 model in the UK since 1998 and expects the new L200 to sell in higher volumes. In 2006 Mitsubishi sold 10,069 L200’s and are predicting to sell over 12,000 units during 2007.

We chose to test the L200 Animal (Auto) which is only available as a five seat double cab.

The L200 Animal is powered by Mitsubishi’s all new 2.5 litre common rail turbo diesel engine. Along with the Diamond model, the Animal setup can produce 165bhp @ 3400 rpm, with a quoted torque output of 350 lb ft @ 2000 rpm, which is more powerful than the standard L200 range.

Our pick-up was fitted with a four speed automatic gearbox which allows the Animal to sprint from 0 to 62 mph in just 12.1 seconds. The manual version can hit 62 mph in 11.3 seconds. You do have watch out when pulling off as there is a noticeable lag from the turbocharger but once moving the L200 feels relatively sprightly.

The top speed of the automatic variant is 102 mph with the manual version increasing this by 1 mph. The automatic box features an overdrive facility, which can also be shifted into 1st and 2nd gear manually should you wish to retain fine control descending hills or when towing.