A pickup truck on modern roads is a sight that is very rarely seen, which is not surprising, since such models were replaced by crossovers that combined the qualities of SUVs and family cars. However, the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi is trying to regain the popularity of pickups by introducing the Mitsubishi L200.
What is a Japanese pickup?
Russian dealers of the Mitsubishi automaker are engaged in the implementation of this model, which means that the Japanese company expects a certain interest from our motorists. However, there is every reason for this: the fifth generation Mitsubishi L200 has undergone significant changes. The pickup truck has established itself as an incredibly reliable car, as evidenced by 51 thousand copies sold over 12 years of production of this model.
The updated Mitsubishi L200 is, above all, a purebred SUV. Many elements of the design and equipment of the pickup were borrowed from a more prestigious model of the same brand - Pajero Sport. Actually, if a car enthusiast wants to get a high-quality SUV, you will have to sacrifice a universal body, comfort, suspension on springs and some functional additions. Despite this, the new generation Mitsubishi L200 is highly likely to win the hearts of customers.
Options
The Japanese automaker offers a pickup truck with two body styles and four-wheel drive with a rear differential lock function. The Mitsubishi L200 engine is a 2.4-liter turbodiesel with a power of 154 and 181 horsepower.
Several pickup options are available:
- Invite and Invite + worth 1 389 000 and 1 599 990 rubles, respectively. Both versions of the Mitsubishi L200 are equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission and an Easy Select 4WD drive system with a rigid front axle connection. A standard safety kit is also available, with the exception of side airbags. Steering wheel adjustment is only by tilt.
- Intense Price - 1,780,000 rubles. Equipped with a Super Select 4WD drive system with center differential. For an additional fee of 40 thousand rubles, the pickup will be equipped with an automatic transmission. Steering wheel adjustment is carried out according to the angle of inclination and degree of extension. Due to its configuration and characteristics, the Mitsubishi L200 of this version is much more comfortable, as it is equipped with climate control, automatic mirrors and windows, a cruise control system, Bluetooth wireless technology and some other functions.
- Instyle. Cost - 2 900 990 rubles. It is equipped only with an automatic transmission and an engine with 181 horsepower, 17-inch wheels, xenon headlights, leather trim and an electric driver’s seat.
Mitsubishi engineers note that a separate version of the L200 will not be produced for the Russian market, since the pickup is able to withstand the harsh climatic and road conditions of our country.
Interior
According to the photo of the Mitsubishi L200 of the updated version, we can say that the designers of the Japanese auto concern processed and eliminated all the mistakes of the previous generation pickup. For example, the number of revolutions of the steering wheel was reduced to 3.7, and comfortable seats and adjustable speakers will allow you to comfortably sit in the passenger compartment. Not the most convenient lever for switching driving modes, set in the previous generation of the pickup truck, was replaced by a spinning switch. One cannot but rejoice in the fact that the sound insulation has been significantly improved, which is noted by the owners of the Mitsubishi L200 in reviews: no extraneous noise is heard in the cabin.
Technical component
The changes are especially noticeable when it comes to the technical characteristics of the Mitsubishi L200. The height of the sides of the pickup truck increased to 475 millimeters, the body and frame became more rigid.
The suspension has undergone significant changes, becoming more balanced, which provides good handling and driving comfort. Long-stroke design and energy intensity remained at the same high level.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries worked on the development of a new 2.4-liter 4N15 powertrain. The engine installed on the L200 is a revised version of the motor that Outlander was equipped with. The power unit of the Mitsubishi L200 is lighter, due to which the load on the crank mechanism has decreased and, accordingly, the level of vibration has decreased. Separately, it is worth noting the aluminum block, the variable valve timing system, the optimized compression ratio, and the upgraded supercharger with flexible geometry.
The previous generation of the Mitsubishi L200 was equipped with a Super Select 4WD transmission with an interaxle differential that provides smooth axle locking to enable 4H mode. Such a transmission responded to a certain difference in the rotation of the axles. The new pickup generation is equipped with an updated Torsen automatic locking system with 40:60 indicators, where the rear axle is given priority. However, the manufacturer retained the functions of switching to a lower row and the forced block of the center.
The conquest of water
An updated version of the pickup can conquer the water surface: the maximum permissible immersion depth was 700 millimeters. It was possible to achieve such indicators by making changes to the design of the car: the gearbox was moved, the lowest point of "risk" rose by 914 millimeters. The pickup was also equipped with a new timing chain mechanism and air intakes.
Test drive on the tracks
Drivers in reviews of the Mitsubishi L200 note that when driving on an asphalt roadway, even without unnecessary load on the pickup truck, there is a rather strong shaking in the back row of seats. The car suspension is not particularly suitable for normal road conditions: at a speed of up to 70-80 km / h, all small bumps and pits are transmitted to the passenger compartment, when this speed threshold is exceeded, the body begins to swing and shake noticeably.
However, despite such shortcomings, the new generation of the Mitsubishi L200 is much better than the previous one: the engine runs confidently, has good dynamics.
The perfect SUV
On the new L200 pickup truck, it’s much more interesting to conquer off-road than good tracks. The car suspension was created specifically for such conditions: it perfectly withstands all bumps and heavy load. Mitsubishi feels very confident even in the most difficult and difficult sections of the road.
None of the pickups available with a complete set has a rear bumper: it is possible to supplement the design only with a underrun beam. Versions with automatic transmission are equipped with a dynamic damper, which does not cause any problems: it absolutely does not interfere while driving on an uneven road.
The proprietary Mitsubishi system with automatic descent from the hills could not but please car owners: just set the initial gear, lowered row and release the pedals - the pickup truck easily slides down the hill.
Summary
Compared with the previous generation, the new generation of the Mitsubishi L200 turned out much better: the pickup truck became more comfortable and received better settings in technical terms. L200 has very few competitors, especially in the Russian car market. The powertrain and fuel consumption have been optimized, as have the automatic and mechanical transmissions. For a pickup truck, even an increase in prices will not be so terrible.
However, there are some weaknesses. Firstly, the car does not behave very confidently on ordinary roads, respectively, in the city it will be difficult. Secondly, European SUV models significantly bypass the L200 pickup in terms of equipment, but the manufacturer promised to solve this problem in the near future. Thirdly, outwardly the basic configuration does not attract attention and looks very tasteless, because of which motorists will have to immediately purchase a more expensive version.
We can safely say that the new generation of pickup fully met expectations. Mitsubishi L200 in certain parameters has been significantly improved, performs well when driving on the road, does not differ in a wide variety of functional additions. Of course, you should not expect a special increase in sales and interest in the pickup, but fans of Mitsubishi and a certain category of car enthusiasts will quite like it.