Mitsubishi L200 review 2026 01Mitsubishi L200 review 2026 01IntroductionIn an era when the UK new car market seems to be filling rapidly with unfamiliar cars sporting funny names, it's enjoyable, even reassuring, to welcome back an old friend, the Mitsubishi L200.This pick-up returns to the UK in its seventh iteration, slightly bigger than the sixth that left us in 2021. It has fresh interior and exterior designs plus a brand-new twin-turbocharged diesel four, but it still comes with a look and a character its devotees will instantly recognise.AdvertisementAdvertisementAlthough Mitsubishi's importer is now Midlands-based International Motors, known for its associations with Subaru, Isuzu and Xpeng, its UK boss is still Toby Marshall, well known to the clientele because he has worked with the Japanese marque for decades.When sales stopped in 2021, Marshall continued his Mitsubishi association by running a 106-strong network of service centres, kept healthy by the large car parc. More recently, he has been assembling a 60-strong network of retailers, most of which also have Mitsubishi or IM associations.Marshall expects strong take-up for the new L200 from previous owners: "Buyers have always been very loyal. In Mitsubishi's peak years, 2001 to 2007, pick-up sales really boomed. The company had up to 11 models to sell but L200 sales accounted for a third of the total, around 31,000 units a year. We're now hearing from customers interested in the new model. This is no relaunch, it's continuity."To stress this, Marshall and IM are launching another new but familiar model, the plug-in hybrid Outlander SUV, also available now.Design & stylingMitsubishi L200 review 2026 02The new L200 comes in two trims, both well equipped. I'm testing the Barbarian, priced at £39,995, or £3700 more than the Titan.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe engine, gearbox, suspension, steering and brake specifications are identical in both, but for the extra outlay the Barbarian buyer gets leather seats and trim, wireless phone charging, demisting mirrors, dual-zone climate control and 18in alloy wheels instead of 17s. Most importantly, it also gets an ultra-versatile, electronically controlled, seven-mode four-wheel drive system called Super Select 4x4-II.This features a torque-sensing centre differential that allows it to be driven on asphalt in 4WD (an aid to stability, especially when towing the permitted loads of up to 3500kg). It has a lockable rear diff, too, for ultimate traction. Those seven modes are selected via a console-mounted rotary knob, several of them at road speeds of up to 62mph.There's also an active yaw control system, especially good for towing, which stabilises the L200 in difficult situations by braking one of the rear wheels when necessary.InteriorMitsubishi L200 review 2026 12When you step inside the L200, it feels instantly like a properly built, quality product. The fascia layout is postmodern in the sense that there are proper knobs and buttons for key functions (especially for killing the lane keeping assistance system and quelling any untoward bongs).AdvertisementAdvertisementThe seats are well shaped, better-looking than those in many saloons, and their long-distance comfort is assisted by the fact that the L200 has a similar upright driving position to those of its best opponents: the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux and Volkswagen Amarok.Engines & performanceMitsubishi L200 review 2026 24The engine may be new, but it sounds and feels like any old effortlessly relaxed four-cylinder diesel. This is something of a feat, given the hurdles presented by today's emissions standards. It has a progressive twin-turbo system in which a smaller compressor boosts readily at low revs and fairly small throttle openings and a bigger unit gives more robust power delivery.The upshot is extreme flexibility, the engine pulling strongly from just above idle to 4000rpm or so. Maximum power is a healthy 201bhp, developed at 3500rpm, while peak torque, admirably delivered from 1500rpm, stands at 347lb ft.Although not especially quiet in the cabin, the engine always feels long-legged and effortless, and it works especially well with the smooth six-speed automatic gearbox, which changes seamlessly and kicks down easily.Ride & handlingMitsubishi L200 review 2026 26On test, Mitsubishi's people were keen to emphasise its versatility, so they demonstrated it first as a tow vehicle (by hooking it up to a trailer laden with another L200 and letting us loose on a short, tight course defined by cones), then letting me loose on a damp, chalky and extremely undulating off-road course, followed by an hour-long road route.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe versatility was well proven. Towing a six-wheeled trailer with another 2175kg vehicle loaded up, admittedly slowly, the L200 felt stable and capable, getting off the mark without effort and stopping and turning with ease.On the 4x4 course, wearing only regular road tyres, the L200 showed surprising traction on wet chalk, demonstrating an especially handy hill descent control that maintains whatever speed you choose when you set off down a steep gradient.There's plenty of ground clearance, so I failed to brush the underside anywhere, and there was only one moment of wheelspin – when one of the rear wheels was already a foot in the air.The L200 Barbarian is one of those 4x4s with far more built-in capability than a driver expects.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe road trip, on frequently rutted roads in lower Wiltshire and Hampshire, was a bit of an anticlimax. As a typically tall double-cab truck with a leaf-sprung live rear axle, the L200 bucked about a bit where more sophisticated vehicles with lower-seated passengers would ride a good deal flatter, and its steering is only about on par for sensitivity at the straight-ahead.On the other hand, the L200 showed a cheerful lack of concern for potholes – an increasingly significant advantage – and turned well, with a right-sized steering wheel, decently contained body roll and not too much understeer even when pressed on damp bitumen.MPG & running costsMitsubishi L200 review 2026 01In my brief test, it was able to return 36mpg through traffic, which is respectable for a two-tonne pick-up truck.Two trim levels are available. The Titan costs £36,295 excluding the VAT. The Barbarian adds tougher styling, leather interior, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, a better audio system, and more, for £3700 extra. That's in line with the Ford Ranger, though that comes with a V6 as standard these days.VerdictThe L200 will make a good daily driver for many users, just as before. True, performance (12.6sec 0-62mph) is nothing special, but it cruises well on motorways and easily stays with the traffic, because the low-end torque is so plentiful.AdvertisementAdvertisementTo summarise, the latest L200 Barbarian takes a useful and noticeable step forward from its predecessors, which were decent performers in their own right. Welcome back, old friend.]]>
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