Mitsubishi L200 review – first UK drive

Make and model: Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian
Description: Double-cab pick-up
Price range: £36,295 to £39,995 CVOTR

Summary: The new Mitsubishi L200 is a capable and convincing return to the UK pick-up market, with strong towing, off-road ability and a surprisingly polished drive.

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The new Mitsubishi L200 is a significant vehicle for Mitsubishi in the UK. It marks the brand’s return to the new vehicle market after a six-year absence, and it does so with a model that has long been one of Mitsubishi’s most recognisable nameplates.

This is the seventh-generation Mitsubishi L200, offered initially as a double cab pick-up in two trim levels: Titan and Barbarian. Commercial versions with the rear seats removed are due to follow, but the launch range is built around the five-seat double cab body style that has become the familiar layout for UK pick-up buyers.

Both versions use a new 2.4-litre diesel engine producing 204hp and 470Nm, paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox as standard. Both also offer more than a tonne of payload and a 3.5-tonne towing capacity, which keeps the L200 firmly in the working pick-up mainstream.

Our first drive covered road driving, towing and off-road use, and the overall impression is positive: the Mitsubishi L200 still feels like a proper pick-up, rather than a car dressed up as one, but it works well and makes difficult jobs feel easy.

Is the Mitsubishi L200 right for your business?

The L200 is best suited to operators who need genuine towing and off-road ability, rather than simply wanting the image of a pick-up. It feels particularly relevant for rural businesses, agriculture, construction, utilities, forestry, outdoor work and anyone who regularly needs to tow heavy trailers across mixed surfaces.

The Barbarian is the more convincing version if towing, winter use or regular off-road driving are part of the job. It has a more sophisticated four-wheel drive system (called Super Select 4WD-II) than the base-spec Titan model, which is helpful when towing in wet or changeable conditions. It also gets hill descent control, more equipment and a more comfortable cab, although its lower payload will matter if you’re regularly loading close to the limit.

The Titan is the more basic working version, and is likely to make more sense if your business wants the most payload for the money and doesn’t need the Barbarian’s full-time four-wheel-drive capability or extra comfort equipment.

Neither version feels like a lifestyle SUV with a load bed added to the back. The Mitsubishi L200 is still a body-on-frame pick-up with leaf springs at the rear, so it won’t suit buyers expecting car-like refinement or handling. But for businesses that need a proper workhorse with towing, payload and off-road credibility, it makes a strong case.

Mitsubishi L200 pricing and specification

Mitsubishi quotes the L200 Titan at £36,295 CVOTR and the L200 Barbarian at £39,995 CVOTR. Commercial versions are due later, priced at £37,495 CVOTR for the Titan Commercial and £41,195 CVOTR for the Barbarian Commercial.

Both launch versions get the same 2.4-litre diesel engine, six-speed automatic gearbox and double cab body. The Titan comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, rear differential lock, side steps, rear parking sensors, rear-view camera, privacy glass, lumbar support, air conditioning, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and vinyl flooring.

The Barbarian adds 18-inch alloy wheels, hill descent control, black exterior styling, synthetic leather trim, powered and heated front seats, wireless phone charging, two-zone climate control, LED headlights, carpet flooring and smart key operation. It also gets the more advanced four-wheel-drive system, which is the key mechanical difference between the two trim levels.

For a business buyer, the decision is not simply about equipment. The Titan carries more weight, while the Barbarian gives you the better four-wheel-drive system and a more comfortable cab. That makes the Barbarian more appealing for drivers who spend long hours in the truck or do regular towing, while the Titan has the more straightforward payload argument.

Carrying capacity and payload

The Mitsubishi L200 meets the key working requirements expected of a modern double cab pick-up. The Titan has a maximum payload of 1,092kg, while the Barbarian is rated at 1,025kg. Both versions have a braked towing capacity of 3,500kg and an unbraked towing capacity of 750kg.

The load bed measures 1,555mm long, 1,545mm wide and 526mm deep, so it can comfortably take a standard 1,200mm x 800mm Euro pallet. There are tie-down points for securing tools, materials or other loads. Roof loading is rated at 80kg, which may be useful for businesses fitting racks or carrying longer items.

Gross vehicle weight is 3,200kg and gross train weight is 6,250kg. Kerb weight is 2,108kg for the Titan and 2,175kg for the Barbarian, which explains the difference in payload between the two versions. Maximum front axle load is 1,580kg and maximum rear axle load is 2,040kg.

In practical terms, the L200 is competitive where it needs to be. The Barbarian’s lower payload is worth noting if your work regularly pushes a pick-up close to its maximum carrying capacity, but both versions remain above the important one-tonne threshold, and both can tow 3,500kg.

In the cab

The Mitsubishi L200 cab feels more modern than before, but not especially cutting-edge. Some of the screens and digital displays already feel a bit old-hat compared with some pick-up rivals, although the important point is that everything works well enough and the layout is easy to understand.

That’s not a bad thing in a working pick-up. There are physical controls for key functions, the driving position is good and the main controls don’t need much learning. The nine-inch touchscreen supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while a digital instrument display shows the selected drive mode and other useful information.

The Barbarian’s cab is clearly the nicer place to spend a working day. Its heated and electrically adjustable front seats, synthetic leather trim, two-zone climate control, wireless phone charging and extra sound insulation give it a more comfortable feel than the Titan. The Titan’s cloth trim and vinyl flooring are more practical for dirty boots and harder use, so it depends whether your priority is durability or comfort.

One neat feature is the rear cab ventilation system built into the ceiling. It looks slightly unusual at first, but it works well and gives rear-seat passengers more direct cooling air than a conventional front-biased ventilation set-up. For a double cab that may regularly carry a crew, that’s quite a useful feature.

Rear visibility is not brilliant, which was most obvious when reversing with a trailer. The camera and assistance systems help, but the physical view out of the back is still limited, so drivers who regularly tow or manoeuvre in tight yards will need to rely on the mirrors and camera.

On the road

The Mitsubishi L200 drives nicely for a pick-up. It doesn’t feel like a car, and it would be misleading to suggest that it does, but it feels well sorted for what it is.

The 2.4-litre diesel engine produces 204hp and 470Nm, which is a useful output for this class. It’s not especially quick, with a 0-62mph time of 12.6 seconds, but outright acceleration is not really the point of a working pick-up. The engine and gearbox feel capable enough in normal driving, and the truck doesn’t feel strained when towing or working off-road.

Ride quality is decent by pick-up standards. You’re still aware of the rear leaf springs, and it doesn’t have the smoothness of an SUV, but the L200 feels composed and predictable. It is easy enough to place on the road, and the steering, braking and gearbox all behave in a way that makes the truck simple to drive.

The towing and off-road tests on the UK launch were more revealing than the road driving. The L200 worked flawlessly, making both tasks feel easy and controlled. Reversing with a trailer was made more awkward by limited rear visibility, especially with two rear passengers on board, but the truck itself felt confident and the support systems worked well.

The drive mode and four-wheel-drive settings are effective, though they can feel a bit fiddly. Many pick-ups have high- and low-range settings, but the L200 also ties these into different terrain modes such as Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand and Rock. For drivers who know exactly what they’re doing off road, that depth of control may be welcome. For more occasional users, it may take a while to understand which setting is needed and when.

Running costs and ownership

The Mitsubishi L200 has an official combined fuel economy figure of 33mpg and CO₂ emissions of 222g/km. That is in line with what you would expect from a diesel double cab pick-up of this type, rather than a particular strength. However, there’s a new generation of plug-in hybrid pick-ups rolling out across the marketplace that are cheaper to run, which is worth bearing in mind.

Servicing is required every 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. That will be acceptable for many lower-mileage operators, but higher-mileage users should factor in more frequent servicing than they might get from some vans or cars.

The standard new vehicle warranty is five years or 62,500 miles. That is better than the three-year cover still offered by some brands, but the mileage limit is not especially generous for a commercial vehicle. Mitsubishi offers a £450 upgrade to extend the mileage limit to 125,000 miles, which looks like a sensible option for high-mileage business users.

The L200 is also being launched through Mitsubishi’s new UK sales partner network, built from existing aftersales dealers and new retailers. That should help reassure previous Mitsubishi customers, although buyers will still want to check local dealer coverage carefully now that the brand is returning after several years away from new vehicle sales.

Verdict

The new Mitsubishi L200 is a convincing return to the UK pick-up market. It is not the most modern-feeling truck inside, and some of the drive-mode complexity may be more than many operators need, but the core product is strong.

It tows well, drives well for a pick-up and performed impressively during off-road testing. It also has the payload and towing numbers that business users will expect, while the Barbarian’s Super Select 4WD-II system gives it a useful advantage for towing and mixed-surface work.

The Titan makes more sense if payload and price are the priorities, while the Barbarian is the better choice for drivers who spend long hours behind the wheel or regularly tow in poor weather. The extended-mileage warranty option also looks worth considering for business users who will cover more than average mileage.

For operators who need a proper diesel pick-up rather than a lifestyle vehicle, the Mitsubishi L200 is a very credible comeback. It feels like Mitsubishi has returned with a product that understands what pick-up buyers actually need.

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