By Patrick James on 2013-12-20 - The author has been a motoring writer for more than 16 years. Formerly motoring editor at the Coventry Telegraph, he now produces motoring copy, on new car launches and road tests on a freelance basis.
Mitsubishi L200 DI-D
Barbarian
THE days of the pick-up truck being seen as purely a workhorse are long gone.
They have always been popular in America as a working tool, but nowadays in the UK these huge, practical vehicles are as much a lifestyle statement a a working vehicle.
They are just as likely to be seen at prestigious events as on the farm. One of the class leaders, the L200, in all its guises is a vehicle that has hoovered up numerous awards.
The atrraction is pretty obvious, whether the single and club cab 4Work and 4Life specification or the double cab 4Work, 4Life, Trojan, Warrior, Barbarian, Walkinshaw and Barbarian Black special edition models, there is a style or carrying capacity to suit most needs.
As a commercial it can tow load of 2,700kg and has a payload of more than one tonne. And you don't need muscles like Big Arnie to drive them. The L200 has car-like handling characteristics and the single 2.5-litre diesel engine is both refined and powerful.
Equally at home on roads on the rough stuff it is a full-blown off-roader with manually switchable high and low ratio four wheel drive capacity.
Follow a makeover in 2010, it has a curvaceous, yet muscular profile and features a smart grilled split by the Mitsubishi badge, stylish headlights large body-colour bumper, bolder front fog lamps, a deeper, wider air intake and big, wide doors.
At the rear, the light clusters are as stylish as anything you will find on a saloon.
It comes with seven paint choices and in case you forget what you're driving, Barbarian is emblazoned down the side.
The smart, modern interior like many modern saloons features a centre console which houses sat nav, phone audio and climate functons and reversing camera. There is a centre console and the all-terrain gear shift lever is situated next to the automatic gearbox selector.
Controls a robust and urable and the vehicle also featres a multi-function leather wrapped steering wheel contains audio and cruise control switches and is tilt adjustable. It also features electric windows and door mitrros and air conditioning.
The large cabin easily accommodates five with adjustable front seats and plenty of leg and headroom for even the tallest.
The only drawback to using it is a family car is the open cargo area at the rear but options available include a tonneau cover to secure the rear and it would not take too much imagination to hook up lashing points for carrying smaller objects, like shopping bags and family paraphernalia.
On the road the car is a breeze to drive, with a comfortable ride it doesn't bounce along like some competitors because the front suspension system is based on Mitsubishi Shogun's set-up of coil springs and independent double wishbones.
It also also has surpisingly tight turning circle, better than some saloons, which was brilliantly demonstrated on a 1970 multi-storey car park designed for much smaller vehicles.
The 170bhp diesel unit plenty powerful with good torque, although the turbo lags sometimes under heavy acceleration. Even with big tyres and a large profile, wind noise is largely absent, although there is noise from the large tyres.
But the diesel is flexible and is happy on the motorway or pottering quietly around town.
They're not cheap but they certainly grab attention, just finding a parking space big enough is the problem.
Mitsubishi L200 DI-D Barbarian
Price: £23,249
Mechanical: 175bhp, 2,477cc diesel engine driving four wheels via 5-speed automatic gearbox
Max Speed: 109mph
0-62mph: 35.8
Combined MPG: 13
C02 emissions: 233g/km
Bik rating:35%
Warranty: 5yrs/ 125,000 miles
MITSUBISH 4x4s sold in their thousands all over the world, and were the rugged...
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