Motoring
The key proves key, getting Charlie Flindt’s relationship with this pick-up off to a surprisingly positive start. And simplicity continues to rule as he hits the road
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AS much as I’ve tried, I’ve never ‘got’ the whole pick-up concept. As a rule, they’re too big, too brash, and come with a total taste bypass. But our week with the 4Life edition of Mitsubishi’s latest L200 pick-up got off to a great start when I was handed the key fob. It was a non-folding metal key with ‘lock’ and ‘unlock’ buttons in the base. Nothing more than that. It slides into a slot, you turn it and the engine starts. We members of the Campaign for Plain Engineering cheered loudly.
The ‘simple’ theme continues on first walkabout, too. Steel wheels, looking slightly undersized in the huge wheel arches, and a complete lack of silly names and stripes. The L200 seems smaller and lower than many of its rivals, although that’s a good thing if you actually want to use the pick-up bed. It’s possible to lift stuff over the side – just – and that’s a better option than using the terrifying tailgate that comes at you like Arkwright’s till. The L200’s front end is a bit of a mess of nooks and crannies, but it’s not unattractive.
The inside is nicely basic, too. Proper handbrake, manual heater controls and simple dials. The seats are perhaps a little too basic, lacking support and being a bit low to the floor. The ‘club cab’ bit means that there’s a really handy space behind the front seats, accessed by half-length suicide doors. There are a couple of small fold-up ‘seats’ in there, but they are next to useless. Have them out and it would be a great, secure area for dogs, tools and whatever.
I was amazed at the L200’s sprightliness. It quickly gets to speeds that remind you you’re still on cart springs at the back axle, and without a hundredweight bag of Nitrochalk in the back (the old farmers’ cure for jittery back-ends), it’s best to slow down before the next bend. At slow speeds, it has a tight turning circle (and we’ve driven some pick-ups that approach oil-tanker levels of manoeuvrability) and light steering. Combine these with the great visibility and a trip into town isn’t the usual car-park nightmare.
If you want fantastically sophisticated off-road options, with multiple terrain choices and myriad settings on a mid-dash screen, you’ll be disappointed. If, however, you like 2WD High, 4WD High and 4WD Low and think you can look after the rest of the driving yourself, you will, like me, be in dirt heaven.
We were very taken with the L200 after a week on the farm. If I were buying one, I’d lose the side rails, insist on some higher spec seats (good leather is the best option for long-term use in the mud), ask if it’s available in green (but, as usual, prepare to be disappointed) but change little else.
The countryside is still waiting for its iconic utility vehicle to be relaunched – and events suggest we’ll be waiting many more months yet – and the relatively cheap and cheerful L200, in its 4Life form, is a worthy contender to fill that gap in the market. Just mind that tailgate.
At slow speeds it has a tight turning circle and light steering. Combine this with great visibility and a trip into town isn’t a car-park nightmare