Mitsubishi L200 Longbed : LENGTH COMMANDMENT

Expert Rating:

Need more space in your pick-up. The Mitsubishi L200 Long Bed could be the answer. Steve Walker reports

By the time you've put a double cab body onto your pick-up, the load bed isn't what it used to be. The Mitsubishi L200 Long Bed helps to address this problem by offering a 18cm extension to the standard load bed. Go for one of the higher spec derivatives and there's an extra 42bhp as well, to help with whatever you're carrying.

The pick-up truck came of age in the UK market when somebody had the brainwave of installing an extra row of seats. With the resulting double cab bodystyle, one vehicle could accommodate up to five work colleagues or family members as well as a sizable load. Of course, something had to give and the load capacity in a double cab truck isn't quite as sizable as it is in the equivalent single cab model. Now Mitsubishi has partially addressed this with the L200 Long Bed. It's a double-cab with more space in the rear and some extra power thrown in for good measure. It would be no exaggeration to say that Mitsubishi has had much to do with the pick-up's meteoric rise to prominence on these shores, sales in a sector dominated by their L200 growing by 347% in the six years leading up to the end of 2004. In more recent years though, their current generation model has had to face up to tough competition from Toyota's HiLux, Ford's Ranger, Isuzu's Rodeo and Nissan's Navara. It's still a big player but rivals are catching it up: hence, in recent times, a series of improvements of which the powerful Long Bed version with 18cms of extra loading capacity is perhaps the most significant. There are a number of different power outputs available with the L200's various configurations but every model uses the same sturdy 2.5-litre common-rail diesel engine. In the plusher Long Bed derivatives, the engine's output is pumped up to the highest level of any other model with a muscular 176bhp on offer. Pick-up trucks don't get much more powerful than this and the Long Bed model should have plenty of grunt to cope with its extra capacity. Go for the less well specified versions and the output is restricted to 134bhp.

"An extra 18cm of load space and a further 42bhp of grunt, all for £1,000â€¦"

A major advance with this generation L200 was the introduction of the Super Select 4WD system which features in the Long Bed models. This is an advanced full time 4x4 set-up similar to that found in Mitsubishi's Shogun. It allows the L200 to be driven in 2WD or fulltime 4WD mode on the road without the excessive wear and tear suffered by part time systems as a result of transmission wind-up. In slippery off-road situations, a further 4WD mode can be selected which maximises traction by locking the centre differential. Both of the systems are operated by the traditional and rather clunky lever sited alongside the gear stick which seems dated when compared to the dash-mounted dials used by rival manufacturers. All of the Super Select L200 models feature the M-ASTC traction and stability control system as standard. The Long Bed version of the L200 basically amounts to an extended load bed which is 18cm longer than that of a standard L200 double cab model. To further enhance the carrying ability of the vehicle, the sides of the bed itself have also been raised and squared off at the rear. The total load length is increased from 133cm to 151cm so there's that much more chance of getting an awkwardly-shaped item to fit. The L200 double cab bodystyle offers a five-seat interior with a decent amount of legroom for the rear passengers and seat backs angled at 25 degrees which make a pleasant change from the staunchly upright seating provision usually found in older double cab pick-ups. Some of the plastics in the cabin aren't of the highest quality but effort has clearly been made with the design and there are some nice touches designed to tally with the L200's curvy exterior. Most of this model's rivals take a far more conservative approach to their styling. The Long Bed models cost £750 over and above the standard L200 double cabs but if you order one of the higher spec versions with the increased power output, there's a further £250 to pay. That's still not a huge amount of money and every L200 is covered by a 3-year/100,000 mile warranty with twelve years of anti-corrosion cover. There's the usual wide choice of trim levels with the Long Bed versions of the L200. The 4Work model opens proceedings with a stripped-out commercially-orientated specification and the 4Life is also available offering a few more creature comforts. Both of these models make do with the standard L200 power-output. It's likely, however, that the better equipped Warrior and Animal variants will attract more business, especially from buyers who use their vehicles for work and domestic purposes. The Warrior has 17" alloy wheels, cruise control, climate control, a leather steering wheel and super-select four-wheel-drive. Upgrade to the Animal and buyers get extra kit in the shape of a DVD satellite navigation system, leather trim, Bluetooth compatibility and various chrome styling accessories. An extra 18cm of load space and a further 42bhp of grunt, all for £1,000. That's about the size of the offer Mitsubishi is making with its L200 Long Bed models - or the higher specification ones at least. Lower-spec L200s don't get the power boost but the option to extend the load bay of this popular pick-up is one that many customers are likely to take up.

Facts At A Glance MANUFACTURER: Mitsubishi MODEL: L200 Long Bed BHP: 138bhp - 176bhp PAY
LOAD CAPACITY: 705kg [est] LOAD VOLUME: N/A GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT: N/At LOAD LENGTH: 1510mm July 10th 2009