Mitsubishi CANTER RANGE
Versatile Almost To A Fault, The
Mitsubishi Canter Is The Sort Of Vehicle That Gets Shouldered With All The Dirty Jobs. Steve Walker Takes A Look.
Theres nothing glamorous, exciting or even interesting about hauling weighty loads from point to point but its a job thats got to be done and the purpose for which Mitsubishis Canter was created. A vehicle with precious little by way of airs or graces, its offered in numerous forms suited to a myriad of different business uses as long as they involve lifting, carrying, towing or tipping. If you need something shifted, the Canters your van.
Canters are available in three basic chassis sizes ranging up to the 7.5-tonne maximum threshold of trucks you can still drive on a standard licence. Once youve settled on one of these as the basis of your own personal Canter, the real problems start. The vehicle can be specified in any number of different forms with either single or double cab accommodation and rear set-ups ranging from flat-bed trucks and tippers to curtain-sided, Luton and box vans.
| Build |
 |
| Comfort |
 |
| Depreciation |
 |
| Economy |
|
| Equipment |
 |
| Handling |
|
| Insurance |
|
| Performance |
|
| Styling |
 |
| Value |
|
The Canter offers customers the chance to create a specialist vehicle tailored to their companys specific requirements. Other products on the market have similar credentials when it comes to adaptability, of course. There are mainstream panel vans that can be ordered in chassis cab form and converted into virtually anything that your heart desires but the real beauty of the Canter and its ilk is that they were dreamt-up for precisely this purpose. Like Toyotas Dyna and Nissans Cabstar E, Mitsubishis Canter is a forward-control vehicle.
This means that the cab is positioned above the front axle and the engine not a recipe for refinement but one that engenders superb manoeuvrability. Youll be able to tease the Canter and its load into the tightest of corners, negotiate traffic more simply and still haul a bigger weight than you would in a converted panel van of similar dimensions.
"Youll be able to tease the Canter and its load into the tightest of corners"
You might already be considering the purchase of a
Mitsubishi Canter. Its abilities are well documented and you probably think youre in possession of all the facts. Well, lets see how you get on: You make your way down to your local Mitsubishi dealership and walk into the showroom where youre warmly greeted by a member of the sales team. "Good morning." They say. "Hello", you say, "Id like to buy a Mitsubishi Canter". Nothing, not even a glimmer of recognition, the sharp-suited sales executive will not have the faintest idea what youre on about. Why? Because Mitsubishi dont sell the Mitsubishi Canter - by some quirk of industry inter-relationships, Daimler Chrysler do and they use their network of
Mercedes-Benz van centres to do it. This unusual arrangement is designed to be mutually beneficial to both manufacturers before Daimler Chrysler got involved, it was
Volvo who handled the Canters marketing and distribution.
All this means is that, if you want a Canter, youll have to follow the three-pointed star rather than the three diamonds. So far its a glowing report for the vehicle Mitsubishi gave up for adoption but lets not get carried away. As was mentioned, the trade off for the Canters remarkable manoeuvrability and ultra-tight turning circle is a poor quality of ride for the cabs occupants. The problem is exacerbated with smaller loads on the back as the vehicle pivots and pitches around, banging over bumps in the road surface.
Each B-road imperfection is seemingly amplified and transmitted up through the seats shaking cab occupants to the very core. With the heavier weights for which the Canter was designed on board, things improve markedly but on longer, rougher journeys passengers have still been known to emerge shell-shocked, feeling like theyve been for a ride on a fairground mechanical bull. That said, all the Canters direct competitors share this problem and most buyers are more than happy to accept a lack of saloon-car refinement in view of its wide-ranging strong points. The duo of engines available in the Canter are well-suited to the kinds of demands that buyers put on the vehicle.
The low gearing and the prodigious power at low revs mean they make short work of the heaviest loads. Customers choosing the smallest 3.5-tonne, or 35, models are pulled briskly along by a 3.0-litre turbo diesel unit with direct fuel injection.
The figure that matters here though is the units 216lb/ft of torque at 1,800rpm. The 6.3-Tonne (63) and 7.5-tonne (75) models get a larger 4.
0-litre turbocharged engine that features electronic diesel control. Theres 143bhp on tap and 304 lb/ft at 1,600rpm. Both powerplants deliver the same maximum speed of 77mph through syncromesh gearboxes a 5-speed for the 35 or a 6-speed version for the 63 and 75 models. Gear changes are a little imprecise but the configuration, with reverse and 1st directly opposite each other in the gate, makes for easy low-speed backwards and forwards manoeuvring (once you get used to it).
Sitting in the Canters cab, youre afforded an excellent all-round view of the road. Theres no bonnet to speak of, so the driver can see right down in front and is able to make full use of all available space when turning or parking. The huge mirrors create a good view down the vehicles flanks too, although they need to be adjusted into the correct position by hand a fiddly exercise. The dash layout is basic but clear and storage options for documents, flasks etc are limited.
The Canter is a surprisingly wide vehicle and this translates into a very roomy cab with ample space for three people across the front. A clever transmission handbrake system is provided in the larger models to create a stable platform for loading, while every Canter gets a switchable exhaust brake to help the driver retain control during steep descents more easily. The Mitsubishi Canter is a robust, functional product, focused on its task with no pretensions in any other direction. Its very well designed for the purpose of moving large loads quickly and efficiently exactly what buyers want it to do.
You could criticise it on grounds of ride comfort but if you want a vehicle with these specific abilities, and many do, thats the price youll have to pay. Theres a 3-year/62,000-mile warranty on all models and the suppliers (the Mercedes-Benz van centre network) are experienced and well-versed in the needs of business users.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
VAN: Mitsubishi Canter range ENGINES: 2,977cc 125bhp turbo diesel / 3,908cc 143bhp turbo diesel GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT: 3.5, 6.3 or 7.5 tonne SERVICE INTERVALS: 14,000-miles (lubrication) / 28,000 miles (major) WARRANTY: 3-year/62,000 miles
<< Back to Mitsubishi car reviews
<< Back to car reviews homepage
Find New & Used Cars in the UK |
New & Used Mitsubishi Cars For Sale UK
