Speedmonkey: 2014 Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian First Drive Impressions

I'm driving this Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian for the next week. Here's a short review

2014 Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian

Why did I book a Mitsubishi L200 press car? Well, because it's different, and because I've always liked the look of pick-ups, and thought I'd see if it would make an off the wall alternative to an SUV.

The first thing you notice is how big it is. At 5,185mm it's as long as a Mercedes S-Class, although this, the Barbarian, does have an extended load platform. The Barbarian is almost the top of the range and comes with all the usual gizmos you'd expect in any car.

It's a damn fine looking thing with lots of character and a commanding presence. Open the driver's door and the interior looks pretty good too.

Climb in and you'll see it's got electric windows, cruise control, satnav, DAB, Bluetooth, leather seats and, strangely for a car like this, an automatic gearbox.

You also notice that the driving position is ideal for those with short legs and long arms - perhaps designed for those who might buy one - but not so much for those of more normal proportions. I found the steering wheel too far away, and it only adjusts up and down.

The seats look good but have no lumbar support, or even much in the way of support generally. They feel like leather-clad church pews.

The infotainment system is a touchscreen Kenwood unit and has too much of an aftermarket feel, although to be fair it's not much different to those found in many other low volume Japanese cars such as the Subaru BRZ. The sound quality from the speakers is dire.

The engine is a 2.5 litre turbo-diesel with 175bhp and 258lb ft of torque. It has plenty of grunt and pulls the L200 along well. The auto gearbox might only have 5-speeds but it doesn't feel like it needs more and the time taken to change gear, and the frequency it changes is better than in some road cars I've driven. Despite a bit of gruffness the engine and gearbox work well and make the car feel quicker than it is. 0-60 takes 12.1 seconds but it feels faster.

The L200 has a payload capacity of 1,120kg and a towing capacity of 2,700kg. Because of this it has leaf spring rear suspension which makes for a bouncy ride. The impressively long suspension travel is designed for practicality rather than handling and as such the Barbarian leans in corners like Land Rovers of old.

Mind you it does off-road well. I took it down a local green lane with some seriously big ruts and bumps and the L200 took them all in its stride.

It strives to present an image of a fun, interesting car that's also a practical pick up. It is very practical but you'd be disappointed if you bought one as an alternative to an SUV.

Having said that I like it. It has so much character I can forgive its shortcomings.