Expert review
Mitsubishi L200 Double Cab pick-up truck (2026 - ) review
The seventh generation of Mitsubishi’s L200 pick-up truck marks a solid return to the UK for the company, offering bags of equipment, safety and style
Words by: Tom Roberts
Published on 16 September 2026 | 0 min read
The Autotrader expert verdict:
When an automotive company returns to a market it… ‘abandoned’ is a strong word… ‘left’, it better bring with it a couple of strong vehicles to mark that return. And Mitsubishi delivers with the seventh generation of its L200 pick-up truck (the Outlander PHEV has also made a return). The latest L200 is a committed diesel pick-up truck, no alternative fuel types are on offer, just strong practicality and familiar returns on investment and fuel prices. At this stage in the UK’s pick-up truck market, you might be asking if what we needed was another diesel-only truck with the GWM POER300 already in-market for a similar sub-£40K price tag. And we say, variety is the spice of life. What you have is a solid truck with good driving manners on-road, excellent performance off-road, and bags of safety and comfort tech. The usual flags need to be hoisted – fuel prices are high and pick-ups are thirsty, the safety tech is sometimes very keen, and on-road driving is as good as you’d expect… that is to say, high and sometimes stiff. And yet, it’s one of the best-looking pick-ups we’ve driven this year, and for the most part it backs up the looks with its performance. It’s not as duty-driven as the Isuzu D-Max, maybe not as plush as the Ford Ranger/Volkswagen Amarok or new Toyota Hilux, but considering its rubbing shoulders in the same price bracket as the KGM Musso Rhino and GWM’s truck it makes a very good argument for itself as the leader of the middle of the pack.
Reasons to buy:
- Sub-£40K starting price
- Strong practicality ratings
- Safe, stylish and powerful
Cargo & practicality
The latest L200 pick-up truck is available as a double-cab pickup seating up to five adults, with a commercial variant also available with a load space where the back seats should be. This review focuses on the double cab variant, available in a choice of two trims – Titan and Barbarian. Both Titan and Barbarian offer one-tonne payloads, with the Titan managing a maximum payload of 1,092kg, while the Barbarian can carry 1,025kg. Regardless of the trim you choose, the load bed measures 1.5 metres long by 1.54 metres wide and is 526 millimetres deep. This means that it CAN accommodate a standard 1,200 x 800mm Euro pallet, although you wouldn’t want the load to be particularly high, especially if yours is rocking a canopy like the loan model we tested.. at the very least take advantage of the tie-downs and load loops to secure it in place. The truck’s braked towing capacity is 3,500 kg with an unbraked limit of 750kg, and the vehicle also offers an 80kg roof-loading capacity, perfect for a roof tent (if you’re so inclined) or small roof-mounted load. We like the wide sidesteps and rear bumper foothold, which makes accessing the load bed nice and easy. And if you opt for the Barbarian trim you’ll get roof rails and styling bars behind the cabin. About the only flag is that the tailgate locks separately, so make sure you do lock it if you leave the truck unattended for any meaningful amount of time.
Expert rating: 4/5
Interior
With such a tough and stylish exterior, which it does have thanks to an imposing front end and well-placed curves, the interior has to back that up. And it does. It manages to balance its focus on being functional and durable with some nice comfort touches. The front seats are by far the best in the cabin with high backs and supportive foam, but the rear seats still offer plenty of comfort and leg room. Yes, there are some tough plastics, but there’s also a useful amount of storage cubbies, good door storage, a clear infotainment screen, loads of USB charging connections, and the obligatory Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. But what we really appreciate is the placement of hard buttons. They’re on the steering wheel, and some of the best climate control switches we’ve used in a while are right there under the vents… there’s no need to navigate a list of menus. Even the 4x4 selector is a nice rotary switch instead of a bank of separate controls. Yeah, we rate it.
Expert rating: 4/5
Running costs
The latest L200 packs a new 2.4-litre four-cylinder twin-stage turbo diesel engine under the bonnet. In the information we received, we were told that the 2H rear-wheel-drive setting is intended to “maximise fuel efficiency during normal road driving”, and we did notice it was more pleasant to drive in this setting while unladen. Fuel prices are high right now, so take this tip as something to test. Ex-VAT prices start at just over £36K for the Titan, rising to just under £40K for the Barbarian, and a good finance or lease deal will break those down. It really is good value for money.
Expert rating: 4/5
Reliability
Warranty length is always a good indicator of a manufacturer’s faith in the vehicle… or in its servicing network… and the L200 gets a five-year / 62,500-mile warranty. The L200 is built around a new high-tensile steel ladder-frame chassis, with Mitsubishi saying “torsional rigidity has increased by 40% compared with the previous model”, which is always good to hear. Ultimately, Mitsubishi has a long and mostly-positive history of building pick-up trucks and that has to count for something in reassuring prospective customers.
Expert rating: 4/5
Performance
To quote some of the big figures… the 2.4-litre diesel engine produces 201 horsepower and the truck can do 0-62mph in 12.6 seconds to a maximum speed of 111mph. All good stuff and relatively interesting. Both Titan and Barbarian models use the same six-speed automatic gearbox. The main difference comes in the 4x4 systems, with the Titan using the company’s Easy Select 4WD for 2H, 4H and 4L, with a rear differential lock available in low-range four-wheel drive. The Barbarian, meanwhile, gets the excellent Super Select 4WD-II system providing 2H, 4H, 4HLc and 4LLc, providing a range of configurations for road, towing and off-road use. Considering the short walk-up in price from Titan to Barbarian, if you need a more intelligent and full 4x4 system go for the Barbarian.
Expert rating: 4/5
Ride and handling
The L200 is a solid drive on- and off-road, feeling slightly wider, higher and longer than the previous generation this writer tested extensively during his days as Vanarama’s commercial vehicle reviewer – check out the full sixth-generation L200 test drive and review video from Vanarama. The suspension is nice and strong with a front double-wishbone with coil springs setup and a stabiliser bar coupled with leaf springs on the back. Our on-road test was a drive from Hemel Hempstead to Milton Keynes up the M1, then back through country roads and towns with 200 kg in the back. The high driving position gives good visibility, but the on-road driving experience is more solid than exciting and very much what you’d expect from a pick-up. Off-road is where it shines, with good approach angles and ground clearance. We didn’t take it anywhere too taxing, some gravel bowls, a bit of light river fording, a high-grass field hiding some big holes. Aside from some lurching into the holes, the truck felt incredibly stable. We weren’t able to test towing abilities. Overall, it’s a fine drive. Fine and dandy.
Expert rating: 3/5
Safety
The safety systems list is packed with highlights like Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Prevention, Lane Change Alert, Driver Attention Alert, Forward Collision Mitigation, Blind Spot Warning and loads more included as standard. The only flag from us is that the driver fatigue system is VERY insistent, so either turn it off or keep both hands on the wheel and drive safely!
Expert rating: 5/5
Equipment
The big difference between trim levels, at least externally, are the 17-inch silver alloy wheels fitted as standard on Titan are replaced on the Barbarian models with 18-inch black alloy wheels. Very nice black alloy wheels, we might add. Both versions get the nine-inch touch-screen infotainment system, which is where the 360-degree external camera display appears. is displayed through the touchscreen. Bluetooth connectivity is standard, as is wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Titan models get a four-speaker audio system, while Barbarian models get a six-speaker system… with reasonable bass response that filled the cabin. The key internal upgrades with the Barbarian trim are wireless smartphone charging, heated door mirrors, chromic rear-view mirror, one-touch starting, heated front seats, electrically adjustable driver's seat, and dual-zone climate control. Again, another compelling list of reasons why we’d opt for the Barbarian trim!
Expert rating: 5/5
Why buy?
You’ll buy the Mitsubishi L200 because its Barbarian trim level is so well specified for a sub-£40K ex-VAT pick-up truck and you found it more sturdy than its middle-of-the-pack competitors. At the top trim it's the best balance of function, style and capabilities for the price, and it’s definitely the one we’d choose.
Expert rating: 4/5