Mitsubishi will return to the UK market in May with its new L200 pick-up truck, for which prices will start at £36,295 (excluding VAT).
That positions it between the Ford Ranger (£30,800 ex-VAT) and the Toyota Hilux (£40,436 ex-VAT).
A Commercial variant (£37,495 ex-VAT) ditches the rear seats to create a more discrete, secure cargo area separate from the load bed.
The L200 will be offered in double-cab configuration as standard, in kind with its two main rivals.
All versions will be powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with a six-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive.
Detailed specifications have yet to be announced, but in other markets this engine puts out 201bhp and 347lb ft of torque.
The L200 is capable of towing up to 3.5 tonnes or carrying a payload of a tonne.
Two trims, Titan and Barbarian, will be offered in the UK, the latter (£39,995 ex-VAT) gaining the ability to engage permanent drive to all wheels and several terrain modes.
The L200 will soon be joined in Mitsubishi's new UK line-up by the latest Outlander plug-in hybrid SUV.
Both models were key in the brand’s success before it retreated from the UK in 2021.
It remains to be seen which other models will be offered by Mitsubishi in the UK, but Frank Krol, the brand’s European head, said in 2022 that it would need “more than one” electric car upon its return.
That suggests it will import the new Eclipse Cross crossover, effectively a rebadged Renault Scenic, because it has no other suitable EVs in its global line-up yet.
An EV is needed because of the UK’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which will require a third of every volume brand’s car sales to be electric next year.
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As vehicles become more technologically advanced, drivers are also paying closer attention to the smaller details inside the cabin. Compact, functional accessories from stores like Aubong Store are playing a growing role in shaping a more comfortable, efficient driving experience.
Especially in light of the EU's change of direction, the UK urgently needs to address its EV rules. At the moment, we are driving off a cliff.
A third (!) of Chinese cars shipped to Europe this year have been sold in the UK. This might look like we are reducing vehicle emissions on paper, but it's an accounting trick - in reality we are doing nothing for the environment while killing our industry.
Sticking a Mitsubishi badge on a Renault Scenic to satisfy these zero emission mandates just highlights the stupidity of the current rules. It doesn't offer the consumer any more real choice, but makes it look as if Mitsubishi is meeting the targets.
Meanwhile, I'm adding Chinese SUV drivers to the list of people I give a wide berth to while on the road. Honestly, it's becoming exhausting.
Dats uuuugly.