Test drive Mitsubishi L200 Single Cab 1995 - 2005 pickup

Country season

The time of vacations and suburban sorties - to the cottage, in the forest, for fishing ... We are free in our desires and, plus, we want to be free in our manifestations. And what is needed to freely manifest? In addition to free time - freedom of movement, of all types of freedom, which is the most important for us in this case. And for freedom of movement, of course, a car is needed. And not anyone, but with good cross -country ability and, preferably, allowing you to take a lot of luggage, including oversized. As an option - pickup.

This is only in Russia a pickup - an exotic car. There are no domestic ones (except for the circumcised Muscovites), and the Ford F150, Nissan, Toyota, if you're lucky, are occasionally found from imported ones. In any other country, a small truck with a small body is quite ordinary.

The most massive distribution of light trucks (including pickups) received in the USA - there are now 68.42 million, i.e. A little more than a third of the country's fleet, the number of which has recently exceeded 200 million. The vast majority of their own production. But foreign manufacturers who want to attend the American market are not behind. Mitsubishi, whose all -wheel drive L200 picap was not an exception for several days at the disposal of the editorial office of Motor magazine.

Actually, what is a light truck? A supporting frame, a transmission with an uncertain rear (and sometimes front) bridge on the springs, on top - covering all this is the cabin for the crew. Plus a platform for the cargo. The rear or full drive: for the truck, the ability to move on roadway is not superfluous at all.

Depending on the purpose of the car, the shape and size of the cab, as well as the cargo platform, change. The first option: a double cabin plus a large platform (with or without folding sides), i.e. An ordinary truck. Second: a multi -seater cabin completely closes the chassis, and there is no cargo platform at all - this is so popular SUV. Intermediate: a two- or four -seater cabin plus a small open cargo compartment with hard side and hinged rear sides - this is a pickup, the car is originally utilitarian, as evidenced by the name of the class - from the English pick up, i.e. raise (and transfer).

All this, in general, is obvious things. We wanted to simply emphasize here that from a technical point of view between a workhorse a pickup and a dietary entertainer there is no difference. The difference is in price, and noticeable. Well, in the image, of course. But you can form an image and form ...

Mitsubishi L200 pickup is available in three basic options. The simplest is Single Cab, with a double cab and a long cargo compartment. The next is Club Cab, with an elongated (due to a cargo compartment) cabin, it has an unpretentious rear sofa and also two doors. And finally, Double Cab - with a short cargo compartment and a full -fledged four -door cab. Each option can have both rear and all -wheel drive.

At our disposal was Mitsubishi L200 in the GLS version - the most sophisticated, which involves coloring only with a metal and only two -color. Despite the elegant appearance, at first glance at the car you can accurately determine: its element is off -road. An impressive (235 mm) road clearance, huge wheels and a long -flowing suspension (look at the gaps between the body and wheels in the arches) are characteristic features of a vehicle of increased cross -country ability. In L200, the noted features, one might say, are hypertrophied - standing nearby Mitsubishi Pajero looks like a simple small -leaf.

The picture is complemented by the footsteps, large chrome rear -view mirrors, as well as a powerful kangaroo with Hella halogen headlights. The rear lights - in the spirit of off -road traditions - are also covered by a decorative lattice. By leaning, you can consider a powerful frame (on which a passenger cabin and a body with a folding rearboard are installed), as well as the front independent spring suspension on the transverse levers and a pressed unreasonable rear beam.

We were interested in the nostril of the air intake on the hood. It turned out that it is designed to blow the intercooler - the cooler of the air compressed by the air turbocharger, which is supplied to the engine.

Against the background of the size of the engine compartment, the diesel engine looks dieser. There were even doubts about the abilities of this baby to cope with a heavy machine (dry weight L200 - 1750 kg). We looked into technical data, read. Engine power of 2477 cm cube. reaches 100 hp. (4000 vol./Min.), And the torque reaches 240 nm (2000 vol./Min.). Not so bad ... By the way, the motor looks not only small, but also quite archaic and not very technically difficult - it seems that there will be few problems with its repair.

At the cargo compartment (I want to call it a body), the side sides are hard, the rear - leans back to a horizontal position, which allows you to transport longer items. The floor is corrugated, there are hooks for fastening the cargo. Everything is firm, solid. The width of the compartment is 1470 mm, however, the rear wheels arches protrude inside. The length is 1500 mm: the water motorcycle will not enter, but still decent. With the same width, the length of the compartment in Club Cab is 1830 mm, and in Single Cab - 2245 mm.

The driver's door is hospitably open, and we find ourselves in the cabin. Everything, as in an ordinary four -five -seater sedan, only the rear window is vertical. General impression: functional, comfortable, but without frills. It is convenient to sit on the front seats, the height of the pillow is well chosen, and there is no need to stand on the bandwagon. The chairs with fabric upholstery are equipped with two adjustments along the length and angle of the back of the back, you can change the slope of the steering column. The range of movements is sufficient, there are many places, including above the head.

Torpedo is made in a utility: simplicity plus ease of use. Everywhere plastic, which, unlike the skin or wooden linings, is not afraid of small mechanical influences. Devices - the required minimum: tachometer, speedometer and indicators of fuel level and coolant temperature. In the GLS version, a torpedo in the middle has an additional, off -road, an instrument unit - with a craneomer, an indicator of the temperature of the outboard air and a voltmeter.

From the means of comfort, it is worth noting the air conditioning, the central lock, electric windows and audio training - there are no radio tape recorders here.

A convenient steering wheel with a built -in airbag lies well in his hands, the front passenger pillow is hidden in a dashboard, above the glove box. The location of the pedals is without comments. The tunnel is conveniently located levers of control of a mechanical 5 -speed transmission - a gearbox lever and a switch of operating modes. There are three modes of these - the drive is only the rear, full and the drive with the reducing nearby.

In the rear seats - far from as spacious as on the front ones, the rise of the floor affects - in this place there is a fuel tank under it. But only very high people will experience discomfort, while passengers of medium height will be located behind with amenities.

The engine starts with a knock characteristic of diesel, but quickly goes to stable idle speeds. If you put your hand on the steering wheel or lever of the box, you can feel the vibration of the power unit, and the trembling of the lever gearbox and especially its casing are noticeable even in the opinion. When adding gas, the motor immediately gains harmony, while under the influence of a reactive moment it significantly rotates on the supports. Did they make them specially so soft?

Touching. The first gear turned on easily, while pleasantly surprised the clutch pedal - small, as in a passenger car, an effort combined with good informativeness. The box lever works clearly and smoothly. We go in a diesel - almost immediately, without a set of revolutions, we go to the second. No problems, we roll smoothly and leisurely. The amplifier allows you to rotate the steering wheel with almost one finger. In the extreme positions of the wheels, the buzz of the pump is well audible.

Let's go faster. There is no expected sluggishness of the diesel engine at low speeds, and after 2000 there is a small pickup, and it is to the place, regardless of the gear at the moment, from the second and higher, up to the fifth. This is what the good elasticity of the engine means. The dynamics of acceleration was quite decent, it became even a little ashamed of the first - visual - the impression of the motor.

It soon became clear that with this engine you could go in Benzinovo, promoting it before switching to 3500 rpm. The second, third, fourth ... The fifth was turned on just as they say, because it is. Of course, there is no shot, but a large car is gaining speed rapidly - we did not even expect such agility from him. True, all this happened in the absence of a load, which may exceed a ton.

L200 fits perfectly into the city stream, the overview in all directions is good, the dimensions are felt. The brakes work as it should, allowing you to confidently and predictly upset this giant. ABS works only with very sharp braking, especially in steep turns, when there is a noticeable redistribution of weight along the wheels of one axis.

On the highway, the car easily holds 150 km/h along the speedometer, without forcing either the driver or passengers to strain - the latter generally seems that the speed is much lower. The car obeys the steering wheel well, despite the large high -profile tires. This is also facilitated by a stiff suspension in the present. The latter has a noticeable resistance at low wheel movements with a high speed of vertical movement - as is the case on hard coating, but gives the wheel freedom with increased moves on rough terrain. Of course, on asphalt L200 is not going as smoothly as an ordinary passenger car, designed only for good roads, and this is a payment for universality.

We move off the asphalt, turn on the all -wheel drive mode of operation of the transmission. The corresponding picture caught fire on the combination of devices and the inscription Wheel Locked appeared. The pickupu is confidently moving along the soft soil, it is unlikely that it will come even in a large puddle with a soft clay bottom. We try wet sand - the same thing. We even stopped for the purity of the experiment. Just in case, we turn on the reduced row - and calmly leave the ravine. Then, with the same result, we repeat this maneuver - already with a reduced gear disconnected. It seems that L200 can do everything. Ahead of the deep hole is nonsense: two soft touches of the soil with splashes, and it has already become a memory. But in stock there is also a forced blocking of the differential of the rear axle!

The car was quite economical - the average fuel consumption during the test was about 10 liters per hundred. With a difference in gas prices and diesel fuel prices, this is especially pleasant ...

Mitsubishi L200 is truly universal. In his arsenal - a fairly high level of comfort, good cross -country ability, carrying capacity and at the same time beautiful and courageous appearance. In the richest version of GLS, and even with additional equipment, this pickup will be appropriate not only, say, on the shore of some reservoir, but, for example, at the theater entrance. Those to whom the length of the cargo transported is more important than a two -color painting of the machine, options with a cockroach cabin are intended. By the way, L200 is already sold in Russia.

Sergey Ivanov
 
 

A source: Motor magazine [No. 9/1998]