2007 Mitsubishi L200 Triton Elegance DI-D Road Test

For all of its challenges in North America, the pickup truck market,

particularly the compact truck segment is thriving all over the world. They aren't the typical midsize Chevrolet Colorado, Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger or even the Toyota Tacoma that we can get here, or for that matter remotely close to our top-selling full-size trucks, but rather the trucks that are increasing in numbers are true compact haulers like the Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara, Mazda BT-50 and this, the Mitsubishi L200 Triton. Many of these trucks, including the L200, are built in Thailand, one of the world's biggest markets for pickup trucks (bet you didn't know that). Though this truck isn't sold in North America (with no plans to, either), it is a reflection of what's happening in certain Asian and European markets (and others) that exempt light duty pickup trucks from various taxes – it's become a replacement to the SUV. Because of this direction in the market, Mitsubishi has geared its latest generation L200 Triton to become as much like an SUV as possible, without compromising its ability to work.

The Triton may take the form of a pickup truck, but is anything but ordinary looking. Mitsubishi has pitched this little truck so far away from center in terms of styling, that I'm tempted to say that it's revolutionary. Digging into its heritage-lined pockets, Mitsubishi wanted to convey its core strengths of durability and longevity in new and creative ways. They chose the Pajero

Evolution race truck for inspiration when it came to penning the nose, which has the dominant Mount Fuji-style grille. The wheels on this up-level truck are sourced from the old Montero, while the plastic fender flares and large mirror caps add subtle sophistication. Things get curvier still moving backwards. The cabin isn't boxy, but rounded, with swooping cut lines for the windows and the bed. From the back, the bed culminates with a short stature tailgate and a detached bar bumper that rides several inches below the bottom of the bed. Mitsubishi's intent was to synthesize a rugged truck with some regular car refinements, which resulted in a very organic design with extraterrestrial elements. Pretty it ain't, though you'll never confuse it for a Ford or Chevy.

L200s are offered with two different engines, a big-ish 2.5-liter and a mammoth 3.2-liter, both of which are four-cylinder (yes four-cylinder) common-rail turbodiesels. The 2.5 is sold in most markets, and it's also available in two states of tune, ranging from 115 hp and 182 lb-ft of torque to 138 horsepower and 237 lb-ft of torque, the latter of which is essentially a factory-chipped version that focuses around a

spike in turbo pressure at higher engine speeds. The big 3.2-liter makes 162 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Most of the L200s built for private use – the luxurious ones – come equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission, though a five-speed manual is standard on some engines and trim levels.

Due to the displacement being so high yet cylinder count relatively low, the Triton's two and a half liter DI-D high-output engine features huge, heavy-duty pistons and components to deal with heavier loads. Because of this, the Triton's diesel is more commercial-grade than luxury-car smooth, which is fine as it's perfectly suited to the job. It happily clatters away at idle and under medium load, sounding very much like a bigger truck, but when you're out and about cruising at steady speeds on the highway, the engine is surprisingly refined. The diesel helps to give the Triton its excellent payload and towing capabilities, but it doesn't endow the truck with noteworthy acceleration. It takes somewhere in the high 17 second range

to hit the 60 mph with an automatic transmission and an empty load, which looks mighty slow on paper, but when you're behind the wheel it doesn't feel anywhere as tardy as 17 seconds might suggest. Once you're out of first gear and above 2,500 rpm (oh, the lag ...), the engine feels like it's got enough torque to tear down a building. Round a corner with your foot on the accelerator, and be prepared to deal with wheel spin and rotation, or the stability control cutting power.

Much like the engine, which is endearing but fairly agricultural, the Triton's chassis and ride are more suited to moving a pallet of bricks than lighter loads such as a pair of mountain bikes. It may be small and sophisticated looking, but it's no Honda Ridgeline, as underneath it's a standard ladder frame chassis with a live rear axle and leaf springs, which indicates that its key priorities are ensuring it can deal with your loads. It'll accept about 2,315 lbs worth of payload in its bed, and can tow up to 5,952 lbs.

This doesn't mean that Mitsubishi hasn't forgotten about driving dynamics. Though I've never driven the old L200, Mitsubishi notes several improvements which are critical to enhancing the way that it drives. For instance, the chassis is some 50-percent stiffer than the outgoing model, and the front suspension is fully independent, taking the form of a double wishbone layout. The steering too is different; gone is the tractor-like recirculating ball, replaced by a true rack and pinion unit.

Besides the bounce and the choppiness of the ride, the L200 is a friendly enough truck to drive. The steering rack errs on the side of slow, and requires a lot of twirling to get the wheels pointing where you want it to be, but once you get used to it the L200 can be wielded around tight urban areas with ease. It doesn't feel as big as a Tacoma or even a Colorado, and can run rings around most compact trucks thanks to its ultra-tight turning radius. It beats every pickup sold here in that aspect of agility, including the physically smaller Ford Ranger. Perhaps what's most impressive about the

L200 is that on top of its agility it really settles down well at higher speeds. Barreling down the freeway at speeds of over 80 mph didn't cause the truck to twitch, or feel uncomfortable in the slightest. The slower geared steering helps in this respect.

If the quirky looks, unusual powertrain and decent driving dynamics haven't made you take notice, than the interior of the L200 most certainly will. While it's not quite El Camino low, there's no real need for the L200's step rails to hop aboard. The low step-in height makes getting in and out very easy, but what's even more intriguing is the seating position. In most pickups, you sit upright against the wall that is the dashboard, but not so in the L200. You sit in the seats rather than on them, and the dashboard wraps around you, just like in a car. That might be the most memorable thing about the interior, if not for the quality.

Other than general durability, pickup trucks aren't known for the way they're built or the materials they're made from, but Mitsubishi looks to

be the brand to change this. Though the plastics used on the dash aren't soft-touch, they have a neat corrugated texture, and the degree of fit and finish quality is without a doubt the best in any pickup truck. Gaps and tolerances are very low, and the interior as a whole feels tightly screwed together. There's a certain air of detail that's missing from mainstream cars and SUVs for that matter, but not so with this workman's best friend. Take the bright blue theme for instance. It's reflected on the interior with matching instruments, HVAC knobs and stitching for the leather-trimmed steering wheel, seats and shift knobs. It continues with the top-of-dash display, which also functions as a trip computer. Most of these features aren't exclusive to this top of the line Elegance model, either. All windows, including the rearmost glass are power-operated with one-touch up and down, plus there's automatic climate control, a CD player and a powerful heater on board. Mitsubishi wanted this Double Cab model to have SUV-like room, and for a compact truck it's quite impressive. Rear legroom is on the tight side, but then again this is a true compact pickup truck. All in all, the L200 leaves its closest North American rivals in the

dust when it comes to the interior.

What about safety? Mitsubishi made a strong effort to bump up the L200's level of safety features to rival that of its cars. That stiffened frame allowed the Japanese brand to claim a four-star crash test rating in the EuroNCAP, which according to the brand is a world first for the one-ton compact truck class. ABS brakes with brakeforce distribution are standard too, and on upper level models stability control and traction control are also standard fit. For those interested in airbags, the L200 comes with two, which is disappointingly short of the four or six airbags that compact trucks here offer, but something that no doubt reflects more on the requirements of markets offering the truck than any ability to deliver. Just the same, I can see Mitsubishi wanting to fix this in the future.

For a compact truck, you really can't ask for much more from the L200, except for perhaps better acceleration. The fuel consumption and range capability its four-cylinder diesel delivered would be worthy of any contractor's consideration, or for that matter anyone who regularly hauls people and cargo. If Mitsubishi were to import the L200 Triton, it wouldn't just be rival compact truck manufacturers that would need to worry. With its heavy-duty strength, creative styling and car-like interior, this truck could certainly lure in buyers of cars and SUVs, and perhaps even those that purchase larger trucks like the Silverado, Ram and F-150.

The L200 might look like it landed from another planet, but it would have no difficulties blending into our part of the globe.