Mitsubishi L300

The interior cabin of the Mitsubishi L300 looks purposeful and ergonomic, but it is a far cry from all the modern-day cabins of other vehicles. The all grey cabin is finished in average quality, however, it has ample room for three passengers abreast.

Behind the two-spoke steering wheel, there is a trapezoidal instrument console with analog dials, which are in a good field of vision and are easy to read. The rest of the dashboard has a number of asymmetric rectangular themed panels, which include sleek rectangular AC vents at the top and two rectangular components placed below it, one for the AC controls and one of the 1-DIN audio system. Both these component panels are placed adjacent to each other. The open glove compartment below the co-passenger side of the cabin looks too basic and is an attempt of cost-effectiveness.

The Mitsubishi L300 has been made available as a replacement of the L200, or rather should we say, an upgrade over it. However, in terms of the way it looks, the Mitsubishi L300 looks even more dated and basic when compared to the L200.

The Mitsubishi L300 has got a very lucid looking front profile, which might remind you of a vehicle from two or even three decades old. The large trapezoidal front windscreen and the minimalist front fascia, which includes a rectangular front grille with twin horizontal rectangular slats as well as rectangular headlamp assemblies adjacent to its either sides, look pretty basic.

The headlamp assemblies include rectangular headlights as well as twin rectangular lamps for fog lights and reflectors arranged in a vertical fashion. There are rectangular turn indicators placed on the corners of the metallic front bumper. The side profile of the Mitsubishi L300 too looks too much simple and basic with black finished rearview mirrors and door handles. There is a fine sharp character line flowing from the edge of the headlamp throughout the side profile of the door. The trapezoidal wheel arches look huge for the rather tinier wheels.

The rest of the design for the Mitsubishi L300 is even more basic, with the cab and chassis model coming with a boxy cabin mounted on the rear part of the chassis having a seating compartment with two side-facing benches and two rectangular window panels on either side.

Built on a ladder on frame chassis, the Mitsubishi L300 gets independent wishbone setup at the front and semi-elliptical leaf springs at the rear. The overall suspension combination, as well as chassis of the Mitsubishi L300, seem heavy duty and durable and are designed for carrying loads with ease. However, don’t expect plush ride quality from this suspension setup.

The Mitsubishi L300 has a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine which powers it. Coupled to a 5-speed manual gearbox, this engine has the capacity of producing a maximum power output of 100 PS and a peak torque output of 200 Nm. The figures might seem low on paper, but the engine is decently powerful for carrying heavy loads with ease.

The Mitsubishi L300, given its too basic setup and appeal, does not get any prominent safety feature. However, if you count the basics, the Mitsubishi L300 does get a lockable cabin with manual central locking.

For the single-handed purpose of carrying loads and passengers, the Mitsubishi L300 seems a decent vehicle for the job. This commercial vehicle feels terribly dated in and out when it comes to design and features. However, thanks to its Japanese engineering roots, the Mitsubishi L300 feels heavy duty and durable for the powertrain and mechanicals it gets under the skin.