Home on the range with Mitsubishi Trojan horsepower

By Steve Orme on Nov 8, 09 02:18 PM

Owning a pickup is, like shooting the neighbours, something of a tradition in rural of America and not one with any stigma attached to it.

As well as regular trips to the woods to fill the freezer with free meat and the need to carry large amounts of groceries back from the 7-11 store, Americans are more robust on such issues as , oh, bombing the moon, for instance.

Not to mention the economics. In the US a pick up, given the current strength of the pound, costs about 69p.
So, while cash strapped Limeys looking for a second car settle on a scrappage fugitive hatchback, mid-westerners can drive off in a Grizzly Bear Gun Slinger four-litre and still have change for lunch.
On top of that snow falls in North America for a laugh while further south the sort of desert that inspired Grateful Dead can turn the stranded into vulture brunch.
Now class, please contrast and compare with the growing love affair we Brits have started with double cabs.
Firstly snow. This is irrelevant because this country would not be able to cope with a couple of inches even if we all travelled in specially converted Eskimos.
Groceries? Well because we in the UK are taught to love our hoodies, bunging the weekly shop in an open back is going to lead to a degree of friction because here it is frowned upon to lean out of the driver's window and shoot looters.
Bringing us to today's pause for thought. One reason pick ups here can cost so much is a growing inclination to view them as a style accessory. This is clearly a nonsense and the thinking behind the 2.5-litre DI-D Mitsubishi L200 Trojan.
£15,000 puts you on the road in a high-spec functional 4x4 that won't test your patience on the motorway. Granted leather upholstery costs an extra grand but standard fixtures include 16 inch wheels, trip computer, electric windows, CD/MP3 player, air con, heated folding door mirrors and for the country and western stars among you, privacy glass.
None of which matters unless the drive quality is up to standard.
Look, I don't even know why I am telling you it grunts and groans to 60mph in 14.5 seconds. Just don't get chased by any angry native tribeists. 35mpg should be possible, again this is a car you buy because you need it not because you are prepared to eat your Labrador to save the ice caps.
I would point out that engine noise is enough to suggest you turn the Jimmy Buffett CD up and the back end can skittish if you push things but overall this is civilised enough.
Off road? Ah, now you are talking. Straight forward Super Select 4WD is supported by a rear diff lock. Once you have shed the Jedward dancing shoes in favour of a more aggressive tyre tread the Trojan will monster any terrain.
Styling is a radical, the sweeping body curves could have been inspired by a French dilettantes Landau. Mind you, there is plenty of room in the double cab and a good capacity load bed.
There is unlikely to be any circumstance when people will smile at you for driving bull-bottomed pick up. Perhaps a change of name would be good. For instance when the US sent us the shooting brake we called it an estate.
I propose adopting something that resonates both with what is socially acceptable modern motoring and rural pursuits. Let's call them Bambi.