New Mitsubishi L200 records real-world 52mpg at Fleet World WLTP Challenge 2019
The new Mitsubishi L200 Series 6 pick-up truck has achieved a certified 52mpg while taking part in the inaugural Fleet World WLTP Challenge, an event organised by Fleet World magazine to demonstrate how the new WLTP cycle is more reflective of real-world driving fuel economy.
The new Mitsubishi L200 was amongst 21 vehicles participating in the first event of its kind to be staged in the UK and one of only a small number of commercial vehicles entered for the event. Commercial vehicles manufacturers aren’t compelled to declare their WLTP figures until September 2020 but Mitsubishi Motors has announced that the official WLTP figure of the new L200 pickup is 32.1mpg and was therefore eligible to participate.
Driven by Mitsubishi Motors in the UK Press Officer Brian Wheeler and co-piloted by the company’s Social Media Executive Rebeca Murley, the completely unmodified L200 Series 6 Barbarian manual recorded 52.0mpg during the challenge, an impressive 62% uplift compared to the official combined WLTP figure of 32.1mpg, making it the most improved fuel consumption figure of any commercial vehicle and of any pure petrol or diesel vehicle in the test. The Mitsubishi L200 was competing against a mixture of petrol, diesel, electric, hybrid and hydrogen vehicles.
The 218-mile test route took competitors from Bristol to the Midlands, via a series of waypoints and with specific time restrictions to ensure the test accurately simulated a typical journey for an employee driving on company business.
Dan Gilkes, editor of Van Fleet World said: “At the launch of the Series 6 L200 earlier this year, Mitsubishi promised that customers could expect fuel consumption to be better than the WLTP test. With an improvement of over 60% above the official figures, the company has demonstrated that, when driven well, the new L200 can be an exceptionally frugal truck.”
Clive Messenger, general manager – Fleet Operations, Mitsubishi Motors in the UK said: “The performance of the new L200 Series 6 during the WLTP challenge proved that even in the hands of a non-hyper mile expert or specially trained driver, the vehicle is very capable of achieving in excess of the WLTP fuel economy figure. For operators, this translates into considerably lower running costs and a more environmentally-friendly vehicle, both of which are an increasingly high priority for UK businesses.”
Priced from just £21,515* for the entry-level Mitsubishi L200 4Life Club Cab, the Series 6 has been engineered to be the most capable pickup Mitsubishi Motors has ever produced, introducing car-like levels of driving refinement and state-of-the-art safety systems to the segment, offering the perfect solution to motorists looking for the practicality and versatility of a pick-up without compromising on comfort, driving pleasure or running costs.
The new Mitsubishi L200 Series 6 is powered by a new 2,268cc, all aluminium, turbo-diesel engine offering improved refinement and greatly enhanced efficiency. The new engine ensures the Mitsubishi L200 Series 6 is fully Euro 6d compliant and offers owners a significant improvement in fuel economy. The WLTP combined-cycle fuel efficiency figures for the Mitsubishi L200 Series 6 are 32.1mpg for the manual version and 29.1mpg for the automatic.
To ensure the Mitsubishi L200 Series 6 is amongst the cleanest pickups on the market, it is equipped with Auto Stop and Go and AdBlue across the range to neutralise harmful pollutants and minimise its environmental impact. It’s also got the largest AdBlue tank of any rival at 21-litres, so in normal use, it should only need to be filled during regular service intervals.
*Commercial Vehicle On The Road Price excl VAT