Bargain L200 Trojan - very much at home on the range

Nov 2 2009 Steve Orme

Bargain L200 Trojan - very much at home on the range

OWNING a pickup is, like shooting the neighbours, something of a tradition in rural America and free of stigma.

As well as needing a vehicle for regular trips to the woods for free meat and the need to carry large amounts of groceries, Americans are more robust on many issues. Bombing the moon, for instance.

On top of that snow falls in North America for a laugh while further south desert that inspired the Grateful Dead can turn stranded drivers into vulture brunch.

Contrast and compare with the growing love affair we Brits have started with pickups.

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 shooting looters is considered impolite.

Bringing us to today's pause for thought. Pickups here can cost silly money thanks to an 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 double cab 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 tribalists. 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 should point out that engine noise is enough to warrant turning up the Jimmy Buffett CD and the back end can be 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 19th century 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 a bull-bottomed pickup. 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 reflects rural pursuits. Let's call them Bambi.