Mitsubishi launches first car on return to UK after 5-year absence

Mitsubishi is set to produce its first car for the UK market in almost half a decade as the Japanese manufacturer returns to Britain. Mitsubishi has confirmed its brand new L200 pick-up truck will hit the market in May, the first model sold by the marque in the UK since it walked away in 2021.

The new L200 will start at £36,295, making it cheaper than one of its main rivals, the Toyota Hilux, which is marketed at over £40,000. Like the Hilux and Ford Ranger, the L200 will come in double-cab configuration.

Meanwhile, the new pick-up truck will be equipped with a twin-turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel engine. A six-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive also come as standard, but more specific details have yet to emerge.

Mitsubishi is inviting customers to register their interest in the new L200 vehicle, with the first deliveries of the new car expected as early as May.

Mitsubishi is also expected to launch an Outlander plug-in hybrid SUV as part of its return to the UK. The Outlander PHEV and L200 pick-up truck were among Mitsubishi’s most popular products before walking away from the market.

Earlier this month, Mitsubishi confirmed it would build a new dealer network in the UK to support the launch of its new models. In total. Mitsubishi aims to secure 60 new dealer partners with the brand understood to be in “advanced negotiations”.

Sharon Townsend, Head of Mitsubishi UK, stressed the company had “tremendous confidence” in the UK on its return to the country.

She explained: “We are absolutely delighted by the overwhelmingly positive response from the dealer community to the new Mitsubishi model range. In addition, strong customer demand for the latest Mitsubishi vehicles is clearly evident, and this gives us tremendous confidence as we build our presence in the UK market.”

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Mitsubishi walked away from the UK in Autumn 2021 as part of a global cost-cutting measure in the wake of the Covid pandemic. The company’s move was planned to reduce fixed costs by 20% after it claimed that its current profitability in Europe was at its lowest level ever.

In November, he said: “We look forward to a successful introduction in the UK – a market where our brand continues to have a deep emotional connection with loyal customers.”