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Returning over 29mpg laden, Mitsubishi's 1,600cc van, with its triple-diamond logo, won't drink you dry. Tim Blakemore has a few reservations, but with good manoeuvrability, a quiet ride, and sideloading doors as standard for multi-drop work, the Japanese certainly have a lot to offer CM Road Test No 5, 1981
THE TRIPLE DIAMOND symbol and the name Mitsubishi is likely to mean more to secretaries than van operators.
But last year, when sales of all commercial vehicles in the UK fell by 11.4 per cent compared with 1979, Mitsubishi increased its registrations from 942 to 1,200, whereas two other Japanese manufacturers, Datsun and Mazda, both lost sales in the non-car derived van sector.
There are just two models in Mitsubishi's commercial vehicle range for Britain— the L200 pickup and, the subject of our road test this week, the L300 panel van. But in the Japanese home market the company is the fourth biggest in cv sales with models from 1 tonne gvw to 40 tonnes gvw.
The L300 van was introduced to the UK in July last year. Compared with similar models it isn't cheap but it has attracted considerable interest — up to the end of January this year 639 had been registered.
The L300 is the only van on the UK market to offer two sideloading doors, one on each side, as standard. Other manufacturers offer these as options, of course, but few distributors are likely to stock other than standard vans and anyone ordering a special from a manufacturer an expect a long wait.
The Mitsubishi looks a lot like the Volkswagen Transporter van (CM, July 12, 1980), with its forward control layout and symmetrical angular lines — and if it wasn't for the side windows of the cab it would be difficult to tell at a glance which end was the front. And like the Transporter, the L300's hinged cab doors open to less than 90°, which doesn't exactly make for easy cab entry.
That's where the similarities end, though. The 1,600cc watercooled overhead camshaft Mitsubishi engine is mounted at the front so it sits underneath the passenger seat. Power is transmitted through a fourspeed synchromesh gearbox to the live rear axle.
The box section chassis frame is a separate component, unlike, for example, the Ford Transit van's monocoque construction, so any one of a number of body types could be fitted to each chassis as it rolls off the production line.
There's nothing revolutionary about the L300's design, but it came through our tests with no fuss.
One thing the Mitsubishi didn't like, though, was having its petrol tank brimmed. The tank is large, 55 litres (12.1 gal), and is nearside mounted ahead of the rear axle where it would be well protected from either a frontor rear-end shunt.
But the position of the nearside side-loading door means that the tank's filler cap has to be located some distance away from the tank itself — just behind the front axle, in fact.
If you want to brim the tank, as we do to check fuel consumption on a tank-top to tank-top basis, then you need patience to rival Job's because the petrol takes so long to settle in the 2in diameter, long and tortuously routed filler hose.
At first I thought this difficulty accounted for the fuel consumption figure on the first laden run around CM's Thames Valley test route — an incredible 9.54 lit/100km (29.6mpg).
So even greater care was taken when filling the tank on the second, unladen run (that means a fuel tank filling time of around 30 minutes!) and the suit was 8.50 lit/ 100k (33.22mpg) a figure which con lated with the laden result.
It seems that the Mitsubic takes to fuel (and the cheapc two star at that) as a child tak to castor oil.
These fuel figures weren't the expense of average spec either — that was 48.7km (30.3mph) with the L300 laden its gross weight of 2,000kg ai 51.1 km/h (31.8mph) unlade These speeds are virtually idE tical to those achieved by t 1,600cc Transit 80 earlier tf year.
It makes sense to compare t Mitsubishi with the Ford Tranc which is far and away the mar' leader in the non car-derived v, sector.
Our Motometer brake p( formance recorder chose tf test to go on the blink. It cons tently showed average decce ration figures for the Mitsubic higher than its peak deccelei tion.
But we needed nothing sophisticated as a Motometer record that when braking fro 20mph the rear end twitched a of line and from 30mph the c viation was slightly worse.
From 40mph it was so bad Ti' the rear of the van swui around almost through 90°.
Entering the cab isn't as ea as it might, as mentioned earli( but once behind the wheel i nor trim, instrumentation and antrols is of the standard we've arrie to expect from Japanese But the light tan vinyl-covered ats will look dirty quickly and ey seem very basic. The driv's seat, despite its lack of eight or rake adjustment, asn't at all uncomfortable durg our test. The heating and Intilation system is designed to )pe with extremes of temperare not likely in this part of the orld.
On both the driver's and pastiger's side there is a foot-level esh-air Ventilator as well as e facia-mounted at face level. At the other end of the temperture scale, if the heater slide )ntrol is set to hot and the three )eed blower switched to Hi the 'side of the cab warms up very On a frost laden morning durig the test, I discovered how ffective the defrosting was 'hen the ice-covered windn-een was very soon cleared, id on such a cold morning you appreciate the heated rear yeen fitted as standard to the iilgate.
It is to be hoped that others, 'ho up to now have cared little a driver's rearscreen is iced up, follow Mitsubishi's example id perhaps even go one stage rther by fitting a rear wiper/ 'asher system as standard.
The driver sits within a few iches of the engine on his left, ut noise levels inside the cab re low — at 80km/h (50mph) in )p gear we measured 7 83dB(A) at the driver's ear. There ght: The load area is shallower, lorter and narrower than equivant Ford Transit van but surprisgly the Mitsubishi can carry Fghtly more weight. is a distinct lack of "body boom" even when the van is empty — the headlining extended all the way back through the load area must help to keep things quiet. There is definitely no walk through facility with the L300 van — indeed the driver is almost completely isolated and protected from the load compartment by a vinyl-covered bulkhead at the base of the seats and a sturdy steel rod frame extending from the top of the seats to the van roof.
The back of the driver's seat hinges forward to provide access to the battery, protected by a lid on top of which if. stowed the tool kit.
The base of the dual pas. senger seat hinges back in th: opposite direction for access tc the engine compartment.
With mechanics having tc crawl around inside the cab k get at the engine, the light tar interior is likely to get dirty verb soon.
Readers who recall early de. signs of column gearchange anc pistol grip handbrake levers ma wince to see them resurrected ir the Mitsubishi. But if our tes. vehicle is typical of the nevs breed, fears of sloppy operatior would be unfounded. The onl) problem I had with the gear. change was an ocassional diffi. culty in finding reverse.
At motorway speeds, particu. Ian}, when unladen, the Mitsubi. shi's steering had a tendency tc wander, but it is difficult tc criticise the van's handling or any other count.
Loading the van fully to it gvw of 2,005kg (1.97 tons; hac little effect on the steering effor needed.
The gearing of the recirculat ing ball steering box gives 4.'", turns from lock to lock — jus. about right it seems to me.
While the Mitsubishi could no match the VW Transporter's im. peccable handling, it was sur. prisingly well-mannered — E van with a live rear axle is una. voidably more subject to h(4 and tramp than independen. suspension.
One key on the Mitsubishi fit: all five doorlocks and the locka. ble flap on the petrol filler — E somewhat flimsy affair — stil must be a deterrent to would-bE thieves.
The van might have been dc signed by a multi-stop deliver} driver with such features as tha ease of locking, the smooth-ac. tion slam-shut sideloadinc
doors giving excellent access to the load space, a slam-shut tailgate held open by gas struts, and a low floor-height.
Good manoeuvrability is another of the L300's strong points, though I couldn't quite manage the kerb-to-kerb turning circle of 8.78m (28.8ft) claimed.
The van's compact overall dimensions help to make it easy to jockey through traffic, but the other side of the coin is that there are some loads which will not fit in the limited load space of the Mitsubishi.
Its width between the wheel arches is 203mm (81n) less than the Transit, while length of floor is 101.5mm (4in) less and internal height 152.4mm (Gin) less.
Summary
At 2005kg (1.97 tons) the L300 ran's gross weight is less than nost of its competitors. But its (erb weight is also low, with the -esult that nothing is lost in )ayload. It surprised us to find .hat the Mitsubishi could actually carry more weight than a =ord Transit 80 or Volkswagen fransporter, for example.
There are currently at least .hree different methods of meawring a van body's volume, and an international committee is rying to establish one that can )e universally accepted. By any otandard, the Mitsubishi's load rolume is comparatively small and that will exclude it from the ;hopping list of operators who leed every last cubic inch of ;pace.
Twin side-loading doors conribute to the van's high list wice, but they are also a feature
-narketing people can push hard. But for a van that is to be used or multi-drop deliveries, they ore more than a sales gimmick. or van owners with this kind of )peration, the L300 has a lot to )ffer.