The Rock-Hard-Steady Mitsubishi L-300

Year in and year out, day in and day out, the Mitsubishi L-300 can be relied upon to deliver on its uncompromising standard of reliability. The one word that best describes this unassuming workhorse.

Bragging rights aside, the knowledge about the said car’s reliability especially in logistic-delivery operations has been greatly acknowledged throughout the years by the striving hordes of Filipino businessmen who were keen on trying to make a decent living out of this reliably-multi-purpose utility vehicle.

However, one might wonder if this car ever breaks down?

A good question to consider from a normally-given perspective but the answer to this simple question is a resounding No!

Well, perhaps the car do breaks down from time to time but based on several articles from Fil-businessmen themselves who has extensive experience about L-300’s reliable performance on the road, so far, and most of the time, this car never quits on them.

The fact is, as one member from Mitsubishi L300 Club Philippines (MLCP) says, “you can put the L-300 through hell and back” but the car would still come out of it looking fit as a newborn infant.

Almost all of the MLCP members had vouched for the L-300’s enduring toughness as each of them have tried to put the said car through its torturous phases often jam-packing the vehicle with a load full of people then letting it rip through Sagada, a remote town in Mountain Province

 and even further beyond its boundaries. A car chugging with a load-full of people along a steep stretch at 7,789 feet of elevation is no laughing matter, a solid testament to Mitsubishi L-300’s enduring legacy of toughness and durability.

MLCP, by the way, is a non-profit group of Filipino car aficionados/businessmen comprising 7,000 members.

But all this talk about reliability would be hogwash without validation of the Mitsubishi-L-300’s known features. Without further ado then, this article will now head straight to elaborate on what matters most about this car-its engine.

HEART OF THE MATTER: ENGINE SPECS

To comply with Philippine environmental laws requiring vehicles to have at least a Euro 4 emissions rating, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) has launched the new iteration of the Mitsubishi L-300 variant for 2022 which comes equipped with a 2.2 liter 16 Valve DOHC (4N14) diesel engine also paired with a turbocharged intercooler system (Euro 4 compliant) that produces 200 Nm of maximum torque and 99.25 PS of power, with an added 40% more torque to better haul those excruciating tons of massive cargo; an equivalent of 1215Kg of payload. The whole assemblage is then mated to an optional 5-speed transmission gearbox which powers the rear wheels. 

Intended as a light commercial vehicle (CV) the L-300 has a highly-developed suspension system in the form of an independent wishbone and coil spring front suspension and a semi-elliptic leaf spring rear setup minimizing trail and road bumps for a smoother ride while stopping power can be had using a 10-inch ventilated disc brake positioned at the front and a 10-inch leading and trailing drum brakes attached at the rear. It also sports 14x5-inch steel wheels capped with 185/R14C-8PR tires.

At times, the back chassis of the L-300 can be reconfigured as a refrigerated delivery truck, a flat-bed truck, and other sorts of body configurations.

EXTERIOR FEATURE

Since arriving on the Philippine local car market scene in 1983, the L-300 still retains most of its boxy but original utilitarian design, however, the newer L-300 variants comes heavily sculpted with structural adhesives to prevent car body fracturing, thus preserving the structural integrity of the car’s chassis for continuous optimal performance.

Moreover, the new L-300 model boasts a new grille along with a new color-keyed bumper, black-sided door mirrors,

larger rear combination lamp clusters, (turn lights and brake lights), and a flashier front and side black detailing. The car’s chassis has also been raised to provide better road visibility while multi-reflector halogen headlights and halogen fog lamps compliment the same basic blandness exuded by the exterior facade.

Meanwhile, the three-seater L-300 variant has a length of 4,260mm, a width of 1,695mm, a height of 1,895mm, and a ground clearance of 195mm while a wheelbase length of 2,350mm, and a curb weight of 1,260mm completes this utilitarian ensemble.

In addition, the new L-300 has two variants to choose from, the basic 3-seater cab & chassis priced at Php 804,000 while the 17-seater variant is priced at Php 998,000.

CABIN AMENITIES

In line with the L-300’s rigid utilitarian standards, cabin amenities have nothing much to offer in terms of pleasurable comfort levels as it only brags of a decent dual air conditioning unit, a solitary-1DIN radio that comes with USB, SD card, and Aux input and a set of two speakers.

Fabric-upholstered seats, a power steering wheel made out of polypropylene plastic, a turn-key ignition system, a manually-adjustable driver's seat with height adjustment, and an analog gauge cluster or tachometer provide the driver with more visual information about the car’s condition.

SAFETY FEATURE

Nothing much to look forward to either in the safety department as the Mitsubishi L-300 only showcases side impact beams, 3-point seatbelts for both the driver and passengers and an engine check warning mechanism to prevent unforeseen car breakdown while a lockable cabin provides lots of ample storage space plus manual central locking doesn't even get any better as part of its refurbished make-over, however, for the final verdict; pound for pound, the Mitsubishi L-300 may not look good but still, this FB van has been blessed with a mark of durability and dependability written all over it since day one.

However, don’t take our word for it with a pinch of salt because it’s quite likely been proven already. The last course of action entails maybe owning one then darn ride ‘em like a stolen car, hit a brick wall-dead center at a furious speed and well, perhaps, you'll get the picture.