When designing the template for MotorMartin, it was important to understand what it was that the reader would want to know about. There are, after all, many titles out there in both physical print and the digital medium that are concerned with high end prestige Motors. There are some titles looking only at classic cars, the mechanical side of things, the British racing scene, single marque magazines, magazines about motoring purely as entertainment and lastly, the weeklys, our look into everything else.
My problem and therefore by default, MotorMartin’s problem, is that there was nothing out on the shelf or on the information super highway that is the internet, that covered what the average man/woman on the street wants. Surely what’s important is how suitable the vehicle is for the job that you want it to do. Is it comfortable and can you afford it? And it’s here that we get to why MotorMartin is necessary. MotorMartin celebrates the cars, businesses, manufacturers, dealers, auctions, people and ideas that matter. A celebration and acknowledgement of the many people and products that are perhaps not always represented within the mainstream press.
Which brings us nicely onto the Mitsubishi L200 Warrior and Nathaniel Cars of Bridgend, South Wales. MotorMartin was invited down to South Wales to have some fun driving the revamped L200 Warrior, the Outlander PHEV and the ASX. But let’s just rewind a little bit first and take things one at a time.
Nathaniel Cars encapsulates a lot of the values that MotorMartin promotes and has done so for over 30 years. A quick look on their extensive website at www.nathanielcars.co.uk tells us that Nathaniel Cars aim to put the customer first in everything they do and have gradually evolved the business as new ideas and products have been introduced to the market so that the customer experience continues to improve. What was particularly impressive to MotorMartin was when James, one of the Mitsubishi sales team, explained how he sometimes found himself talking customers out of buying cars that were clearly unsuitable for their needs before suggesting a better, not necessarily more expensive, alternative. Very refreshing to hear and a credit to the business and staff, perhaps there’s something for others to learn there.
The showroom and immediate surroundings show this modern, multi franchise, dealership at its best. Nathaniel Cars holds franchises for MG, Subaru and Mitsubishi as well as stocking a variety of used motors on site. The first thing you notice upon arriving is the clean, well stocked exterior with plenty of room to walk about and view whilst each car includes a comprehensive information panel upon which to browse. Unlike some dealerships, the staff allow you time to think before asking if you need any help. Each separate brand has their own sales executives which means that you deal with an expert rather than someone who has to keep going away and checking details which can be frustrating.
With tea and coffee facilities and an relaxed feel to the bright and airy showroom, Nathaniel Cars is an easy place to spend time in, as previously mentioned, the polite and knowledgeable staff aim to make your time with them both pleasant and purposeful without being overbearing. And it works. MotorMartin can see why Nathaniel Cars gets so much repeat business, indeed a quick look at their customer comments http://www.nathanielcars.co.uk/testimonials/ confirms the high regard that their service is held in.
But now it’s time to look at the first car on my list for the day and it’s the mighty, Mitsubishi L200 Warrior Series 5. The first thing that strikes you about the Warrior is always going to be the shear size of the vehicle. Everything about it is larger than life, from the height of the bonnet to the step up into the interior, you’re never in doubt that this is a car with quite some bulk behind it. You’re left with the impression that this Mitsubishi really can go anywhere or do anything that you require of it.
Historically, Mitsubishi have always been a firm favourite with both those that need a strong, capable commercial vehicle that offers a mix of space and load lugging capacity but it was the launch of the series 3 in 1996 that Mitsubishi say “introduced real style and comfort into the mix, and so was equally at home in mid Wales as in the Mid West. Offering four doors, five seats, virile looks and an off-road capability to rival that of the legendary Shogun in what had previously been considered to be purely a working vehicle, this L200 Changed both British perception and the market.” before adding that, “2006 saw a revolution. Whilst the higher specified variants of the third series L200 had established the concept of combining work and play, the cutting edge design of the Series 4 positioned the L200 as a true, crossover breed, sport-utility. 2015 sees the beginning of a new era: the L200 double cab Series 5. Smoother, quieter, roomier; more sophisticated, more comfortable and even more aerodynamic: from the genes of a class leader emerges another – the all new, class leading, Mitsubishi L200 double cab.”
Mitsubishi are certainly proud of their L200 Series 5 and rightly so, it’s a handsome beast with a strong heritage that has gone from strength to strength as it has continued to evolve from the Series 1 of 1982 right up to the Series 5 of today. What has impressed MotorMartin is Mitsubishi’s desire to keep the L200 current and up to date with it’s latest, comprehensive, upgrades over the Series 4. After all, this is no longer the purely commercial vehicle of old as it now represents the relatively new breed of sport-utility truck and, it could be argued, sets the standard for others to aspire to.
A quick view of the short film below, from MotorMartin’s YouTube channel, offers us a view of the exterior that emphasises the previous points and introduces a little of what this pick-up is like to drive.
I like the look of the Warrior, especially in the Sterling Metallic Silver of the test car as it oozes personality and, a not inconsiderable amount of aggression. The large chrome front grill, with it’s central Mitsubishi badge, is certainly striking and when combined with the front fog lights, rather intimidating also. The twin cab has been redesigned and styled so that, according to Mitsubishi, it is the most aerodynamically efficient double cab you can buy and also shows that looks, form and function can be merged together to create a quite striking exterior that demands your attention.
Further evidence of the Series 5’s duel role is signposted rather clearly by the flat bed rear of the pick-up. With impressive Loadbed dimensions of 1470 x 1470 x 475mm and a Cargo floor height of 850mm this is still a multi purpose vehicle that hasn’t forgotten it’s commercial roots.
Overall, this is a great looking pick-up and one that forces you to take notice.
In part 2, MotorMartin looks at the interior and driving feel of the mighty, Mitsubishi L200 Warrior Series 5. I hope you’ll join me.
Where will you go?