The return of the L300 van?

Friday, 9 November 2018

Fans of the Mitsubishi L300 rejoice - the legendary van is making a comeback. Well, maybe.

What is certain is that ever since it became a part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, Mitsubishi in this part of the world has been lobbying hard to get a new van out of the deal.

The recent announcement that Renault would be building a version of the Trafic for Mitsubishi is the result of that pressure from Australia and New Zealand.

The mighty Mitsubishi L300 - could it be about to make a comeback. In a much more modern form, that is.

Confirmed by Mitsubishi CEO Trevor Mann at the global reveal of the new Triton ute in Thailand, the van will be built in Renault's Sandouville plant in western France, alongside the Trafic, which is highly regarded globally (and is one of our favourite vans here at Stuff).

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The Renault Trafic will serve as the basis for the new Mitsubishi van for Australia and New Zealand.

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'We have signed a letter of intent,' said Mann at the event 'so we fully intend to do it!'

'At the moment it is only for Australia and New Zealand, as it was at their request,' said Mann when asked about the chances of the van going into other markets, however he did indicate that it was something he was open to.

According to a local spokesman, Mitsubishi New Zealand are still considering what to name the van when it arrives on our shores, possibly within 18 months, but L300 remains a possibility.

The third-generation L300 was on sale in New Zealand until as recently in 2013, when safety standards finally ended its run, and it remained a very popular budget option in the local van segment.