Review: Mitsubishi Outlander

Carmyke Leasing Ltd. reviews the latest Mitsubishi Outlander

This year saw Mitsubishi become one of the first manufacturers to launch a hybrid that broke the trend of being either a small town car, or a medium to large ‘premium’ vehicle.

The Outlander PHEV is marketed to those living in either semi-rural or town locations, who would benefit from the higher seating position offered by an SUV as well as the load space..

The Diesel version of the Outlander is used as a base for the new drive train technology that promises to offer outstanding consumption and emission figures, coupled to the SUV style. But does Mitsubishi pull it off?

What are they like inside?

If you have ever driven the diesel version of the Outlander then it will feel very familiar on the inside. The design is refreshingly minimalist for a Japanese manufacturer, with a lower button count than many of its competitors. The centre console environment controls are as you would expect; however, several of the controls that you would expect on the stalks have been moved to just below the right vent behind the steering wheel – not particularly intuitive. Also, and many users have reported this issue, the first visit you make to refuel may take longer than normal unless you have been super observant to the location of the fuel cap release. It has been located in the driver’s footwell on the outside sill but unfortunately it has no markings and is easily overlooked.

The contact points of ‘hands, seat and feet’ feel quite natural with no offset, with a nice finish on the steering wheel.

Cabin materials are a good mixture of soft touch with some obligatory ‘Piano Black’ highlights in the centre console. It feels well screwed together and buttons have a good size and feel. Support from the seating managed to provided expected levels of comfort and support with multi way adjustment and heating. The leather had a more natural, softer feel than that found in the Kia Sportage for example.

Both the front and rear seats have plenty of room for most sizes. This is where the sacrifice in space between the diesel version and this PHEV becomes evident. The third row of seats found in the diesel have been sacrificed to locate the battery pack in this hybrid. So despite losing the third row of seats, in five seat configuration the vehicle is very nearly identical in load space to its ‘oily’ cousin at 436-litre’s. Additionally the rear bench seats are very slightly raised which some passengers actually liked as it gave a better view ahead rather than staring at head rest.

The Media unit is not as good as some touch screen head units from other manufacturers but it does provide the usual CD, USB, SD and Bluetooth connectivity as well as NavTec navigation. As with most proprietary navigation and media units, it will take some playing with to learn the menus and functions as not all are accessible from the steering wheel controls, the same can be said for the voice control commands.

What are they like to drive?

Firstly, despite having all the electronic wizardry to manage the mixed drive train, Mitsubishi has remained traditional with the handbrake. You won’t find any electrical handbrake in this car, something that traditionalists will applaud – but it does make us wonder, in a car with this much electronic control and with others in the class being so equipped, why leave it out?

Otherwise, the urban drive is much as you would expect. The suspension feels the right side of firm and only the more sizable potholes managed to make enough presence in the cabin to actually catch your attention. Steering is slightly lacking in feedback but is generally weighted.

Around town the car is quite quiet as you may expect from an electric drive train with no requirement for ‘family conversations’ to be any louder than normal. It is only when the pace increases that the noise increases due to a combination of tyre and wind noise entering the cabin.

The integration of the clever gearbox and multiple drive trains is the core of the vehicle and they have actually pulled it off. Setting the dash display to show how the power is being both delivered and generated tells you what’s happening. The primary indication is dependent on what setting you have the energy regeneration set to ‘zero’ is off and ‘five’ is on full. Once on the move it can easily be altered using the ‘flappy paddles’ on the steering wheel. Despite having used paddles in other vehicles for gear changes, we easily and quickly got used to this setup. Urban driving gives a reasonable ride, as with many of the competition in this class, and price range as the speed increases and the road gets windier the limitations of the suspension begin to present themselves. While the four-wheel drive does its best to keep it together, the level of vagueness through the steering wheel becomes more prominent and the car tends to push wide and/or loose traction. No it’s not a sports car and no it’s not the only car to suffer this, but it does highlight that the suspension is built to a price point.

When extra power is required, and we found this particularly on hill climbs, the engine/gearbox combination does rev quite hard as the petrol engine kicks.

On longer runs the petrol engine was understandably quiet but only managed 35/36mpg on petrol alone, so ok if you need to run up the motorway very occasionally.

The forty-five gallon fuel tank is not going to give you huge range, but it is sufficient and you do not find yourself standing on the forecourt that much more than usual. The Outlander PHEV is targeted squarely at the urban/ semi-rural buyer looking to do local commutes and still get the family to the countryside and back in relative comfort. So if you plug it in at night it does begin to make sense.

What will they cost?

Prices are form £28.249 for the GX3h rising to £34,999 for the GX4h after the Government Low Emissions grant of £5000. Only the higher spec GX4h is more expensive than its diesel cousin, but only by £1,000 and this is due to the higher spec, not the PHEV kit.

Company car drivers that fit the mileage profile that the PHEV excels in will see substantial benefits over a large number of alternatives. The low emissions attracting a benefit in kind of only 5% meaning a 40% tax payer will pay less than £665 in this tax year.

Verdict

Today, despite what you read and see, there are no really bad cars that we perhaps saw in the past – it is very subjective. However, if you are looking for an SUV style vehicle and will be doing a reasonable amount of motorway mileage then the diesel version will make more sense, with the additional benefit of the extra two seats. If, as mentioned, the SUV style is what you want and will mostly be doing short journeys, then this could be the car for you. It is comfortable, drives well, with an interior finish that has soft touch materials in the right places without leaving you afraid to get it dirty or wet. The cabin is spacious and generally a nice place to spend some time.