It has been among the top 10 best-selling cars in the past year. It is well done for a model that has been on the market for 7 years. Is the Outlander PHEV still around?
"- Nice SUV - Great for those who live a bit rural" , my son commented as I dropped him off outside his apartment in Skillebekk in Oslo. The Outlander handled the narrow city streets well, but I imagine this is an ideal car for long distances on icy winter roads. The weather was still forecast to be cold. We had planned to explore some nice country roads.
Dynamic front
I can't make sense of the design of the front end . Mitsubishi calls it "Dynamic Front" or something like that. It's supposed to reduce drag by 7%. To me, it looks like there's a front-mounted winch in the matte black area between the "bumper horns". Maybe that's what makes us associate the Outlander PHEV with rural surroundings.
look and feel
“Those were good seats!” my wife exclaimed. I completely agreed. I was also very comfortable. The Alcantara in the seat surfaces surrounded by artificial leather works well. I found an upright seating position. Plenty of space and a good overview. The steering wheel felt a little thin – and actually reminded me of the steering wheel on the Land Rover Discovery. It took me a while to get used to it. The gear lever shifts “by wire” where the gear selectors are arranged in a fan shape. The park button is hidden behind the gear lever.
Pleasant sound level
Interior sound level is in premium class. No audible noise from road and chassis. We drove on fairly soft 17-inch winter tires. The drive is very quiet. You have to look at the tachometer to see if the petrol engine is running. Interior acoustics are also very good. It is possible to have a muffled conversation at 110 km/h. But in the middle of this silence I could hear a faint buzz somewhere around 60-70 km/h. The buzzing seemed connected to the drivetrain, but was not in sync with the tachometer - not embarrassing either. Just wondering what made that sound?
On the road
Easy on the steering, but alright steering feel. There are different driving modes, such as sport, snow and off-road. I chose "normal". I prefer comfort over sport when sitting high and driving an SUV. The comfort is in premium class – in the city, on the motorway – and on country roads. There is plenty of power to allow you to slip into a busy road with your shoulders down and take the occasional pass. The road grip was superb, even on rural roads with icy sections. The Gislaved tires kept the car very effectively on track. So effective that we were only able to test the 4-wheel drive at launch.
consumption
The official fuel consumption figures for hybrid cars do not match reality. This is not Mitsubishi's fault. It is the measurement procedures . WLTP – mixed driving – gives a consumption of only 0,2 liters/mile. On long-distance driving, the consumption figures are different. We achieved 0,53 on a quiet country road down Bispeveien in Vestfold in 70 and 80 zones. On the motorway, we ended up with a consumption of 0,72. The paddles on the steering wheel make it possible to engage regenerative engine braking. Down the Lierbakkene hills, the instruments showed that the battery range was increased. But don't forget to switch off the engine brake when you are down on flat ground. When driving with the engine brake on, petrol consumption can increase.
Range and charging
Plug-in hybrids make it possible to drive to and from work on electricity, while driving a hybrid on long journeys. The battery range according to WLTP – mixed driving – is stated at 45 km. Charging from a plug takes 5,5 hours. From your own wall charger you need a Type 1 cable. We didn't have one, so we couldn't charge. We could have fast-charged with ChaDeMo, but according to Mitsubishi it should take 25 minutes to fast-charge up to 80% or 36 km. Wasted time, considering that charging will then cost more than petrol. However, in order to check the power consumption in EV mode, we put the car in "Charge" mode to charge the batteries while driving. Based on 45% charge on the batteries, we could calculate a total real range of 37 km with a warm car in -6 degrees, with driving in densely populated areas. In practice, most people should be able to manage 30+ km under most conditions. This is completely in line with what most hybrid cars can do.
The drive
After the closure of the liquor stores in Oslo, we thought about driving to a pole far out in the country and hoarding. The Outlander has plenty of room for hoarding. But then all the liquor stores opened again. We still took a trip to Revetal in inner Vestfold. They have the Re-center there, which fortunately was open. They also have a pole. I knew Revetal well in the 70s. I went to junior high school there. It was strange to sit on the second floor of Burger King by the new library and watch the traffic outside. Before, it was just a crossroads with a BP station and Arve Gran 's shop . On the other side of the crossroads, I remember that truck owner Johan Strange's beautiful police cars were lined up by the house. Today, Revetal is a small town. A town that certainly looks like something that could have been built in the Midwest in the USA, - but still...
Place
One of my tests for space is whether I can fit my bike with the rear seats folded down. I got that without any problems. The trunk is nice to use. There is no loading edge, and you have recesses on the side for such things as a carrier bag, rucksack and helmet. Under the floor there is room for charging cables. The rear seat backs have two positions - vertical and inclined. Vertically, you can load a large square parcel and still be able to use the rear seats on short journeys. There is plenty of room for 5 adults in the compartment.
Safety
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was tested by NCAP in 2013. It then got good results in a side crash with a ram and damage extent "Marginal" in the pillar test from the side. No dolls suffered neck injuries when hit from behind. In a frontal collision, driver "Marginal" suffered damage to his right knee. The overall score was a decent 88%, but both cars and test procedures have been upgraded since 2013.
Is the Outlander PHEV still around?
It's not best in class in some areas, but its range is no worse than the hybrid versions of the Audi Q5, Jeep Compass and Mercedes-Benz GLE. It has super comfort and is very quiet - better than the arch-rival Toyota RAV4 Plug-in. But the Toyota has both more power and better range and costs the same. The Toyota is also a newer model, but does not appear to be more "hi-tech" than the Mitsubishi. In terms of technology, the Outlander is certainly in line with other rechargeable SUVs. Mitsubishi's new Eclipse Cross PHEV comes with the same drivetrain, but does not offer as much space as its "grandfather" Outlander. The model will probably disappear from the model program shortly, although it could have withstood another round - at least in Norway.
Facts about the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Weights and Measures
External dimensions - L, W, H: 470 x 180 x 171 cm
Wheelbase: 267 cm
Net weight: 1890 kg (without driver)
Payload: 425 kg
Total weight: 2390 kg
Number of seats: 5
Max trailer weight w/brakes: 1500 kg
– without brakes: 750 kg
Roof load: 80 kg
Drivetrain
Petrol engine: 2,4 liter (4 cyl) MIVEC
Power: 135 HP @ 4500 rpm
Torque: 211 Nm @ 4500 revs
Electric motor 1: Front, 82 HP, 137 Nm
Electric motor 2: Rear, 95 HP, 195 Nm
Total power: 230 HP
Gearbox: Stepless
S-AWC four-wheel drive based on electronic control of electric motors
Performances
Top speed: 170 km/h
0-100: 10,5 seconds
Electric car characteristics
Battery pack: 13,8 kw from GS Yuasa (Japan)
Battery cooling: Air
WLTP: 45 km (combined)
Own measurement: 37 km
Charging (10A socket): 5,5 hours
Quick charging (ChaDeMo): 25 minutes
consumption
WLTP: 0,20 litres/mile
Own measurement 70-80 km/h: 0,53 litres/mile
Own measurement 110 km/h: 0,72 litres/mile
Luggage compartment
As a five-seater*: 463 litres
*Can be increased by placing the rear seat backs in the vertical position.
As a two-seater: 1602 litres
Tires
Dimension: 225/65R17 102 T
Type: Spikeless winter
Brand: Gislaved Soft Frost
About the car
Place of manufacture: Okazaki, Japan
Colour: Titanium Grey
Equipment level: Instyle
Price: NOK 505
Rented via the app Rent
Model: 2020
Mileage: 1623
Km driven: 200
Source: Mitsubishi.no, Vegvesen.no
Pictures of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
See
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
It doesn't win any beauty contests, nor any range tests, - and the luggage capacity is not much to brag about. But it has a fantastically good four-wheel drive. See more
