Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: the definitive consolidation of the Japanese brand in our market

A few months ago, the future of the Mitsubishi brand in our country looked very bad. The Japanese manufacturer was not (and is not) going through its best moment, and in fact had made the decision to abandon the European market to focus on other more economically profitable continents. But a last-minute move, largely caused by Renault, with Luca de Meo at the helm, allowed the Japanese brand to maintain its economic activity in the Old Continent.

From the start, this was possible. thanks to the reuse of the Clio and Captur models in the Mitsubishi Colt and ASX, respectively, to be able to sell new vehicles without having to make development costs. Well, Mitsubishi has recently introduced the new Outlander PHEV in our market, a car that had also been withdrawn from our market but has finally returned thanks to a combination of three factors: on the one hand, that this model already existed in the American market; on the other, that it uses Nissan technology and components, which allows it to reduce costs; and, thirdly, because its plug-in hybrid engine can be sold without problems in Europe despite the restrictive environmental regulations.

A car with its own personality

We have recently been able to see the new Outlander first-hand thanks to the static presentation that the brand has made of its new model, in which we have been able to see the great evolution that it has experienced with respect to the previous generation. Specifically, this is the fourth installment of the popular Japanese model, which reaches a length of 4.71 meters and sports the already popular design language of the Japanese brand, called Dynamic Shield and which stands out for showing an imposing front end with a large grille and LED optics divided into two sections.

Also noteworthy are both the side, with wheels between 18 and 20 inches and a high waist that gives it robustness, and the rear, with a large C pillar, LED taillights in the shape of the letter T and shapes almost as pronounced as the front ones.

But it is perhaps inside where you can see the huge leap forward that this new Outlander has made compared to the previous one. Here Mitsubishi has opted to use high-quality materials, seats that prioritize comfort and that incorporate heating, ventilation and massage, and an infotainment system made up of the increasingly common digital instrumentation and a 12.3-inch central screen that integrates all the connectivity systems with the phone.

In addition, the new Outlander is aimed directly at the premium segment thanks to elements such as the sound system developed in collaboration with Yamaha or the head-up display. If we focus on the available space, it is worth highlighting that in Europe Mitsubishi has only wanted to market the five-seat version, but thanks to this the space in the rear seats is really good and the boot has 495 litres that can be expanded to 1,422.

A plug-in hybrid engine with 86 km of electric range

As we said, the Mitsubishi Outlander will only be available in our market associated with a plug-in hybrid engine. It is a mechanics that combines the power of a 136 hp gasoline engine with two electric propellants, one located on the front axle with 116 hp and another on the rear with 136 hp.

Between the three they are capable of generating a joint power of 306 hp and a torque of 400 Nm that are distributed between the four wheels, thus providing all-wheel drive. This, together with a total of seven driving modes (Normal, ECO, Power, Asphalt, Gravel, Snow and Mud), makes it an SUV that is not afraid to leave the asphalt.

As for the electrical part, its engines receive energy from a 22.7 kWh battery that allows it to approve a range of 86 kilometers in electric mode, recording a consumption of only 0.8 liters per 100 kilometers (although, as we always say, this type of approval has trap). However, Mitsubishi has equipped its new model with up to three electrical management programs so that we can choose whether we want to use only the zero-emission mode, if we want to combine all the engines or if we want to make the combustion engine have more weight.