Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – review

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is rightly being billed as a “game-changer” because it’s no ordinary plug-in hybrid.

This big five-seater SUV is a very clever bit of kit – in the right conditions it’s capable of 148mpg+, it’s a genuine 4×4 and it’s keenly priced.

It may not seem special at first glance, but if you use your car for nothing more than a 32-mile round trip, whether it be a commute to work, school run or trip to the retail park, it should run on electric all the way.

In other words, a five-hour charge from a standard 13-amp socket will give about 32 miles of electric driving without the need to use petrol.

The good news doesn’t stop there. The PHEV is so green it only emits44g/km of CO2 so there‘s no annual road tax payable and it’s exempt from the London Congestion Charge. It could also save company car drivers thousands of pounds a year thanks to low emission tax breaks.

Now for the clever bit – the PHEV’s batteries can also be charged up whilst driving via “regenerative braking”.

You can adjust the amount of friction via paddles behind the steering wheel and after a bit of practice it’s possible to use the paddles as brakes when coming up to junctions or downhill, for instance. So the Outlander has broken the mould – encouraging a whole new way of eco-driving.

The centre console shows you exactly what’s happening via a clever graphic. On a motorway the petrol engine glows, whilst in town you’re more likely to see the electric engines in action.

So Mitsubishi has continued its pioneering work in the EV world with the i-MiEV hatchback and combined it with its expertise in the 4×4 sector to produce the Outlander PHEV.

When you include the Government’s £5,000 Plug-In Grant (P-ICG), the basic PHEV costs £28,249 – the same as the equivalently-specified diesel version (the Outlander GX3 auto). A first for any manufacturer.

And there’s little to differentiate the two, apart from the badging. The PHEV has the same spacious interior, cavernous boot space, commanding driving position and 4×4 off-road ability as its diesel brother. It also has a maximum Euro NCAP 5-star rating and is capable of towing a medium-weight caravan.

Under the bonnet the PHEV has a 2.0 litre petrol engine, plus an electric engine alongside. The batteries are stored underneath the car and a second electric motor towards the back powers the rear wheels, giving four-wheel drive capability in electric mode.

It drives well too and switches seamlessly from electric to petrol when needed and it’s capable of 106mph with a 0-62mph time of 11 seconds.

I drove it in the city, countryside and on a motorway and over shorter runs where much of the journey was in electric mode. My mpg figures were remarkably high and in one short urban run, I managed 941 mpg. A little less heavy-footed and I could have been on electric 100% of the time.

Over longer runs when the petrol engine is in use, you’re more likely to return nearer 40 mpg. In fact, it’s fair to say that if your driving involves long runs, then the diesel may be the better option.

So the PHEV is a game-changer. It may not be as good looking as some of its rivals – notably the Range Rover Evoque, BMW X3 and Mazda CX-5 – but it’s a very capable, clever car, kick-starting a new style of environmentally-responsible motoring.

Review: @garethherincx