Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 2017 Review

Plug-in hybrids are yet to establish much of a bridgehead in Australia.

We’ve seen the the Holden Volt leave these shores before it even gained much of a foothold here. The Porsche Panamera S e-Hybrid is arguably too rich for most eco-savvy buyers, and the Audi A3 e-tron just hasn’t left much of an impression.

But the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has sold around 1600 cars to date, and it’s back again with new styling and nice-to-have features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, digital radio, heated fold-in mirrors and LED headlights. Priced $5000 more than the LS level of trim, the flagship Outlander PHEV Exceed variant comes standard with Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Mitigation with human detection, Multi Around Monitor, Auto High Beam, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Monitor, Lane Change Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Ultrasonic Mis-acceleration Mitigation System.

While motoring.com.au has already driven the updated Outlander PHEV in extreme conditions overseas, the local launch for the new model played out in a gentler scenario.

No noise is good noise
The immediate impression drawn leaving behind Adelaide’s CBD is that the Outlander PHEV is much quieter now. There's subdued tyre noise on coarse-chip bitumen from the 18-inch Toyos, but that's basically the one significant source of noise in the car not yet fully eradicated by Mitsubishi's engineers.

The only way to detect the four-cylinder engine starting is by toggling the 'Charge' button on and off with the window lowered and the vehicle running at low speeds. When the engine is operating in charge mode it's no louder than the climate control fan on a slightly higher speed setting. And the petrol powerplant only gets louder when the driver is demanding more power – when overtaking for instance.

The electric motors whine lightly propelling the car up steeper grades, but are otherwise inaudible.

Noisier than the drivetrain is the squeaking from soft materials rubbing together in the cabin and a muted rattle from the vicinity of the left rear door.

Noisy fixtures aside, the Outlander seems well put together. Also, the dash and centre fascia look stylish, the instruments are easy to read and the controls are set up as they should be for a right-hand drive passenger car. Even the formidably sophisticated infotainment screens require little familiarisation to use effectively for monitoring data displays such as energy flow, range, fuel use and energy use (measured in kWhr/100km).

Few plug-in packaging concessions
The seats in front felt a bit flat in the cushions, but the side bolstering was about right for pews in an SUV. In the past I’ve criticised the seats of the previous Outlander PHEV. This new car shows some sign of improvement, but I still found them slightly lacking in shape.

Rear-seat accommodation was fine for adults where kneeroom was concerned, but the Exceed model with its standard sunroof provided inadequate headroom. No such problem with the lower-spec LS variant, however. The rear seats reclined and split in a 60:40 ratio, but there were no adjustable vents back there.

Boot space was quite handy, although the compartment under the floor was filled with battery charger and cable, plus a tyre repair kit, compressor and scissor jack, rather than an actual spare wheel.

Dynamically a big step forward
On the move the Outlander PHEV’s steering was light and lacked feel on-centre, but steering response and handling were much improved from the previous model's and the Outlander PHEV now turns in with considerably improved precision and a flatter attitude.

On unsealed roads the Mitsubishi was impressively capable, with the yaw control system turning the car in closer to the apex on one corner, and the stability control system competently correcting trailing-throttle oversteer in a progressive way.

Ride comfort is not as soft and soppy as before. In fact some will consider it's bordering on firm and it can feel busy over lumpy bitumen. All that said, I prefer the new car’s suspension set-up to that of the previous model’s.

Driving the SUV is an electric motor for each axle. And there’s a transverse-mounted four-cylinder petrol engine that can contribute to motive power, but its role is confined mainly to keeping the batteries charged for the electric motors. Mitsubishi executives foresee owners recharging the battery pack each night of the week for the daily commute, leaving the petrol engine off until it’s needed for longer distances travelled at weekends. On that basis fuel consumption should be reduced well below diesel SUV levels.

Theoretically, the Outlander PHEV will travel 54km in EV mode. Our car was not fully charged from the start, so the best we were likely to manage was 44km out of the city. The electric-only range dwindled rapidly in traffic, and we weren’t driving the car for optimal energy efficiency.

Once out of the city I found that using the charge mode during open-road touring essentially extended the range without consuming a lot of fuel, but in a case of diminishing returns the nett cost in terms of energy efficiency was the total range reduced by 125km over 100km travelled, just to have about 20km of electric-only range.

Don't ask me to explain, I think it needs a seven-day test to compare this mode against driving on the same open roads using a fully charged battery and 'Save' mode, which would force the petrol engine to provide most of the motive power. Mitsubishi advises that the Charge mode will build up battery charge on a long trip in anticipation of powering lights, a fridge or other portable electrical device when you arrive at your holiday destination. In Japan it can run the household electrics if there's a mains power failure, and of course it is useful for EV-only lanes in other markets.

In Charge mode, the Outlander PHEV will not run the engine constantly if it can scavenge equivalent power from regenerative braking, which was apparent when the regenerative system was set to the most aggressive form, 'B5'. While I personally would leave the Outlander PHEV in B5 all the time, Mitsubishi advises that on long descents, a milder form of retardation can hold the car at a set speed without drawing any power from the battery. Use B5 and you will have to vary the power to maintain speed on a lesser incline. By 'finessing' the accelerator pedal you're drawing power from the battery, even if you think the Outlander is running on a 'trailing throttle', whereas the regenerative modes can achieve the required retardation without drawing any power at all.

Unfortunately, neither I nor my co-driver covered ourselves in glory, turning in the worst performance for the drive program. Fuel consumed by the end of the roughly 200km drive was 6.4L/100km. We agreed that it was ultimately better to focus on the Outlander PHEV's strengths and weaknesses than be distracted by hypermiling tactics to beat our fellow journalists.

Cultural change for plug-in cut-through
What we learned from this exercise is that the Outlander PHEV, despite being much improved, is still a car for technophiles. Either prices for plug-in hybrids need to come down further, or increased sales should beget still more sales as plug-in hybrids become fashionable – assuming they do at some point in the future.

For Mitsubishi, the Outlander PHEV in its latest form shows real promise. It will tow up to 1500kg, it doesn’t feel as wishy-washy to drive anymore, and it’s quieter and better equipped. Success will depend on how well the typical target buyer’s peer group accept it.

2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV pricing and specifications:
Price: $50,490 LS, $55,490 Exceed (plus on-road costs)
Motor: Twin 60kW electric motors
Engine Output: 89kW/190Nm
Motor Output: 60kW/ 137Nm and 60kW/ 195Nm
Transmission: None
Fuel: 6.0L/100km (As tested)
Electric usage: 12.3kW/100km (As tested)
Tailpipe CO2: 44g/km
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP