Paris premiere for plug-in Outlander

Mitsubishi will reveal the production version of its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the Outlander PHEV, at the Paris Motor Show in September.

Billed as the world’s first all-wheel drive EV, the electrified Outlander has already been previewed by the long-running PX-MiEV concept. It is based on the Japanese brand’s third-generation mid-size SUV which made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

Mitsubishi Australia has already confirmed the redesigned Outlander will go on sale here in December, powered initially only by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, with the plug-in version to follow by May 2013.

“Mitsubishi Motors’ first plug-in hybrid car... will be an EV-based vehicle, relying on MMC’s extensive EV and electronic know-how, supplemented by a petrol engine when needed – a solution more suited to global markets than diesel,” said Mitsubishi.

Further underscoring the significance of the Outlander PHEV’s international premiere in Paris, where the company “will continue to roll out its ambitious, global and green new product generation with a series of significant premieres”, Mitsubishi described the ground-breaking new model as the first permanent 4WD electric car in series production.

“Neither a mere adaptation of an existing internal combustion engine (ICE)-powered vehicle, nor a dedicated plug-in hybrid technology showcase, the new Outlander PHEV will share its architecture with the soon-to-be-introduced new Outlander’s ICE versions – an engineering feat in itself.

“As such, it will be the first mainstream car from a major manufacturer envisaged from the outset with built-in provisions for either ICE or PHEV powertrains,” the Japanese marque stated.

A development of the unique drive configuration, which combines an electric motor on both the front and rear axles with a petrol engine/generator, is also widely tipped to power Mitsubishi’s next-generation Lancer EVO performance car.

Mitsubishi says the production Outlander PHEV will offer a driving range and average CO2 emissions “similar” to that of the Concept PX-MiEV II show car, which was claimed to be able to travel more than 800km at a time while emitting less than 50g/km.

Like the concept, the showroom-ready Outlander hybrid will also offer three distinct drive modes: all-electric ‘Pure’ (Twin Motor 4WD EV), range-extending ‘Series’ (Twin Motor 4WD EV supported by generator) and motor-assisted ‘Parallel’ (ICE supported by Twin Motor 4WD), making it more advanced than other PHEVs such as Holden’s upcoming Volt, which is also due on sale here in late 2012.

While the petrol-electric Outlander will be launched first in Japan by the end of this year, with Europe to follow during 2013, the new petrol-powered Outlander will go on sale across Europe within months, alongside a new 2.2-litre turbodiesel model.

Europe’s Outlander will be produced in Russia, where sales will kick off by September, before the rest of Europe, then Japan, Oceania, China and North America take delivery.

It is not yet clear if the new Outlander diesel will be sold in Australia.

An AWD-only 2.4-litre petrol model currently comprises 10 per cent of Outlander sales and could be replaced here by the new diesel model. Both the 2.0-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines come with a fuel-saving idle-stop system and produce 110kW.

But while the petrol engine produces 195Nm from 4100rpm and comes with five-speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), the oil-burner makes a beefier 360Nm between 1500-2750rpm and is matched with a six-speed manual or new six-speed auto.

The MkIII Outlander rides on the same 2670mm wheelbase as the outgoing model and measures the same 1800mm wide and 1680mm high, but is 10mm longer at 4665mm and offers an extra 335mm-longer cargo length.

While the non-hybrid Outlander will remain available in both five and seven-seat configuration, full details of the production PHEV are yet to be revealed. However, the new Outlander should come with intelligent driver-aid technologies like frontal radar/camera-based lane departure and collision avoidance systems, adaptive cruise control, a high-resolution instrument panel, “wide-vision” Xenon headlights and power-operated tailgate.

Other new features will include flat-folding second-row seats, a one-piece tailgate, dual-zone air-conditioning, a 50/50-split folding rear seat and, finally, reach adjustment for the steering wheel.

Hot on the heels of the all-new Mazda CX-5 and Subaru XV, the redesigned Outlander will also face stiff competition from another new compact crossover in Toyota’s MkIII RAV4, which arrives here early next year, as well as bevy of popular existing small SUVs like the Subaru Forester, Nissan X-TRAIL and Dualis and Hyundai ix35.

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