Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, the plug-in is ready to make a comeback

We can consider what follows as a kind of anticipation of what will happen. The most attentive and enthusiastic will already know that Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV it does not represent anything new in the full sense, as it is already, for example, on the American market. The previous generation has not been included in the national catalogs for a while, waiting for the new model to arrive. So which car did we test? A valid question, after riding the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Model Year 2023, which actually shows 99% of the Model Year 2025 will be the one that will also arrive in Italy at the end of the year. That car in the last few months it has undergone renovation work to meet the needs, in terms of driving dynamics, of customers from the Old Continent, who care more about curves than Americans. Having said that, the car presents itself in every way as we will see it in Italy towards the end of the year. THE
The price lists have not yet been submitted, but they will be merged with the previous version with all necessary modifications (obviously).

Nissan and Mitsubishi invested in Ampere

Big and on tap

The car was born on the Alliance CMF-CD platform of which the Mitsubishi brand is a part. The structure has become more muscular with a tail that tends to “go up”. Whether it’s personal taste that determines whether someone will like it or not is up for debate, but overall the results seem natural. Or at least it makes this Outlander PHEV (here it will be a plug-in only) more recognizable than before. The Japanese SUV is not only large in its lines, but boasts a significant stock, again considering our market. Indeed it is more than 4.70 meters tall. The luggage compartment is perhaps not very large, boasting 331 liters of capacity when all the seats are in place. It is true that it is an example of hybrid plugging. So it is normal for part of the available liters to be “absorbed” by the battery part. In this regard, the concentration has been greater than in the past, reaching 20 kWh. Translated in terms of freedom it means that it is more than 60 km. The perfect distance for everyday use.
On board the quality leap is obvious, especially for the choice of materials that characterize the upper part of the dashboard. There is a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a 9-inch center touchscreen and head-up display available. There is no lack of space on board, but the rear seats are especially raised, so the risk of touching the head for those over 1.80 meters is visible.

Il Super All-Wheel-Drive Control

It’s not that we don’t want to tell you how it performs on the road, but the context in which the test took place, namely the frozen lakes of Lapland, would be misleading for the established judgment. The scenography of the story is unquestionable, but the ice puts any car on the same level, and adds nothing to the driving dynamics. However, what is worth analyzing is Mitsubishi’s S-AWC system. Mainly because only in Italy a PHEV will be sold that has this equipment. A system consisting of a 2.4 liter petrol engine and two electric motors. One with 85 kW on the front axle and one with 100 kW on the rear (total power 251 hp). Depending on the selected driving mode, also specific to slippery surfaces such as snow, the electric motors control the tension between the two axles. Time AYC system (Active Yaw Control) controls the tension between the wheels of each axle. So one works in the longitudinal direction and the other in the transverse direction. The beauty compared to the past is that the aforementioned AYC also works on the rear axle and not just the front. It actually compresses the wheel that is losing grip, simulating the “function” of the locking differential. We will definitely come back to the topic
when the car arrives in Italy.

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