The return of the king of plug hybrids?

A pioneer in the plug-in hybrid segment, the Mitsubishi Outlander announces its return to us. We had the opportunity to take the wheel before its arrival.

Launched in 2013, the third generation Mitsubishi Outlander quickly became available in a plug-in hybrid version, with avant-garde technology. The first attempt, a masterstroke for the three-diamond brand, which has repeatedly won first place in terms of sales in the category in Europe. Sure, the offer was much smaller, but it still had arguments to attract customers. Just before the bow, it offered a hybrid tandem of 230 hp, a battery of 13.8 kWh and a range of about 50 km.

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But over the years, technology has changed and the offer has expanded. The one who at that time was one of the pioneers and had a convincing engine had to give up the competition to use the best weapon. This is a story that clearly reminds that of the Nissan Leaf on the electric side… Still, the Mitsubishi Outlander is not dead: since 2021, it has been living its best life in North America and Asia with the most modern four. generation Although the brand has finally decided to remain on the Old Continent, Outlander will return to us in its modified version. While waiting for his return to Europe, announced at the end of the year, we had the opportunity to take his wheel briefly, in a special situation.

Increased quality, but fewer practical features

Closely derived from the Engelberg Tourer Concept presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2019, the new Outlander is impressive. However, this is just a fashion exercise as the dimensions are the same as the old generation, long removed from the list: with a length of 4.71 m, with a height of 1.82 m and a height of 1.74 m, this SUV finally does not take anymore. floor space than Tesla Model Y or Renault Espace.

Therefore, it shares its bottom side with the French SUV and Nissan X-Trail, the fruit of cooperation within the Union. And you don’t have to look down to see the similarities first. As soon as you enter the board, you immediately see the sharing of equipment and control of the electric brake, buttons on the steering wheel and the central screen, or controls similar to Nissan. But the Outlander makes an effort for a more premium presentation, with stylish aluminum wheels and other detailed trim.

On board, the plug-in hybrid SUV is more welcoming than ever, with a satisfying presentation, enhanced by the configuration of this test model in white leather covered. Ergonomics are not lacking with the climate panel overlooking the large center console. This does not overlook the storage bin as in the Nissan X-Trail.

In terms of the volume of the board, passengers will be more comfortable in the second row. Sliding and equipped with reclining backrests, offers a range of adjustments for residents, who also benefit from a good knee radius. The middle place, which is still not the best, can be used in the absence of a central tunnel. But they will have to make sacrifices when the occupants have (barely) slipped into the third row. As always, it’s an alternative solution, and it’s hard to imagine seven adults in this car at the same time. Once it is installed using multiple straps on the trunk floor (too bad, it cannot be split 50/50), the last bench holds a hold of 872 l, or 362 l with the third row in place. Morals seem very optimistic. But at the same level of measurement on the other side of the Atlantic, the X-Trail (Rogue) would maintain the advantage on this point.

Mitsubishi Outlander remains unique

Although based on the common CMF-C/D platform, the Outlander opts for very different mechanics that combine, in essence, the operating principles of Nissan’s hybrid series and Renault’s parallel hybrid engines. Inside this power train we find a 2.4 liter Atkinson atmospheric cycle engine (code 4B12) producing 133 hp and 195 Nm of torque. It is paired with a pair of electric machines, one 116 hp/255 Nm at the front, the other 136 hp/195 Nm at the rear. It is the latter that gives the SUV the status of an all-wheel drive vehicle, since it does not have a mechanical transmission shaft. Total power increases to 248 hp with 332 Nm.

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The battery differs from that of the previous version. Produced by Envision AESC and operating at a voltage of 350 V, it offers a total capacity of 20 kWh thanks to its 96 cells. This is more than the Honda CR-V e:PHEV, which has 17.7 kWh. But the version that will come here soon can offer more, with a range of more than 100 km. At the moment, it does not appear with a certified range of 85 km.

The Outlander is faithful to Mitsubishi’s favorite operating system, and ultimately very close to Honda’s. When the battery is empty, or in eSave mode, the ignition chain switches to two different operations. Below 65 km/h, the heat engine acts as a generator and does not drive the wheels directly. The power delivery is therefore similar to the Nissan e-Power system. On the other hand, in addition, the 4 cylinder can be connected directly to the wheels. This allows you to benefit from the best solution and performance according to the situation.

Electricity for traction

However, it was not possible to observe the benefits during this quick treatment, on completely unusual “roads”. And for good reason: it was on a frozen lake in Finland that we were able to take our first laps in this Mitsubishi Outlander. If the long direct access allowed us to reach 130 km/h, thus highlighting the adequate breathing of this big 2.1 ton baby and careful sound insulation, we did not go further in the investigation.

On the other hand, we all had the opportunity to test the S-AWC wheel drive in dangerous conditions. Known thanks to the Lancer Evo, the technology here has been adapted to the electric story, taking advantage of the machine to distribute torque more efficiently and quickly depending on the condition of the grip and driving methods. The performance does not reach the level of magic of a system with a dedicated motor for each wheel, as in the Audi SQ8 e-tron, but it can be surprisingly efficient.

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The distribution varies according to the driving modes, of which there are seven On the other hand, each one proves more or less convincing according to the behavior and driving ability of each one: the Snow mode aims to be more sure, but to deal with fear. -moderate operation prefers to activate Mud mode. With more snow under the tires, we can even be comfortable with Tarmac conditions. In all cases, we appreciate the direct response of the command, which avoids doing too much to expect some unacceptable reactions. Note in passing that these extreme driving modes increase the braking force in both driving gears. Naturally, the system allows you to toggle between five levels of regenerative power, ranging from nearly all-wheel drive to slow, yet unstoppable e-Pedal style.

It remains to know the price …

Made with an unusual surface and short, this handling is as unique as the Mitsubishi Outlander in the PHEV SUV segment when it comes to this. Because it must be said that very few hybrid SUVs offer seven seats on board and all-wheel drive.

So it will be important to implement a rematch once it is launched this year. But between now and then, the results may also change. Because if the Mitsubishi teams themselves agree to small cosmetic changes and a fixed amount on board, the mechanical components can change. And this may be the case for the battery, perhaps “big” to reach a distance of 100 km, which seems to be a minimum for SUVs: this is the promise of the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Skoda Kodiaq for example, the latter equipped. 25.7 kWh battery! Therefore, the Outlander’s 3.7 kW AC charging system would benefit from flexibility during handover.

In short, this first treatment showed what the king of plug-in hybrids was capable of in its time. And if it quickly fell out of style, the SUV also showed that it has caught on, without changing its unique technology. Of course, we can think in the middle of the fight, but remember that its technology should be among the most economical in the category, and control excessive consumption when using an empty battery. It remains to be seen if this will be enough to allow him to regain where he came from. Also, there is still something unknown, and not at all: the list price, which could easily exceed the €50,000 mark…

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