You probably picture most PHEVs to be small, futuristic looking vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3, but the Outlander looks like a normal SUV. It doesn’t shout about being green, in fact, most people probably wouldn’t even notice.
A car That Knows you
The Outlander PHEV GX4h starts at £29,249, inclusive of a £5,000 grant from the government. The car uses twin electric motors and a highly tuned 2.0 litre petrol engine. The PHEV can swap modes to instantly match the type of driving you are doing, to achieve superior fuel efficiency and optimised performance. The Outlander is said to be able to return 156 mpg, at just 42 g/km of CO2, and a combined range of 541 miles.
The model we have on test is the GX4h. This car includes an auto-dimming rear view mirror, heated steering wheel, the new Mitsubishi multi-communication system, 360° camera and super wide range LED headlamps with auto levelling.
What is it Like Inside?
Sitting inside the Outlander, you can tell that Mitsubishi have put in a huge amount of effort to update the interior. While it’s nowhere near as premium as a Range Rover, but then you wouldn’t expect it to be for the price, overall the car actually looks and feels pretty good inside. The car has heated leather seats and steering wheel, which during my testing made the car a great pleasure to live with.
I really liked the dials on the dashboard. Mitsubishi have removed the conventional rev gauge and replaced it with what I would describe as an efficiency meter. The dial shows how much energy you are using and also when you are generating energy back into the batteries. When driving the car this gives a clear indication that you are in something special.
The infotainment system, a lot like the L200, still feels a little after market and as if it was just slotted into the dashboard, but it does give some very useful information related to the charge of the car, the environment, and the performance metrics.
The rest of the car is very practical. The rear passenger space is OK – the rear seats can be angled back slightly, but the roof does come down a little into the passenger areas making it a little difficult for taller passengers.
The boot has an electrically operated tailgate making it easy to load and unload the boot, but it has to be said the operation of it is a little slow and you find yourself standing around waiting for it to open or close sometimes. Once open the boot space of the Outlander is brilliant; being a PHEV the boot space is often sacrificed for batteries, but not in this case. There is a lot of room with an extra few cubby holes underneath the floor and either side by the wheel arches too.
Verdict
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GX4h is a remarkable car. For only £33,899 you can have the GX4h, a hugely practical modern SUV that won’t cost you an arm and a leg to run. This price is achieved because the government are providing £5,000 grants that bring the price right down and make the car comparable with the diesel Outlander. The car is well put together, good looking and has a subtle element to it as it isn’t covered in green stickers shouting about its battery packs. I certainly found out why the Outlander is selling so well during my week with the car.
Video Highlights
Video Porduction: Daniel Barnett
