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The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (plug in hybrid electric vehicle) has been launched, offering buyers of the four wheel SUV the lower running costs provided by plug in technology. The Japanese manufacturer claims the 4x4 is a no-compromise SUV with added fuel economy and low emissions, and with 12,000 orders already placed in Europe, consumers seem to agree.
What powers the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV?
Power for the plug in hybrid electric vehicle comes from a combination of two electric motors and a 2.0 litre petrol engine. One electric motor sits at the front, while the other is positioned on the rear axle to provide four wheel drive. This enables the vehicle to have several driving modes, there is the all electric mode, a mode which uses the petrol engine as a generator for the electric motors and a third mode for high speed driving where the petrol mode provides the majority of the power and the electric motors contribute extra power when needed.
In electric mode the car has a range of 32.5 miles, which is more than the average UK daily commute of 25 miles, while the cruising range with the petrol engine is 512 miles. The official economy figures are 148mpg with CO2 emissions of 44g/km.
To control the system, the Outlander PHEV has two drive modes. ‘Normal’ allows the car to switch between all-wheel drive and two-wheel drive as it sees fit, providing economy under normal circumstances while ‘Lock’ maintains permanent four-wheel drive for low-traction situations.
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV styling and tech
As well as five seats, four wheel drive and a practical boot, the entry level GX3h gains the same standard equipment as the diesel version, which includes 18 inch alloy wheels, tinted windows, cruise control, a leather steering wheel and dual zone climate control air conditioning.
There will be two higher spec hybrid models, the GX4h and the GX4hs. The GX4h costs £32,899, gaining satellite navigation, wide beam headlights and a DAB radio, among other things. Meanwhile, the GX4hs gains adaptive cruise control, a collision mitigation system and lane departure warning for an extra £2,100.
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is on sale now and with the government grant for low emission vehicles, costs the same as the diesel model, at a price of £28,249.