Mitsubishi Outlander 2023 review: LS 2WD

Let’s be honest, the old Mitsubishi Outlander wasn’t exactly a looker, especially when compared with much more stylish offerings like the Mazda CX-5 and even the Peugeot 3008.

The latest Outlander, however, does a lot to remedy the drab, dreary and downright derivative look of the old car thanks to a box-fresh design that is much more sci-fi than low-fi.

For starters, the Mitsubishi 'dynamic shield' front grille sits boldly and proudly up front, and contours to the shape of the car like the skin-tight 'S' emblem on Superman’s prodigious pectorals.

Flanking the grille are two slender daytime running lights and chunky headlight clusters, which combine with the front kick plate for a rugged and tough look.

The Mitsubishi 'dynamic shield' front grille sits boldly and proudly up front. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

It can’t be understated how much the front LED lighting signature also elevates the Outlander, ensuring it looks a bit more premium and a little less ordinary.

From the side, the off-road-ready appearance is amplified by subtle wheel-arch character lines, as well as a high shoulder, but I reckon the wheels in the LS grade look a little too dull.

Maybe it’s the thick 60-section side walls that make the 18-inch wheels look a bit too small, but I'm also not a fan of the wheel designs that are more ‘meh’ than ‘yeah’.

And if there’s a bad angle on the new Outlander, we reckon it’s the rear.

From the side, the off-road-ready appearance is amplified by subtle wheel-arch character lines. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

The slim tail-lights, roof-mounted rear spoiler and contrasting bash plate look just … fine? But there’s no unique design flourishes or eye-grabbing details, it just seems like Mitsubishi has played it too safe at the rear.

Contrast this with the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and even Toyota RAV4, and you’ll see that these SUVs stand out with more in-your-face designs. But of course, whether they pull that off is up to individual taste.

And inside, the Outlander continues the safe and no-frills design aesthetic.

Covered in a sea of black, the cabin of the Outlander LS is a bit of a mish-mash of several materials and textured surfaces that don’t add up to anything exciting.

The cabin of the Outlander LS is a bit of a mish-mash of several materials and textured surfaces. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

Take the door trim for example, there’s synthetic carbon-fibre for the window-switch surrounds, soft leather for the armrest, fabric for the tops of the door, and then hard plastic nearly everywhere else – it’s all just a bit messy in execution.

Elsewhere though, the design comes together much better, like the centre stack that is crowned by a clear, crisp and snappy multimedia touchscreen; the comfortable steering wheel with all the functions that fall right in hand; and the easy-to-use climate controls that are a cinch to operate, even while on the move.

Overall, I like the Outlander’s style, which ends up being a bit like vanilla ice-cream – it’s a dependable and a safe choice, but nobody is going to write home about it.

I also think our test car’s Titanium colour does it no favours, and I'd absolutely be ticking the option box for a flashier hue like Red Diamond ($940) or Cosmic Blue ($740).

Measuring 4710mm long, 1862mm wide, 1740mm tall and with a 2706mm wheelbase, the Mitsubishi Outlander falls into the larger end of the mid-size SUV spectrum.

And that’s for a very good reason, because the Outlander is available with seating for up to seven – like in our test car.

Before you get your hopes up though, no one but kids will be comfortable back there (it’s more of a 5+2 than a true seven-seater), so don’t expect the Outlander to rival something like a Kia Carnival or Honda Odyssey for space and adult-ferrying capabilities.

The Mitsubishi Outlander falls into the larger end of the mid-size SUV spectrum. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

Heck, it’s not even on par with cars like the Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento, but it is one of the only mid-size SUVs with seating for seven, and that flexibility does have its advantages.

For starters, the seats are great in a pinch, for when you might occasionally need to transport more than immediate family.

And when not in use, the third-row seats fold down flat – with a handy storage spot under the floor for the headrests and cargo blind to tuck away – and boot space will swell from 163 litres to 478L.

Fold down the second row as well, and you will find a cavernous 1473L of storage volume, which is more than enough for the weekend Bunnings trip or occasional house move.

Of course, the front seats don’t suffer from the same lack-of-space issues, with plenty of adjustability for the driver and front passenger to get comfortable.

Door pockets will take large bottles, there are two cupholders, a wireless charging tray, underarm storage cubby and even an overhead sunglasses holder.

The rear seat also affords a lot of space – even for my six-foot (183cm) frame – and the middle seat is also more usable than most thanks to an unobtrusive tunnel.

There are door pockets, back-seat map pockets, air vents and a pair of charging ports (one USB-A and the other USB-C) to keep occupants busy, and if the middle seat isn’t being used, you can fold down an armrest to reveal two cupholders.

In the third row, there isn’t much space, like we mentioned already, but occupants back there do get a set of cupholders for their drinks.

In our week with the Outlander, we used the car daily to take our toddler to and from childcare, as well as the occasional commute into the office (hybrid working FTW!) and trip to the shops.

Operating the Mitsubishi mid-size SUV is a no fuss affair, in fact there was hardly a learning curve with the Outlander at all - for both me and my wife who is less familiar with cars.

While that might make the Outlander seem a bit boring, we actually think it is a good thing because juggling a family means you have so much taking up brain space already, who needs to add a complicated car to the mix too?

The rear doors open wide and the aperture is plenty big to load our toddler in and out of without any hassle, nor is there any strain on the back getting him up from the car seat.

Fabric seats might seem risky with a child, but the Outlander's pews are covered in hard wearing materials. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

Fabric seats might also seem risky with a child, but the Outlander's pews are covered in hard wearing materials that let us wipe away spilt milk, biscuit crumbs and banana stains without any trouble.

The boot is large and offers the flexibility of seven seats when needed, and we fit birthday presents, a supermarket shop, nappy bag and even a pram during our time with the car.

The one point we can knock the Outlander LS for is the lack of a powered tailgate. It's the sort of feature that does make juggling a kid and shopping really easy. It is a shame that it was offered in earlier cars, and we can only hope Mitsubishi reintroduces this feature down the line once parts become more readily available.

A feature that would improve the Outlander LS would be a powered tailgate. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

Mitsubishi’s Outlander boasts a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in January, 2022, with stand-out results in the child occupant protection test.

Each Outlander is also kitted out with a long list of advanced safety equipment, including front autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, and traffic sign recognition. 

Each Outlander is also kitted out with a long list of advanced safety equipment, including front autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

As a result, ANCAP has awarded the 2022 Outlander an 83 per cent score in the safety assist category.

And the LS grade adds rear cross-traffic alert, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, high-beam assist and rear AEB, while the only safety feature missing is a surround-view monitor that is offered on Aspire variants and up. 

And of course, as a mid-size SUV, there are ISOFIX points and top-tether mounting points, which we found a breeze to use in our time with the car.

Like all new Mitsubishis sold in Australia, the 2023 Outlander comes with a landmark 10-year conditional warranty that covers 200,000 kilometres of travel.

This surpasses the industry standard five-year/unlimited kilometre assurance period offered by top 10 brands like Toyota, Mazda, Ford and Hyundai, while also beating Kia’s seven-year program.

But it means all scheduled servicing needs to be done at a Mitsubishi dealer, and it excludes fleet customers.

Like all new Mitsubishis sold in Australia, the 2023 Outlander comes with a landmark 10-year conditional warranty. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

Scheduled service intervals for the Outlander LS are every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever occurs first.

According to Mitsubishi’s capped-price service program, the first five years of ownership will set buyers back $995, averaging $199 a year.

Keep in mind, service prices from then on can be significantly more expensive, with the 10-year/150,000km service priced at $799 according to Mitsubishi’s data.