2014 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV | new car sales price

Mitsubishi's groundbreaking plug-in hybrid PHEV arrives in local showrooms on March 31, and brings a number of impressive claims to fame along with it. It's the world's first plug-in hybrid SUV, the  world's first all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid, the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market, and it undercuts Australia's only other plug-in hybrid – the $59,990 Holden Volt – by a significant margin.

Available in two trim levels, the entry Outlander PHEV – Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle and pronounced P-H-E-V - carries a list price of $47,490, while the top Outlander PHEV Aspire still represents good value in the plug-in hybrid stakes at $52,490. The Outlander PHEV models form a new flagship for the Outlander range, sitting above the $46,890 existing Aspire turbodiesel.

TECHNOLOGY

The biggest selling point for the Outlander PHEV would be its 1.9L/100km official combined fuel figure, which is second only to the 1.2L/100km Volt in the petrol efficiency stakes, and a result of the Outlander's bias toward front and rear 60kW electric motors for motive force. A pure-electric range of 52km is claimed, and a range-extending 87kW 2.0-litre petrol engine enables confident long-distance travel.

All drive sources are connected to the road via fixed single-speed ratios to suit each motor's optimum operating range, and are activated by a series of automated clutches. The motive sources operate in three different automatically selected drive modes. EV mode uses solely the two electric motors and is capable of up to 120km/h under light throttle.

Series mode kicks in when more performance is required or when the battery level is low, and sees the petrol engine charge the battery while the electric motors provide the drive. Parallel mode is activated at higher speeds or when maximum performance is required, and sees the petrol engine driving the front wheels directly in addition to the front and rear electric motors.

Regenerative braking can be optimised by the driver by selecting three different levels from the consoled shifter, or six different levels from the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. Mitsubishi claims performance potential in excess of the current 2.0 and 2.4-litre petrol and 2.2-litre turbodiesel Outlander drivetrains, and similar to the previous V6 petrol engine, but does not make any official 0-100km/h claims.

The Outlander PHEV steps up from the existing models' on-demand all-wheel drive system to a more advanced torque vectoring setup, and a 4WD-lock mode splits drive equally front to rear for very slippery conditions like snow or mud.
The hybrid system's 12kWh lithium ion battery pack is located beneath the cabin floor, which can be recharged from a 15 Amp household power point in five hours with the on-board charging cable.

Standard Australian household power points are rated at 10 Amps, but can be upgraded to suit the Outlander PHEV for a few hundred dollars. A console button-activated Battery Charge mode uses the petrol engine to restore 80 percent of charge in 40 minutes while stationary - burning about 3-litres of fuel in the process – which can also be put to use when on the move. An also-console button acitvated Battery Save mode allows the driver to reserve remaining battery charge at its existing level.

FEATURES

The entry Outlander PHEV is similar to the regular LS grade in terms of spec, and includes cloth trim, dual-zone climate control, a 7-inch multimedia screen with satnav, reversing camera with rear parking sensors, Bluetooth phone and audio, proximity keys, auto headlights and wipers.

The PHEV Aspire is a near match for the petrol and diesel Aspire models, with leather trim, heated front seats, 6-way power driver's seat adjustment, electric sunroof, power tailgate with remote operation, forward collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control, and a WiFi-based smartphone app remote control system that enables you to monitor the vehicle's status or schedule air conditioning or charging remotely.

DESIGN

Externally, there's little aside from a chrome grille and unique badging to set it aside from the rest of the recently updated Outlander lineup, and both PHEV variants wear the same 18 inch wheels as the petrol and diesel Aspire models. There's even less to separate the two PHEV variants visually, with just silver sill trim and door handles to distinguish the base PHEV from the chrome sill trim and door handles of the PHEV Aspire.

Mitsubishi touts the Outlander PHEV as the first compromise-free plug-in hybrid, and aside from being limited to five seats due to the location of hybrid system’s inverter, about 2-inches less toe room in the rear due to the sub-floor battery pack,the spare tyre being replaced by a puncture repair kit, and a slightly higher boot floor reducing cargo space from 477-463-litres, the remaining five positions and five star ANCAP safety rating are unaffected by the Outlander PHEV's drivetrain.

A 1500kg braked tow capacity is 500kg shy of the diesel Outlander and 100kg fewer than petrol models, but still impressive considering the likes of Toyota's Camry Hybrid drops from 1200kg to an almost useless 300kg.

This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn