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Your family’s grown to the point where a five-seat SUV is fine… most of the time. But on the odd occasion some of the kids’ friends are tagging along or nan and pop are in the mix.
Two extra seats is the answer, but a full-blown three-row SUV, and the imposing size that usually comes with it, is a bit much.
Enter the mid-size Outlander LS Black Edition, positioned by Mitsubishi as a ‘5+2’ SUV rather than a full-time seven-seater, with the two rearmost seats designated for “occasional” use.
Does it have the practicality to pass the family test, and does the flexibility of an extra pair of chairs stack up?
The Cleary family spent a week with this recently released edition to find out.
Brand Finance self-effacingly describes itself as "the world's leading independent branded business valuation and strategy consultancy". And adds that it regularly picks apart the current and future value of more than 3500 brands across multiple market sectors around the world.
These London-based boffins reckon Delta trumps American Airlines, Real Madrid has knocked off Manchester United, and Haval is a more powerful SUV brand than Land Rover or Jeep. So, no surprise Haval promotes the research on its Australian website.
Just to split hairs, Land Rover leaps to the top of the rankings when it comes to overall value, but in terms of an upward trajectory and potential for future growth, Brand Finance says Haval is the one.
The irony is you probably wouldn't know a Haval if it ran into you, which obviously isn't good in any sense, but a factor of the Chinese Great Wall subsidiary's relatively brief time, and so far, limited sales in the Australian market.
One of three models released in late 2015 to launch the Haval brand locally, the H2 is a small, five-seat SUV competing against a hot bed of more than 20 established players including the segment-leading Mitsubishi ASX, ever-popular Mazda CX-3, and recently arrived Hyundai Kona.
So, is Haval's potential reflected in its current product offering? We spent a week living with the sharply priced H2 City to find out.
The Mitsubishi Outlander LS Black Edition scores big marks for practicality as long as you don’t think of it as a conventional seven-seater. Treat it as a five-seater, with the super-handy option of squeezing a couple of kids into the occasional third row for short trips, and you’ll be laughing.
It’s comfortable, refined and fuel-efficient, but it isn’t perfect. Side curtain airbags not covering those ‘+2’ third row seats is a safety miss. The exterior design, especially at the front, is polarising (my guess is mostly to one pole). And the lengthy warranty hand-cuffing you to Mitsubishi network service to enable an ‘extra’ five years’ cover feels awkward.
However, the closer is solid value-for-money. It not only passes the family practicality and flexibility test, it’s keenly priced and well-equipped relative to mid-size competitors.
How you define value will determine whether the Haval H2 City is the right small SUV for you. In terms of metal for money it delivers heaps of space, a reasonable standard features list and adequate safety. But it's let down by mediocre performance, sub-par dynamics and a surprising thirst for (premium) unleaded. Brand Finance may rank Haval high on the power index, but the product needs to climb a few rungs higher before that potential's realised.
Say what you like about the current Mitsubishi Outlander, but there’s no doubt the design of the car’s ‘face’ is distinctive.
The large grille section consists of an upright lower panel and sloping, broadening, slotted upper piece. Big splashes of curved chrome run down the sides, at the same time defining the slim, angular daytime running lights above.
Then, more upright headlight units sit on top of separate fog lights, the entire combination topped by ‘Outlander’ script in proud relief along the bonnet’s leading edge, the latter obviously inspired by Range Rover’s long-established badge treatment.
The rest of the exterior is more conventional, with - surprise, surprise - the Black Edition defined by a whole bunch of black stuff.
Everything from the 20-inch alloy wheels to the front and rear skid plates, exterior mirror housings and the grille are blacked out.
And the theme carries over inside with a sleek and comfy combination of black synthetic suede and synthetic leather on the seats (with contrast stitching), a black laser-etched panel in the front centre console around the gearshift, black headlining and black front pillar trim.
Overall, the interior is simple, understated and functional with a common-sense mix of physical and digital controls, as well as soft-touch materials where it counts.
Inoffensive but uninspiring is a blunt yet fair summation of the Haval H2 City's exterior design, especially when you think about rivals like the dramatic Toyota C-HR, edgy Hyundai Kona, or funky Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.
The nose is dominated by a huge, slatted and chromed grille with bright metal mesh behind it, and vaguely Audi-of-10-years-ago shaped headlights either side.
The lighting treatment is elaborate with projector halogen main beams and reflector halogen high-beam units surrounded by a dotted-line string of LEDs looking uncomfortably like aftermarket inserts available via your online auction site of choice.
Standard fog-lights are recessed into a blacked-out area under the bumper, with another line of LEDs, functioning as DRLs, below that. And just to complicate matters, the upper LEDs only illuminate with the headlights, while the lower units come to life when the headlights are off.
A sharp character line runs along the H2's flanks from the trailing edge of the headlights to the tail, with an equally distinct swage line running from front to back, narrowing the car's mid-section and accentuating the bulge of its wheelarches, filled adequately by standard 18-inch multi-spoke alloy rims.
The rear is similarly reserved, the only hint of flash confined to a roof-top spoiler, cool typeface chosen for the prominent Haval badging across the hatch door, and a diffuser with chrome exhaust tips poking through either side.
Inside, the look and feel is early noughties plain, The dashtop is a nice soft-touch material, but there are lots of buttons and old-school analogue instruments combined with a media and ventilation interface that might have been acceptable on a mainstream model 20 years ago.
Don't even think about Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The tiny LCD screen (sitting below a CD slot) wins the smallest, most basic graphics award. A miniscule scale reflecting the manual air-con's temperature setting is a particular low-light.
A small 3.5-inch screen between the tacho and speedometer displays fuel economy and distance information, but frustratingly no digital speed read-out. Standard cloth trim has a distinctly synthetic but tough feel, while the polyurethane plastic steering wheel is another throwback.
Sure, we're at the budget end of the market here, but be prepared for low-tech design combined with cheap and cheerful execution.
At just over 4.7m long, close to 1.9m wide and 1.75m tall, the Outlander is a ‘large’ medium-size SUV.
There’s lots of breathing room up front and the car is wide enough that the driver and front passenger aren’t bursting each other's personal space bubbles.
Within the car’s overall footprint, a 2.7m wheelbase (the distance between the axles) is pretty generous and rear seat room is good, too.
Sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position I enjoyed more than adequate head, leg and shoulder room.
Three full-size adults across the second row are okay for up to medium length trips, thanks in no small part to a flat rear floor. And depending on the child seats or boosters you’re working with, three-abreast for smaller humans should be do-able, as well.
Storage options in the front include a medium-size lidded box between the seats (which doubles as a centre armrest), a reasonable glove box, two big cupholders in the centre console and generous bins in the doors with space for large bottles.
The wireless charging pad is handy for your phone (even when it’s not charging) as well as other bits and pieces. And an overhead bin flips down for your sunnies.
There are directional air vents for those in the rear with storage running to a shelf underneath the vents, map pockets on both front seat backs, two large cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest and slots in the doors, again with space for larger bottles.
Move to the third row, and… you’ll be cramped. Mitsubishi is up front in positioning this car as a ‘5+2’, meaning full-time seating for five and (very much) part-time seating for two.
Those two in the way-back seats will be small kids, on short trips, and even then, the sliding (and reclining) middle row will need to move forward quite a bit to accommodate their legs. Adults? Forget it.
Power and connectivity options include primary USB-A and USB-C sockets for media in the dash plus another two outlets in the rear for power only. There are 12-volt plugs in the front and the boot.
Speaking of which, the boot will accommodate 163 litres (VDA) worth of stuff (to the top of the seats) with the third row upright, which is enough for some shopping bags, school bags, etc.
Folding that 50/50 split-folding row down means removing the ludicrously long (but undoubtedly effective) head restraints for a flat-floor load space of 478 litres (VDA).
We were able to load in the large CarsGuide pram, with room to spare, and our three-piece luggage set (36L, 95L and 124L) was also swallowed easily.
Lower the 40/20/40 split-fold second row seat and you have 1461 litres (VDA - to the roof) at your disposal.
There are small storage areas either side of the load space behind the wheel tubs and tie-down anchors to help keep loose loads under control.
The Outlander LS Black Edition is rated to tow a 1.6-tonne braked trailer (750kg unbraked) with ‘Trailer Stability Assist’ standard, and the spare is a space-saver.
At 4.3m long, 1.8m wide, and just under 1.7m high the Haval H2 is a big small SUV, and there's plenty of room inside.
Up front, storage runs to a bin (with sliding top) between the seats, two large cupholders in the centre console and a lidded oddments tray in front of the gearshift, as well as a sunglass holder, average-sized glove box and door bins with room for bottles. You'll notice the pennies saved with non-illumination of the sunvisor vanity mirrors.
Rear seat passengers pick up generous head, leg, and importantly, shoulder room. Three large adults across the back will be tight but do-able for short trips. Kids and young teenagers, no problem.
A centre fold-down armrest houses neatly integrated dual-cupholders, there are bins with space for bottles in each door and map pockets on the front seat backs. No adjustable air vents for backseaters, though.
Connectivity and power runs to two 12-volt outlets, a USB-A port and an 'aux-in' jack, all in the front.
Although a strong seller in the small SUV segment, the Mazda3's Achilles heel is its modest 264-litre boot, and while the H2 exceeds that number, it's not by much.
The Haval's 300-litre capacity is way less than the Honda HR-V (437 litres), Toyota C-HR (377 litres) and Hyundai Kona (361 litres). But it's enough to swallow the bulky CarsGuide pram or three-piece hard suitcase set (35, 68 and 105 litres), and (as with all contenders in the segment) a 60/40 split-fold rear seat increases flexibility and volume.
If you're into towing, the H2's limited to 750kg for an un-braked trailer and 1200kg braked, and the spare tyre is a full-size (18-inch) steel rim shod with narrower space-saving (155/85) rubber.
At $41,490, before on-road costs, the Outlander LS Black Edition is a ‘5+2’ rather than a full-time seven-seater. But there’s no doubt it will be cross-shopped with other large/medium three-row SUVs like the Nissan X-Trail ST-L 7 Seat ($46,290), Skoda Kodiaq Style 132TSI ($51,490) and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 132TSI Life ($48,490).
Worth noting those three competitors are all all-wheel drive, which no doubt contributes to the higher price points. But we’re still well below the Genesis GV80, Land Rover Discovery and Mercedes-Benz GLBs of this world.
And if you’re fine with front-wheel drive, as the Outlander is, that makes this Mitsubishi a potential value-for-money winner against its competitive set.
So, aside from the performance and safety tech we’ll cover later in this review, what features are included as standard in the Outlander LS Black Edition?
For a start, you can expect dual-zone climate control, a 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, Android Auto and (wireless) Apple CarPlay, sat-nav, six-speaker audio (with digital radio), power-adjustable driver’s seat, keyless entry and start, cruise control, a 7.0-inch ‘Multi Information Display’ in the instrument binnacle, and a wireless charging pad.
Plus there are LED headlights, tail-lights, DRLs and fog lights, a leather-bound steering wheel and gearshift, a combination of synthetic suede and synthetic leather seat trim and 20-inch alloy wheels.
That’s solid for a car in the around $40K bracket, but it pays to remember your front passenger will be adjusting their seat manually and the tailgate is of the open-and-close-it-yourself variety.
For those adjustments in electronic form, as well as a head-up display and other bits and pieces you’ll need to step up to the Aspire grade at $44,240, before on-roads. Still good value.
At the time of publication, the Haval H2 City was carrying a drive-away price tag - $19,990 for the six-speed manual version and $20,990 for the six-speed auto (as tested here).
So, you're getting a lot of metal and interior space for your money, but what about the standard features taken for granted in the H2's main competitors?
Included in that drive-away price are the 18-inch alloys, keyless entry and start, reverse parking sensors, (manual) air-conditioning, cruise control, front and rear fog lights, LED daytime running lights, ambient interior lighting, heated front seats, rear privacy glass, and cloth trim.
But the headlights are halogen, the audio is four-speaker (with Bluetooth and single CD player), the safety tech (covered in the Safety section below) is relatively basic, and 'our' car's 'Pewter' (silver metallic) paint is a $495 option.
Equivalent entry-level competitors from Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Toyota will set you back between five and $10k more than this H2. And if you're happy to live without features like a media touchscreen, digital radio, leather accented wheel and gearshift, rear air vents, reversing camera, etc, etc, etc, you're onto a winner.
The Outlander LS Black Edition is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.
It produces 135kW at 6000rpm and 244Nm at 3600rpm, sending drive to the front wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission.
The Haval H2 City (as tested) is powered by a 1.5-litre direct-injection, turbo-petrol, four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.
Peak power (110kW) arrives at 5600rpm, with maximum torque (210Nm) delivered at 2200rpm.
Mitsubishi’s official fuel economy number for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 7.7L/100km, the 2.5-litre petrol four emitting 174g/km of CO2 in the process.
Over a week of city, suburban and some freeway running, we averaged 8.9L/100km, which is pretty impressive for a close to 1.7-tonne, seven-seat SUV.
Minimum fuel requirement is 91 RON ‘standard’ unleaded and you’ll need 55 litres of it to fill the tank.
Using the official economy number, that translates to a range of around 715km, which drops to just under 620km using our real-world figure.
Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 9.0L/100km, the 1.5-litre turbo four emitting 208g/km of CO2 in the process.
Not exactly outstanding, and over roughly 250km of city, suburban and freeway running we recorded 10.8L/100km (at the bowser).
Another rude surprise is the fact the H2 requires 95 RON premium unleaded fuel, of which you'll need 55 litres to fill the tank.
Close to 4.7m long and tipping the scales at 1660kg, the Outlander LS Black Edition is a substantial rather than large front-wheel drive SUV.
Its 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine produces 135kW and 244Nm with that second, peak pulling power figure arriving at a relatively high 3600rpm.
You can expect 0-100km/h acceleration in around 10 seconds which is pretty handy, if not exactly earth-shattering.
Yet, the Outlander is a pleasant machine to drive - quiet, refined and with enough oomph to get the job done in the cut-and-thrust of suburban traffic and cruise comfortably once out of town.
I'm not a fan of CVT autos, but the unit fitted to the Outlander is one of the better ones, minimising the usual disconnect between road speed and engine rpm.
The suspension (strut front, multi-link rear) is comfy, even over less than perfect urban surfaces, steering feel is good, and the body remains stable in the bends.
That cornering performance is also helped by the (255/45) Bridgestone Ecopia rubber, designed specifically for SUVs and 4WDs. They’re economy-focused but grip hard, without a hint of squeal in tight cornering.
Braking is firm and progressive with (350mm) ventilated discs at the front and (330mm) solid rotors at the rear.
Under the heading of miscellaneous observations, the front seats remain comfortable and supportive after lengthy stints behind the wheel. An 11.2m turning circle isn’t tiny so it pays to plan ahead for U- or three-point turns. And all-around vision is good, with the exception of the enormous third row headrests. If there’s no one in those seats, make sure to remove them and pack the seat flat.
Cold weather and internal-combustion engines are usually firm friends. Lower ambient temperature means denser air entering the cylinder (even under the extra pressure of a turbo), and as long as more fuel arrives at the same time, you'll have a bigger bang and more power.
But the H2 City's 1.5-litre four must have missed the memo, because cool morning start-ups result in a distinct reluctance to proceed at normal pace.
Sure, there's forward motion, but pinning the right-hand pedal to the floor won't shift the speedo needle much above a brisk walking pace. Unsettling.
Even after a few minutes, when things settle into a more predictable pattern, this Haval hovers at the sluggish end of the performance spectrum.
Not that any of the compact SUVs it competes with are rocketships, but you can generally expect a turbo-petrol engine to serve up a decent dose of low-down grunt.
However, with a maximum output of 210Nm delivered at a relatively high 2200rpm the 1.5-tonne H2 won't be threatening the land speed record anytime soon.
Suspension is strut front, multi-link rear, with the H2 City riding on (235/55x18) Kumho Solus KL21 rubber, and on typically pock-marked and bumpy urban roads ride quality could be better.
The steering displays some nervousness on centre, which combines with a lack of road feel and a mildly disconcerting top-heavy sensation in cornering. It's not that the car lurches or suffers from too much body roll; more that something isn't quite right in the front-end geometry.
On the upside, although firm, the front seats are comfortable, the exterior mirrors are nice and big, overall noise levels are moderate, and the brakes (vented disc front / solid disc rear) are reassuringly progressive.
On the downside, the media system (such as it is) is woeful. Plug your mobile device (mine's an iPhone 7) into the car's single USB port and you'll be met by a 'Loading-USB error' message, the heating and ventilation read-outs on the letterbox slot screen are a joke, and to top it all, select reverse and the audio cuts out altogether.
The Mitsubishi Outlander scored a maximum five-star ANCAP assessment in 2022 and the active (crash avoidance) tech is impressive.
The standard suite includes lane departure warning and departure prevention, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, AEB operational from 5.0-110km/h (with forward collision warning, junction assist and pedestrian detection), rear AEB (below 15km/h), fatigue monitoring, auto rain-sensing wipers, traffic sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors, and a reversing camera.
If, despite all that, a crash is unavoidable there are eight airbags on-board - front and side bags for the driver and front passenger, side curtains, a driver’s knee bag and a front centre bag to minimise head clash and other injuries in a side impact.
Important to note the head-protecting side curtain airbags cover the first and second rows but not the third. Less than ideal.
There are three top tether points across the back seat for location of baby capsules and/or child seats, with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.
In terms of active safety the H2 City ticks the 'cost-of-entry' boxes, including ABS, BA, EBD, ESP, rear parking senors, tyre-pressure monitoring and emergency brake hazard lighting.
But forget about more recent systems like AEB, lane keeping assistance, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic alerts or adaptive cruise. And you don't get a reversing camera.
If a crash is unavoidable the airbag count runs to six (dual front, dual front side, and dual curtain). And there are three child restraint/baby capsule top tether points across the back seat, with ISOFIX anchors on the outer two positions.
The Haval H2 scored a maximum five-star ANCAP rating in late 2017, a rank it would not replicate when assessed against 2019's more challenging criteria.
Mitsubishi Australia covers the Outlander with a 10-year/200,000 km warranty, with five-year corrosion (perforation) protection also included.
That’s double the time period offered by the majority of brands in the local new car market, however an unlimited kilometre term is more typical. And… there’s a catch.
To qualify for the 10-year cover Mitsubishi says, “The vehicle must have had ALL scheduled services performed within the authorised Mitsubishi Dealer Network (from the first service onwards).”
Have the vehicle serviced outside the Mitsubishi network, or not in accordance with the service schedule, and you’re looking at five years/100,000km.
Speaking of servicing, capped pricing is available for 10 years/150,000km, with the lowest annual cost being $299, and the highest (year 10) coming in at $849. The annual average over that period is $434. Not outrageous, but not especially sharp, either.
Also worth noting, roadside assistance is complimentary for the first year, renewed annually for up to four years, again, if you have your Outlander serviced by an authorised Mitsubishi dealer.
Haval covers all new cars it sells in Australia with a seven year/unlimited km warranty with 24-hour roadside assistance provided for five years/100,000km.
That's a strong statement from the brand, and well ahead of the major players in the mainstream market.
Service is recommended every 12 months/10,000km, and no capped-price servicing program is currently in place.