Mitsubishi Outlander 2011 News

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Well aware of the white heat of competition in medium SUV sales in Australia, Mitsubishi, one of the original players in the SUV field in Australia, has added features to its Outlander 4WD. Appearance changes are minimal – the fitment of18-inch alloy wheels and a black-coloured roof rail in all models – but equipment changes are generous.The entry level Mitsubishi Outlander has what Mitsubishi tells us is $1500 worth of extras. These include reversing sensors, as well as a camera. Parking reference lines are shown on the central touch-screen.Mitsubishi’s Link audio system provides AM/FM radio, CD and MP3 player, Aux and USB inputs with full iPod control. There’s voice control by way of Bluetooth connectivity for media streaming and free phone use.The mid-level Outlander LS now has the top spec Mitsubishi Multi Communication System (MMCS). It uses a larger 7-inch colour touch-screen than that in the base-level. Outlander LS also gets satellite navigation with 3D mapping functionality. There’s SD card input.Also fitted as standard on the LS are automatic headlights and wipers. Mitsubishi tells us these additions to the Outlander LS represent $2500 added value. Outlander Aspire, the topline model, has approximately $5750 worth of extra gear. The biggest addition is a sunroof. Other items include HID headlamps and a powered tailgate. Major safety technology in the Outlander Aspire are Forward Collision Mitigation and Adaptive Cruise Control.Mitsubishi Outlander received a major overhaul in its appearance just 12 months ago. This did away with what some said was too radical a shape of the previous Outlander, instead for a more elegant look. We must admit to having a preference for the older, bolder shape, but Mitsubishi is well aware it’s targeting conservative buyers so probably made the correct decision in going for a neater appearance.It wasn’t just done for the sake of appearance – the co-efficient of drag was reduced from 0.36 to 0.33 to cut fuel consumption and emissions. Our review at the time commented on there being less interior noise because of the smoother flow of air over the body.Inside, the new generation Mitsubishi Outlander has a neat design and uses materials of high quality. The front seats offer good space, the centre row has good legroom and the third row of seats, not fitted to all models, is better suited to children, though adults can use it without being overly cramped.The centre-row seat folds flat in a single motion to add to luggage space. Previously, the seat was tumble-folded in two stages, the new arrangement adds significantly to the length of the cargo that can be carried.Japanese Mitsubishi engineers teamed with Australians to fine tune the Outlander’s suspension and steering in this country – it’s always good to be taken seriously by overseas car makers. Engines are 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre petrol and 2.3-litre turbo-diesel. We find the smaller engine to have marginal performance, particularly if you have a load on board. The others are fine.The Outlander has achieved an ANCAP safety rating of five stars. Active Stability Control is standard across the range and can recognise understeer and oversteer, then applies braking force to the diagonal wheel to assist in keeping the Outlander on-line through corners. Mitsubishi Outlander has proven popular in Australia for many years and this upgraded new model for 2014 seems certain to keep up that tradition due to the increase in value it offers.The complete 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander range is:ES 2.0-litre petrol 2WD: from $27,640 (manual), $29,890 (CVT)ES 2.4-litre petrol AWD: from $32,890 (CVT)ES 2.0-litre petrol 2WD: from $33,490 (CVT)LS 2.4-litre petrol AWD: from $36,490 (CVT)LS 2.2-litre diesel AWD: from $39,490 (automatic)Aspire 2.4-litre petrol AWD: from $43,790 (CVT)Aspire 2.2-litre diesel AWD: from $46,790 (automatic) 

And the new Outlander will be bringing plenty of excitement when it arrives later this year with new engines, a totally new look, premium interior treatment and features and the availability later on of a plug-in hybrid 4WD version that uses a back up internal combustion engine.The new, lighter Outlander has a much smoother look something like a scaled down version of Ford's Territory mixed with the Mitsubishi Challenger.It's handsome from all angles and practical too with seven seat capacity and fold flat seats for improved load carrying capacity. The tailgate is one piece and is available with electric assistance.Rake and reach steering wheel adjustment makes an appearance as does dual zone climate control and optional xenon headlights. A rear vision monitor is likely in all Aussie spec' models while noise, vibration and harshness has been reduced for improved interior comfort levels.Safety equipment is more comprehensive and Mitsu' will offer new Outlander with sophisticated equipment such as adaptive cruise control, collision prevention that automatically applies the brakes and lane departure warning. It will be available with 2WD and 4WD with a choice of a 2.0-litre petrol engine or a 2.2-litre turbodiesel. The petrol has a five speed manual or CVT and is good for 110kW/195Nm output. It replaces the previous 2.4-litre four cylinder petrol (and the 3.0-litre V6 petrol).The turbodiesel is good for 110kW and 360Nm in six-speed auto form and 110kW/380Nm in six-speed manual. All Outlanders have auto stop and go to optimise city fuel economy.The big news is the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) model which uses an electric drive engine for each axle and an internal combustion engine as a generator or EV motor assist through three drive modes."Pure" uses the electric motors alone for propulsion. "Series" uses the twin electric motors for 4WD and the internal combustion engine as support while "Parallel"? uses the internal combustion engine for front wheel drive and the two electrics for 4WD.It's said to be super fuel efficient and offers strong performance over a wide operating range. No price details are yet available.

The Outlander arrives with new engines, new transmissions and new trim levels but the highlight is a sleek, chiselled body that will really cut the ice compared with main rivals Honda, Toyota and Nissan.The cabin is bigger than most rivals and detailed work to the cabin make it a very attractive proposition, especially to the mainstay female buyer group.Outlander gets two new engines - one is it first segment foray into V6 territory, picking up a new 3-litre engine that is available in the two premium models.The four-cylinder is a 2.4-litre but it has no relation to the outgoing engine of the same capacity.The V6 is attached to a six-speed auto while the 2.4 gets a continuously-variable transmission (CVT) with paddle-shift manual changes as a bonus. Normally the CVT will operate as a pure auto.Mitsubishi said that this engine mix will allow the vehicle to compete with the four cylinder rivals such as RAV4, CR-V and Nissan X-Trail, while the V6 version will go up against the Toyota Kluger, Subaru Outback, Holden Captiva and Hyundai Santa Fe.There is also suggestions that the Outlander has the ability to lure Ford Territory buyers, specifically because of its optional seven-seat capacity - a new move for Mitsubishi in this arena.The Outlander shows its family relationship to other Mitsubishi products with its nose, though the tail treatment is new.It's clean and simple though distinctive on the road with a broad buyer appeal. Thankfully, the styling is a farewell wave to the freestyled, heavy grille-oriented artwork of the previous designer Olivier Boulay who also penned the last Magna.The simplicity of the exterior continues inside. The cabin feels bigger and brighter than its four-cylinder rivals, showing excellent room for the five occupants.The boot is big and wins extra points with its double tailgate. A low, bottom hinged gate folds down to make easy loading onto a flat cargo bed. This gate, rated at 200kg, also serves as seat.The seven seat option adds $2800-$4800 to the price of the various five-seat models.But while seating the seven sounds grand, the third row is made just for small kids.All but the base model get a keyless entry and start system but all miss out on a full-size spare tyre.On the road the Outlander feels more confident than its predecessor.The longer wheelbase and wider track give better stability and cornering precision, though that improvement is countered by some steering wheel vagueness.Only the four cylinder variants were driven and, hence, only the CVT box. Initially impressive for its simplicity of driving, there were times when the 2.4-litre engine - even with variable-valve timing - struggled to get the power quickly to the ground.It could also be noisy when the right foot pressed hard. But the CVT won back points for its quietness and low-speed engine revs that improved fuel economy.For those seeking performance, the manual version looks a better bet and will hit here next year at an expected $29,990.