Mitsubishi Outlander 2014 News

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced its latest round of national recalls, with models from Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Kia, Land Rover and Ram impacted.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced its latest round of automotive recalls, with models from Citroen, Holden, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi and Peugeot affected.

Cars are either being built worse -- or companies are getting better at detecting faults.a range of models made over the last 10 years replacing potentially deadly Takata airbags in 1.3 million cars in Australia. a second, airbag-related recall for the Priusreplacing potentially deadly Takata airbags in 1.3 million cars in Australia

Plug-in hybrid Outlander claims class victory and 19th outright in 2014 Australasian Safari desert rally.Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Australia's Outlander PHEV completed the Australasian Safari desert rally on Saturday after making it through eight days of competition in the Western Australian outback.The team say this is the first time a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) has finished an Australian motorsport event.The Outlander PHEV - driven by first-time Safari competitors Steve Glenney and Bernie Webb - took top honours in its Hybrid and Dual Fuel Vehicle class and crossed the finish line in Kalbarri 19th outright.The Outlander performed strongly in the opening stages of the rally. After starting 15th following the prologue, the PHEV found itself in 9th outright at the conclusion of Leg 4.Unfortunately, their service truck suffered five – yes five - flat tyres on its transport stage to the bivouac in Exmouth resulting in the team having a troubled Leg 5. A collision during Leg 6 also severely damaged the PHEV’s front suspension and a front driveshaft.However, after an overnight repair the PHEV recorded the second fastest time outright in the final stage into Kalbarri, to soften the blow of the previous two days.Steve Glenney was impressed with the PHEV's performance during the Safari, saying the event was more difficult than he originally thought."It’s hard to appreciate just how difficult and punishing the Australasian Safari is until you’ve experienced it first hand – it’s an epic event," he said."To put it into perspective, one leg of the Safari is equivalent to kilometres travelled in a weekend-long Australian Rally Championship event, so we’ve effectively done six rounds of the ARC in one week."As is common in motorsport, the data gathered from the Outlander PHEV's Safari expedition will be taken back to the factory and used to further develop Mitsubishi's road cars.

Mitsubishi unveils its Outlander PHEV Australasian Safari challenger.Mitsubishi has revealed its Outlander PHEV entry for this weekend’s Australasian Safari rally in Western Australia, with the Japanese manufacturer claiming the entry as a first for a vehicle of its type.Prepared by Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Australia and driven by 2008 Targa Tasmania winners Steve Glenney and Bernie Webb, the Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) will compete in a category created specifically for electric and hybrid vehicles.To help the PHEV deal with the Safari’s seven stages through tough desert conditions, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Australia has fitted a roll cage, tougher suspension, increased ride height and special rally tyres.  However, the Outlander PHEV racer’s dual electric motors and 2.0-litre petrol engine produce the same combined 120kW and 332Nm as in production trim, along with the standard 300-volt lithium-ion battery system.Former Mitsubishi rally driver Ed Ordynski - who will be providing support to the team during the event - said the characteristics of electric motors may prove advantageous in rallying.“The high torque characteristic of the electric motors and instant throttle response – which work so effectively in everyday driving – are ideally suited to the demanding driving conditions we’ll experience during the Safari,” he said.It won’t all be down to the car, however, with Steve Glenney saying those behind the wheel will need to match the Outlander’s sturdiness.“The Australasian Safari is a notoriously challenging event – its gruelling combination of long straight desert roads, dry creek bed crossings and rocky terrain means drivers and co-drivers need to be both physically and mentally ready for eight full days of competitive driving,” he said.The 2014 Safari entry builds on the PHEV's pedigree from the 2013 and 2014 Asia Cross Country rallies, which culminated in a class victory in the 2014 event across Thailand and Cambodia.The 2014 Australasian Safari will run between September 19-27, from Perth to Kalbarri in Western Australia.

New Honda Jazz sets new benchmark for rear view cameras: $14,990.

...to precede a horseless carriage to warn the unsuspecting populace of the danger approaching at 3km/h.

A mid-sized SUV with a microcar-sized thirst is Mitsubishi’s entry into the hybrid market. Far from following the skinny tyre-tracks of the unloved i-MiEV, the Outlander PHEV is the most practical petrol-electric hybrid to go on sale in Australia.The latest Outlander - Mitsubishi already sells petrol and diesel versions - can tow up to 1500kg yet uses just 1.9L/100km. The entry level PHEV costs $47,490, or $11,000 more than the comparable petrol LS-spec model.The petrol-electric version adds a smart key, high-intensity discharge headlamps, alloy wheels and Mitsubishi’s top-shelf AWD. The PHEV Aspire is $52,490, a premium of $8600 on the petrol Aspire model. The price increase comes from developing the 12kW/h lithium-ion under-floor battery and the motors to drive each axle, along with the software needed to run the car either as a pure electric vehicle, a series hybrid with the petrol engine recharging the battery, or as a parallel hybrid with the engine also helping with front-drive.Mitsubishi Australia spokeswoman Shayna Welsh rates the pricing as sharp and well in line with other hybrids. “It should appeal to buyers of regular medium SUVs as well as hybrid adopters,” she says.“There’s also been interest from fleets who have a commitment to lowering emissions or want a certain percentage of green vehicles. The Outlander gives them two cars in one. It has all the space of a regular SUV with all the advantage of a hybrid.”Mitsubishi says the vehicles will run for up to 52km on a full battery charge. Then the 2.0-litre petrol engine fires up to recharge the battery up to 80 per cent capacity. Plug the PHEV in at home via a 15-amp socket and it should take about five hours to recharge a depleted battery.

It was hot, we were sweaty, concentrating intensely and even barefoot – but by crikey were we fuel-efficient. Mitsubishi's plug-in hybrid Outlander PHEV may carry an incredible official combined fuel consumption of 1.9L/100km, but we were willing to put our bodies on the line to better that figure for Mitsubishi's Eco Drive challenge, held as part of the new model's Australian launch in Canberra this week.Paired with an astute and equally-focused colleague, our discomfort was hardly the fault of the Outlander PHEV's. We'd turned off all climate control, closed the windows and lost our right shoes in the pursuit of minimal energy wastage and maximum aero efficiency and throttle input sensitivity, and applied everything we knew about hypermiling in conjunction with some new tricks specific to the new Outlander PHEV.The Eco Drive challenge comprised an 80km drive loop around the Australian Capital Territory, set up by former Australian rally champion-turned efficiency expert Ed Ordynski, with the route combining steady cruising, hills, plenty of traffic, countless traffic lights, and a decent sample of Canberra's notorious roundabouts.Ordynski's eco-driving skills were honed in the heat of rally competition. Not on the competitive stages, where his anti-lag equipped Lancer Evolution racers would consume as much as 75L/100km, but in the transport stages, where a cunningly disciplined driving style could scale back to 7.5L/100km. He wasn't trying to save the world though, Ed's minimal consumption during transport stages meant he could carry less fuel during the timed legs, which made for a lighter, faster car.Using these skills, Ed set an Outlander PHEV benchmark figure of 1.7L/100km around the drive loop, and our challenge was to aim for Ed, while defeating the assembled throng of motoring journalists. To do this, we'd have to try and stretch the PHEV's official 52km electric range, using as little petrol engine as possible.Setting off in the default pure-electric EV mode among afternoon school traffic and knocking-off tradies, and armed with the knowledge that the Outlander PHEV's twin-electric motors developed their maximum combined torque of 338Nm at around 60km/h, we aimed to stay as close to this figure when climbing hills and make the most of any speed gains and momentum on downhill runs.To get to 60km/h, we'd gently caress the throttle with minimal input, straddling the desire to conserve power with the frustration of other motorists behind. We carefully balanced our acceleration and speed with the gradient of the road and the next visible obstacle, aiming to minimise braking at the other end. There's also a button-activated Eco mode that softens throttle responses for you, but we were satisfied with our delicate bare toe shuffling.Despite the slow progress and lack of any conventional driving thrills, the PHEV offered ongoing stimulation via the six regeneration modes accessible via the steering wheel paddle shifters. Creating a similar effect to engine braking, each step offers more retardation and regeneration.Given our aim to maximise regeneration to minimise fuel consumption, it was a continual challenge to effectively brake by paddle shifter. Too little and you're forced to use the wasteful brakes, too much and you'll have to use the wasteful throttle to bridge the gap. On the downhill runs, we'd choose the highest level of regeneration that would allow us to continue coasting at our chosen speed.We finally farewelled electric-only power at about the 55km mark. We last checked the Outlander's 7-inch display at 52.5km with 2km on the remaining charge readout, but were both too focused on ultra-economy and navigation to note the final figure. Either way, we eclipsed the 52km official claim, but now had no choice but to burn precious petrol. It was like carrying the Olympic torch but not wanting to light it.As the last of the allowable pure-electric drive withered away, the PHEV switched imperceptibly into the Series drive mode, which starts the petrol engine to generate juice for the electric motors. Given the engine is effectively idling along regardless of your road speed, the only way you'd really know you're burning petrol is via the PHEV's dashboard energy readout.Rather than an easy cruise to the finish line, Ed's route took right through the heart of Canberra city at near peak hour, which meant we scored most of Northbourne Avenue's red traffic lights. Pitt St it wasn't quite, but it cemented Ed's route as worthy of the term 'combined'. It may sound academic, but combining all of these elements on the move is surprisingly challenging and engaging. If everyone drove in this manner it would do traffic flow no favours, but it shows just what the Outlander PHEV is capable of, and paradoxical proof that a hybrid can be a pile of fun at license-protecting speeds.So how did we fare? All the discomfort, sweat, concentration and shoelessness was justified as Ed confirmed our benchmark-matching 1.7L/100km result at the finish line, with our 'distance to empty' reading of 578km edging us ahead of the competition. Being fuel efficient has never been so satisfying. Watch the desktop version of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV video review here. This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_FlynnTop tips for saving fuel in a PHEV:- Gentle and measured throttle application. Only accelerate as much as you need, and squeeze the throttle instead of stabbing it. Drive barefoot or in socks to improve your feel of the pedal.- Balance regeneration with momentum. Only grab more regeneration (if possible) if it doesn't overcome your momentum on a downhill run.- Use regeneration for minor speed adjustments instead of brakes.- Minimise braking in general. If you brake too much, you'll only have to accelerate again.- Keep your windows up and the sunroof shut to minimise aerodynamic drag.- Minimise aircon use. Don't wind the temp down lower than you need.- Minimise use of electrical accessories.  Radio, power windows, mobile phone chargers, head and foglights all use precious current.- Keep an eye on your tyre pressures. Filling to the maximum pressure on your tyre placard will minimise rolling resistance.- Minimise excess weight. Do you really need to carry around the golf clubs or that 10kg medicine ball all the time?- Remove your ski or bike roof racks when not in use. You may enjoy looking like the adventurous SUV owner all the time, but the excess drag will use more fuel. 

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.TECHNOLOGYThe 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.FEATURESThe 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.DESIGNExternally, 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