Volvo XC40 vs Mitsubishi Outlander

What's the difference?

The Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Motor is a cute small electric SUV that offers a decent specs list and a sweet urban driving experience. It’s not the nicest ride on a longer journey but it does have a decent range to be able to tackle one, if needed. I didn’t love the interior design but there’s lots the XC40 gets right.

Mitsubishi has leaned into its strengths with this Outlander update, spending its money in subtle areas to upgrade what was already a widely appealing mid-size SUV.

The local tuning has made a notable difference to the refinement and comfort of this version, while subtle updates to the software and interior trim help to refine things even further.

If you’ve had an Outlander before, you’ll love this one, although it doesn’t help the brand to challenge new players on the value front. This leaves you with the decision of whether to pick a brand with the reputation and network of Mitsubishi, or roll the dice on a far more affordable new player.

For what it’s worth, it’s genuinely tough to pick a sweet spot here. I think the best picks are at either end of the spectrum, with the ES being outstanding value, and the Exceed being particularly plush.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The XC40 Recharge sees some design changes from its fuel-based counterparts and that’s mainly seen in the front because you get a body-coloured panel instead of a standard grille. The 20-inch alloys feature a chunkier-looking design but the front still boasts the cool ‘Hammer of Thor’ headlights (which I'm rather fond of).

The interior is where the electric powertrain loses me because the fuel-based equivalent is so much nicer inside with its leather-accented upholstery and trims.

It's lovely that there has been a conscious effort to use recycled materials and non-leather upholstery throughout but I'm left with the strange-feeling that synthetic seats don’t reflect the grade or price level of this car. 

Other than the cool-looking topography inserts on the dash and front doors and the 9.0-inch vertical multimedia system, it’s pleasant but a little basic in the cabin. Which is shame because the exterior is cute as hell.

Blink and you’ll miss the changes. Actually, squint and you still might miss them. Aside from the eye-catching new 20-inch wheels on the Exceed and Exceed tourer grades and the new ‘Moonstone Grey’ paint colour, it’s hard to tell the new Outlander apart from its predecessor.

Look closer and there’s new lower garnish designs front and rear, a tweaked grille and a smoked appearance for the rear tail-light clusters.

It’s very subtle stuff, but Mitsubishi has chosen to spend its time and money on upgrades on unseen areas.

For example, the bonnet is now steel rather than aluminium, which helps with noise insulation (and also has the side-effect of removing the high-speed ‘fluttering’ effect the aluminium bonnet had on the previous version), there’s additional sound insulation throughout the car, and cladding in the transmission tunnel to make the cabin a quieter place.

Back on the topic of appearance, though, the dash and console has also been tweaked a little. For example, the new screen looks a bit more contemporary, with a much smaller bezel and more attractive software. The console has been rearranged to move the bottle holders to one side of the electronic gear shifter, which makes for a larger centre console.

High-grade leather seat trims also now have alternate patterns, but the range follows the same trims, from cloth on the ES and LS, while the Aspire gets a microsuede and synthetic leather blend, while the Exceed and Exceed Tourer get the ‘high-grade semi-aniline’ leather trim.

Front passengers enjoy the most space and I have plenty of head- and legroom up front. It’s a really easy car to get in and out of and the individual storage is very good for the class. 

Front passengers enjoy a glove box, middle console with a removeable bin, two cupholders, utility tray and skinny drink bottle holders in the storage bins in the doors.

In the rear, passengers get map pockets on the backs of the front seats, two cupholders in the fold-down armrest and small storage bins in each door.

The synthetic leather-trimmed seats look neat and tidy but are very hard in the cushion, which makes them a tad uncomfortable on longer trips. The rear seats are much the same.

Charging options throughout the car are good with the front enjoying a 12-volt port, two USB-C sockets and a wireless charging pad to choose from. The rear also gets two USB-C ports and there's another 12-volt outlet in the boot.

The rest of the technology is easy to use once you spend some time with it. The 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system features built-in Google Maps, Assistant and Play Store apps, as well as, YouTube.

The 12.0-inch digital instrument panel isn’t customisable but I like the way it pulls through the satellite navigation screen and directions.  

Because of the dual-motor powertrain, your boot capacity drops to 419L from 452L for the single-motor variant. It is large enough for my grocery shop and random errands and you can fold the floor up to create a deep storage well for additional space. Fold the 60/40 split-folding rear seat and available space expands to 1295 litres.

I don’t like the hardened cargo liner, it feels and looks a little cheap, but I do like the powered tailgate. There’s also handy frunk storage of 31L, which is perfectly sized for any charging cables you will have.

The previous Outlander was already known for having a spacious and versatile cabin, and this continues for the new car with a few small tweaks.

The width and satisfying seat positioning continue, and seats in all grades are generous and comfortable, but particularly the leather seats on the Exceed and Exceed Tourer grade we tested.

Adjustability is good in all positions, and the digital instrument cluster has an attractive dual-dial layout and functional display options. While not the best in class, it’s far better than many rivals.

The touchscreen’s new software is meant to be faster, but I found it a bit laggy still, although the integration of Google’s API into the navigation suite is an excellent tweak, making it relevant and useful for much longer.

The tweaks to the centre console make the area more space efficient and useful, but the new cupholders seem strangely shallow, potentially causing large bottles to tip. The tweaked centre console box is nice and large, and the wireless charger is nice and accessible, although its surface is not quite rubbery enough to stop your phone from leaving the charging area in the corners.

The back seat is noticeably stadium – you sit a fair bit higher than in the first row, which eats into headroom in cars equipped with a sunroof for adults. However, width is good, as is the seat comfort.

The rear doors open nice and wide, which should make fitting a child seat easy enough, and the floor is surprisingly flat, too, which makes the middle position more useful.

The third row, which I sampled in an Aspire grade, is both hard to get into and tight once you’re in there. The second row can slide forward on a rail, offering just enough room for me, at 182cm tall, to fit back there, with my knees hard up against the seat in front, and my head nearly touching the roof.

It is for this reason Mitsubishi calls seven-seat versions ‘5+2’. Good for kids, maybe, but not adults for any extended period of time.

The boot is enormous with two rows in use (485 litres in five-seat versions, or 478 litres in seven-seaters), and for this update, the space now has a wider aperture that should make loading objects easier. Space with seven seats up is 163L. Five-seaters get a full-size spare under the floor, while seven-seaters get a space saver.

Braked towing capacity is a middling 1600kg for petrol-powered variants. The brand says not many Outlander buyers are focused on towing as a key capability for the mid-sizer.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: prices are up across the whole Outlander range.

The increases are modest, contained to between two to three thousand dollars across this mid-size SUV’s sprawling eight-variant range.

It sounds like an overwhelming number of versions but the Outlander is split across five grades in front- or all-wheel drive, with either five or seven seats.

Check out our pricing table below for the detailed prices before on-road costs:

Traditional rivals in the 5+2 mid-size SUV category include this model's platform-mate Nissan X-Trail (from $38,025 - $59,265) and the Honda CR-V ($41,900 - $59,900), with the Hyundai Santa Fe ($53,000 - $72,500) and Kia Sorento ($50,880 - $84,660) being a price-bracket above.

The biggest issue is the Outlander is facing increased competition from models like Chery’s Tiggo 7 (as a five-seater), which can be had for as low as $29,990 drive-away! Even the most expensive version of the Tiggo 8 (seven-seater) in plug-in hybrid form costs the same as a mid-grade Outlander, at $49,990 (d/a). 

Options like this put the choice back in your hands. You can choose a brand with the heritage and support network of Mitsubishi, or you can go with the value of a new player yet to put those runs on the board.

Although it has an almost identical visage to the previous car, there are some major upgrades hidden below the metal. Sure, there’s a tweaked equipment list, but importantly, there’s a completely revised ride and handling tune, which was developed by Mitsubishi right here in Australia using local expertise.

It’s a similar program to the successful ones undertaken by Kia and Hyundai in recent years to improve the handling of their cars, and Mitsubishi in Japan was impressed enough with the depth of the changes that most of them have been adopted to the global tune for the car.

On the topic of standard equipment, LED interior lights and the 12.3-inch digital dash have been made standard across the range, there is now seat ventilation to join the seat heating for the front two positions in the top Exceed and Exceed Tourer grades, while the upper mid-spec Aspire grade scores front seat heating and a heated steering wheel.

The 12.3-inch multimedia screen has also been upgraded, featuring a smaller bezel and more processing power for a faster response rate, as well as a tweaked software suite with a new layout. This screen also hosts wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across the range.

In addition, there’s also the introduction of the Mitsubishi Connect phone app, which features a range of safety and security features, as well as the ability to remotely control things like the ignition, climate system, navigation and locking system.

Across the range the audio system has also been upgraded to an eight-speaker Yamaha-developed system, with the top-spec Exceed Tourer grade scoring a 12-speaker Yamaha system with up to 1650W of power.

The interior now uses higher-quality materials, according to the brand, with extended upholstery across the range. The top-spec Exceed Tourer also scores a new brown interior colour.

A 360-degree parking camera is now standard across the range, and the safety suite also includes the driver monitoring system and traffic sign recognition system as also used in the Triton.

The plug-in hybrid version, which is what the Outlander is arguably most famous for, is not yet available, but Mitsubishi tells us it will arrive in a few months time, at very least before the end of 2025, and it, too, will carry an Australian-developed ride and handling tune.

The XC40 Recharge Twin Motor features two electric motors which are powered by a large 82kWh lithium-ion battery and produce a combined power output of 300kW and 670Nm of torque.

Which is downright fun because it can do a 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.8-seconds!

The petrol-powered Outlander soldiers on with a drab non-turbo, non-hybrid 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission.

The brand calls this combination “proven” and it’s hard to argue given it hasn’t cropped up with any major reliability issues in the pre-facelift car.

Still, it produces a middling 135kW/244Nm, not as punchy as many turbo options, and nowhere near as efficient as hybrid alternatives.

Those seeking a more powerful fuel-sipping option may want to wait for the PHEV version arriving later this year.

The official energy consumption figure is 19kWh/100km and I averaged 19.2kWh over a fair mix of urban and open-road driving. The energy consumption isn't bad but some rivals do sit closer to that 16.5kWh mark.

The official driving range is up to 485km for this model but I only ever saw a top range of 410km. That's not terribly surprising given I wasn't shy with the power use but there was a little bit of range anxiety on longer trips.

The XC40 Recharge Twin Motor has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can benefit from faster charging speeds. On an 11kW AC charger you can go from 0-100 per cent in eight hours but on a standard three-pin house plug socket expect that wait time to go up significantly.

On a DC fast charger expect to go from 10-80 per cent in as little as 33-minutes.

As a result of its relatively old-school sounding powertrain, fuel consumption isn’t at the forefront of the petrol-powered Outlander, with official consumption ranging between 7.5L/100km for the lightest five-seat ES 2WD version, to 8.1L/100km in the heaviest, top-spec Exceed Tourer AWD.

C02 emissions are also on the high side, which the brand will no doubt be off-setting with the new PHEV version which will offer even more emissions-free driving range than before.

One benefit of this long-serving engine, though, is it can be fed entry-level 91RON unleaded, better for the back pocket. The petrol-powered Outlander has a 55-litre fuel tank.

Like the Polestar 2 there’s no ignition button on the XC40. You shift into drive to ‘turn on’ and after you park, you simply get out to turn it off. It takes a little while to get used to but it’s a cool feature. 

The twin motors deliver a hefty kick and you never worry about not having ‘enough power’. In the city it’s zippy but on the open-road you also feel comfortable getting up to speed or overtaking because the power distribution is so well-balanced because it’s an AWD.

I customised my steering wheel ‘feel’ to firm and it makes the handling crisp and direct. You feel like you’re in total control whenever you have to tackle be it tight streets or small car parks.

The blind-spot visibility is compromised by how wide the B and C-pillars are and I find that I'm relying a lot more on the blind-spot monitoring system to compensate.

The XC40 loses a few points for me in terms of ride comfort. As mentioned, the seats aren't terribly comfortable but the suspension is hard enough that you notice every bump, as well.

Road noise is also quite pronounced and it doesn’t sound refined when you drive at higher speeds, which is a shame. The flip-side, though, is that you don’t notice those things as much on short, urban trips.

The standard regen braking isn’t customisable and you don’t notice it until you switch over to a 'one-pedal' function. I found this function uncomfortable to use as it’s very aggressive and creates a jerky driving experience. 

Because of its 4440mm length and tiny 11m turning circle, you won’t struggle in a car park! The 360-degree view camera system and front and rear parking sensors make it easy to navigate a tight spot.

This is a joy to park. It’s so easy.

The Australian team had a significant amount of input on the driving dynamics of this new Outlander, but does it make a big difference behind the wheel?

We were granted the chance to drive the old one alongside the new version to find out, and the changes are significant.

Overall, the character of the car hasn’t been fundamentally altered. This is still a somewhat plush and soft-around-the-edges family SUV, but redeveloped new suspension parts and even very minor, nerdy modifications like the thickness of sway bars have added up to a much more pleasant vehicle to spend an extended amount of time in.

The first thing you’ll notice is the retuned steering. Mitsubishi’s engineers tell us the tweaked feedback was all down to the software in the rack, and it’s a big difference, upping the firmness of the steering at low speeds, keeping the vehicle on track with more confidence while heading straight, and also removing a slight twitchiness with sudden adjustments.

Next is the cabin ambiance. The new Outlander is a relatively quiet place to be thanks to the extra insulation throughout. It combines with the new steering to give the car much more of a sense of heft than before. The engine is reduced to a distant thrum, and the road is damped away for the most part. Mitsubishi says the 20-inch wheels are a particular hit with buyers, which to me is a shame because I’m willing to bet it’s particularly comfy on the lower-grade tyres.

Elsewhere, the Outlander has a softer initial response to bumps thanks to retuned shocks, and the reduced width of the front sway bar makes for less ‘head toss’ for front seat occupants.

Does it make a significant difference? Yes. The new Outlander is all-round better balanced and better suited to our road conditions. It might not have the sophistication of more expensive options, and it still might be a tad off what the also balanced-and-comfortable RAV4 offers, although it will be interesting to get one back to see how it compares to rivals in a like-for-like test.

Just expect a much more comfort-oriented option than some rivals. These changes don’t make the Outlander as fun to drive as a Mazda CX-5 or a Skoda Kodiaq. For example, while the 2.5-litre engine and CVT combo provides a surprisingly urgent initial response, it's a dull, rubbery power application from there on.

The Outlander has a robust array of active safety kit, with all the key gear like autonomous emergency braking, lane support, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert available across the range. Traffic sign recognition and driver attention monitoring is now available from the new Triton, however it is also worth noting some relatively minor items are only available on higher grades.

The ES and LS grades miss out on adaptive high beams, traffic jam assist and steering assist (although they maintain lane departure warning and lane-keep assist).

Mitsubishi is hoping the updated Outlander will qualify for a continued five-star ANCAP safety rating held by the pre-facelift model.

During our drive we also found the lane-keep and driver attention software (which was much-derided at the launch of the Triton) was reasonably well behaved, with the brand saying it had had significant software tweaks over time to make it less invasive. We’ll need to save our final verdict on this system for when we spend an extended time behind the wheel.

The ongoing costs are pretty solid with the XC40 coming with a usual five-year/ unlimited warranty term but the drive battery is covered for eight years/160,000km.

You can pre-purchase a five-year/150,000km servicing program for a flat $3000 or an average of $600 per service, which is a bit expensive for the class. Servicing intervals are great at every two-years or 30,000km, whichever occurs first.

You get complimentary roadside assistance for five-years through Assist Australia and if you meet certain criteria, you can extend that by a further three years, which is handy.

Mitsubishi continues to offer its near-industry-leading 10-year/200,000km warranty, conditional on the car being serviced at a Mitsubishi dealer. Otherwise, it reverts to a five-year/100,000km promise.

The 10 years of warranty is joined by 10 years of capped-price servicing required at 12 month or 15,000km intervals.

Prices are tame, varying between $320 and $680 per visit, for a total yearly average of $434. It’s not the cheapest yearly average out there, but most brands also don’t have capped price servicing extended this far, so it seems like a good deal regardless.