Mitsubishi’s Outlander stars by what it doesn’t do
Every now and then, a car comes along that completely stumps us for what it is. Sadly, that doesn’t happen very often, but that certainly transpired when we spent a week with Mitsubishi’s understated and quite humble new Outlander flagship.
It turns out that we’ve been inundated with three-quarter million rand SUVs of late. A crucial market niche, there’s good reason why every man and his dog is chasing a slither of that pie. These things sell. So it’s vital to play here. That said, some cars that stand up as Outlander rivals impressed. We thought some others were just crap.
Take a look for yourself – if you have seven hundred grand or so to drop on a SUV there’s something of quite literally every shape and size to choose from. From the Alfa Romeo Tonale and the VW T-Roc, to Kia’s Sportage and the Nissan Qashqai and the Toyota Fortuner or Isuzu mu-X, and a hell of a lot more. There are so many cars like this out there.
Outlander does everything just right
We’ve driven them all. We keep close tabs on the good, the bad and the ugly between them. And there’s seldom a car that really stands out among them. But stand out, the new Mitsubishi Outlander certainly did. And then some. Surprisingly however, nothing in particular stands this car head and shoulders above the rest. It is more a case of it doing everything it does, just right. Let’s check it out…
Mitsubishi boasts that this new Outlander brings new benchmark poise and comfort thanks to a combination of modern interior and exterior design. Add best all-wheel drive tech and convenient seating for seven. Mitsubishi goes on to tell us that this is the most thoughtfully engineered car it has ever developed.
Bigger, bolder, and based on an all-new high-tech platform featuring a stiffer ultra-high tensile strength steel reinforced RISE body shell, Outlander also gets latest generation four-wheel drive and quality improvements across the board. And it has more than ample safety, from seven airbags to all the essential electronic tech and driver aids.
A spacious, versatile, and premium cabin
This latest take on the Tri-Star brand’s authentic and majestic ‘Fu-Do-Do’ design language heralded by a fresh Dynamic Shield grille. It’s flanked by dusk Sensing full LED headlights with sequential turn signals and front fog lamps. Smart 20-inch alloys complement enough all-terrain aggression, without stealing too much city style.
Outlander’s keyless entry and button start cabin takes maximum advantage of plentiful available space. The soft-touch premium-quilted black leather clad space packs heated leather seats with memory eight-way power and lumbar support for the driver. Our flagship Aspire version comes with a power panoramic sunroof.
Outlander’s fully adjustable paddle shifter multifunction steering is one of several ways to run its 12.3-inch Digital Driver and 9-inch Smartphone and Audio displays. Packing CarPlay and Auto mirroring, six-speaker sound and three-zone automatic climate control navigation, there’s also a rear-view camera complimented by front and rear park distance control.
Outlander brings new engine, drivetrain too
Versatility comes courtesy of one-touch flat-folding 60/40 split rear seats in a large boot boasting pop-up third row seats and an automatic tailgate.
Mitsubishi’s latest generation, more powerful, torquier, yet still frugal 135 kW 245 Nm 2.5-litre Dual VVT DOHC four-pot turns an eight-step CVT transmission and that latest tech all-wheel drive. That’s complemented by Eco, Normal, Tarmac, Gravel, Snow and Mud drive modes. Outlander has a handy 210 mm of ground clearance.
Electronically-controlled rear-biased Super All-Wheel Control with active yaw, enhanced traction and stability control manage Outlander’s torque distribution front to rear and left to right. That’s complimented by Hill Start and Decent, Active Stability and Traction Control, ABS brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution.
Effortless to drive, quick enough too
Effortless to drive, the Mitsubishi Outlander may not be the fastest SUV that we ever drove, but that makes little difference. This car’s strengths are how it drives. It does with the aplomb of some far more expensive rivals. Perhaps not bigger rivals, however. For one thing this car really stars on, is space.
Look, you won’t be let down by its performance, which is on the quicker side of what we’d expect from its many rivals. And it’s economical enough too, at 8,1 litres per 100km. Not bad for a petrol. But diesel rivals do better.
In the end however, it’s not really what this car does right that matters. It’s more how little it does wrong. Super spacious, comfortable, and quick enough, most importantly, this car is a pleasure to drive. Its basic interface does the job. Very well, where so many rivals cock it up by simply trying to be too clever.
And that’s what so impressed us about the new Mitsubishi Outlander. It isn’t really exceptional in any one respect. It simply does so little wrong. And that, in this day and age, is a shockingly rare car quality. – Michele Lupini
Images & testing: Giordano Lupini
ROAD TESTED: Mitsubishi Outlander 2.5 Aspire Engine: 138 kW 245 Nm 2.5-litre petrol I4 Drive: CVT AWD TESTED: 0-60 km/h: 4.57 sec 0-100 km/h: 9.92 sec 0-120 km/h: 13.79 sec 400m: 17.1 sec @ 134 km/h 80-120 km/h: 6.84 sec CLAIMED: VMax: 187 km/h Fuel: 8.1 l/100 km CO2: 185 g/km Range: 675 km Braked Trailer: 1,600 kg Warranty/Service: 3y 100K/5y 90K km LIST PRICE: R760K RATED: 9
