Mitsubishi focusing efforts its sport ute — the Outlander
Canadians bought more vehicles in 2016 than they did in 2015, and that was up from the year before as well. But there’s a catch to it. Car sales actually went down each year, while it was a surge in SUVs, crossovers, and pickup trucks that buoyed the sales and provided those positive numbers. So it’s not surprising that Mitsubishi, already a smaller player in the market, is focusing its efforts on sport utes, and specifically, its Outlander.
It received a redesign for 2016, and now gets some tweaks for 2017. These include available blind- spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert and lane- departure assist, and the chance to add seven- passenger seating to the four-cylinder model, previously offered only on V6powered models.
The 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine makes 166 horsepower and is used in the base ES trim, which starts at $ 26,698 with front- wheel drive. I had the ES in allwheel drive, which Mitsubishi calls AWC for “allwheel control,” which starts at $28,698. A 3.0-L V6 making 224 hp comes in the SE and GT models, which top out at $37,998.
Three- row seating comes standard on the V6 models, but if you want it on a fourcylinder version, you can’t get the extra chairs by themselves. They can only be added to the ES with all- wheel drive, and as part of a $1,700 Touring Package, which also adds larger wheels, sunroof, fog lamps and satellite radio, or as on my tester, the Premium Package. At $ 4,900, its long list of items includes leather upholstery, power driver’s seat, premium stereo, heated steering wheel, and the new blind-spot monitoring system.
The V6 engine comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, while the four-cylinder uses a gearless, automatic continuously variable transmission ( CVT). I’d like to see both engines use the sixspeed. The four- cylinder in the ES isn’t the most powerful in the segment and the CVT just reinforces that. It’s noisy, and when you hit the throttle for passing power, there’s a bit of a lag.
The s uspension f eels spongy, with a fair bit of lateral movement on uneven surfaces. In comparison to tighter, more nimble competitors, such as Honda’s CR-V or Mazda’s CX- 5, the Mitsubishi feels like an older, dated model.
That said, between its allwheel drive and the winter tires it wore, my Outlander performed extremely well in heavy snow. The system has three settings, accessed by a console- mounted button, starting with an Eco mode that runs primarily in front-wheel drive, but sends power to the rear as needed. The Auto 4WD mode powers both ends, automatically transferring torque to the axle most in need of traction, while the Lock mode helps to get through deep or sticky stuff at lower speeds. It’s not meant to be a rough- andtough off-roader, but it does a great job in nasty weather.
I found the interior a bit plain and hard- plasticky for something that topped $ 33,000 in my tester, especially since it’s also prone to a lot of wind noise. But I did like the simplicity of the controls, which includes dual- zone climate control in all models, and with large buttons and readouts. A sixspeaker stereo is standard, but a smartphone link with Android Auto and Apple Car- Play is not. It’s unavailable on the base ES FWD, and has to be added as part of a package to the ES AWC or next- stepup SE AWC. It’s only included as standard on the top- line GT, along with a premium sound system.
The cargo area is cramped when the third-row seats are up, although there’s a hidden, underfloor compartment, and open cubbies on either side. Both the second and third rows fold flat for extra cargo space, but it’s a job. You have to remove and stow the third- row head restraints before you can lower those seats. For the second row, you have to fold the head restraints, flip up the seat cushions on their very flimsy brackets, and then put the seatbacks down. It’s not the end of the world, but many competitors have far simpler, one-touch systems.
For those who do keep their cars a while, Mitsubishi’s warranty is attractive. The company covers pretty much everything for five years or 100,000 km, along with ten years or 160,000 km on the powertrain.