Outlander PHEV powers up
Putting a larger petrol engine into a plugin hybrid vehicle might seem like taking one step forward and two steps back. But Mitsubishi says it’s all part of a master plan to give the Outlander PHEV ‘‘performance levels that discerning SUV fans demand’’.
There’s not much in it on paper. The new ‘‘high expansion’’ Atkinson Cycle
2.4-litre petrol engine brings modest gains over the previous 2.0-litre, with power and torque up from 88kW/198Nm to 94kW/199Nm.
There’s a 15 per cent larger plug-in battery (now 13.8kWh) and uprated electric motor at the rear.
However, EV range has only increased 1km to 55km and fuel consumption has actually increased by
0.2 litres, to 1.9 litres per 100km (on the NEDC cycle, which includes a full charge).
However, in theory it’s all about improving the driving experience without affecting the Outlander PHEV’s environmental credentials.
Mitsubishi says the extra power, combined with a new Sport drive mode, improves low and mid-range acceleration, and makes the SUV more responsive on winding roads.
When Sport has been activated, the regeneration system offers maximum throttle-off deceleration, although it can still be adjusted using the steering wheelmounted paddles.
The new model has also gained a Snow mode, for low-friction winter conditions. It regulates acceleration more carefully and gives 50 per cent more travel in the acceleration pedal.
The Outlander is still one of the few plug-in hybrids to offer fast-charging capability, meaning it can be plugged into public DC stations and topped up to
80 per cent in around 25 minutes. Normal overnight AC charging on a household plug is about seven hours.
All models have an 8-inch touch screen with extra EV-operation information. The vehicle also now allows power accessories to be used while it’s charging, including air conditioning, audio and USB ports.
The EV range indicator can now be manually reset by the driver, meaning it will give an estimated electric range without taking driving history into account.
The Outlander PHEV was New Zealand’s top-selling EV last year. It’s been pushed into second place year-todate by Tesla’s bulk delivery of the Model
3 in September, but has a good chance of achieving top billing for 2019 with the launch of this new model.