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3.9

DRIVING score

WHILE the Outlander’s chassis is far from perfect, the extra focus Mitsubishi has placed on comfort as part of this update seems to have worked to a degree.

It’s the lightest car on test at 1,610kg, but there’s enough mass that the damping is acceptably fluid on smoother roads and motorways. Coupled with the relatively hushed diesel engine, the Outlander is quiet enough. However, bumpy surfaces highlight the deficiencies of the chassis, and there’s still a lack of stability – particularly from the rear through bends. Bumps send a thump through the back axle and some kickback through the steering.

Rev the engine and refinement also takes a hit as the unit gets noisier. Part of the problem is the six-speed automatic box; it’s slow to respond and gearchanges are sluggish. There’s not much point using the steering wheel shift paddles as a result.

The reluctant transmission also hampers performance. Although the Outlander’s 148bhp 2. 2-litre turbodiesel trails its competitors, the 360Nm of torque is made very low down from just 1,500rpm, and the near-400kg weight saving over the Hyundai means that there’s adequate pace on offer. However, in the sprint from

OWNERSHIP score

OUR Driver Power survey ranks overall customer satisfaction and how well a brand’s dealers performed. Unfortunately for Mitsubishi, the results don’t make good reading. In the makers’ chart it finished one place from bottom overall in 31st, while its dealers ranked 30th out of 31 networks.

The Outlander’s architecture hasn’t changed fundamentally, so this car carries over the same five-star Euro NCAP rating that was awarded back in 2012. It features blind spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert. Plus, it’s the only vehicle here to come with autonomous emergency braking.