National Post (National Edition)
Upscale SUV fits in with outdoor crowd
It takes no more than a casual glance to realize that outdoor tourism is a huge draw in Bend, Ore. Trundling through the downtown core of this picturesque city in the central part of the state, it’s hard not to notice the countless Subarus and copious sportutes — many bearing the accoutrement related to various recreational activities such as skiing, biking, camping, fishing and rock climbing. Within this setting, it’s easy to picture Mitsubishi’s totally refreshed Outlander compact SUV fitting right in, rather than the less glamorous reality of doing duty as an suburban mall assault vehicle — the lot of so many of its competition.
Other than the carryover, optional 227-horsepower 3.0-litre V6 engine, the third-generation 2014 Outlander is completely new. It sports a fresher, more upscale look both inside and out than its predecessor and comes with a full menu of advanced safety technologies.
Mitsubishi’s top brass realized that, as a second-tier sport-ute in the compact segment — and up against the big, popular-selling models such as Ford’s Escape, the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4 — the Outlander had to become more sophisticated than it was before. To that end, gone is the shark-mouth, Evo-inspired grille of the last version, replaced by a slim front grille with simple yet stylish chrome strips that link to the headlamps. Other elements include a raised beltline, less aggressive lines and subtly contoured fenders, all contributing to an aerodynamically slick vehicle (0.33 coefficient of drag, 7% less than the 2013 model). The Outlander has also been put on a diet, dropping approximately 100 kilograms of weight.
Under the hood, the standard 2.4litre four-cylinder gains a new continuously variable valve lift system. This, Mitsubishi says, allows the engine to use a simpler single overhead camshaft design rather a DOHC setup, improving fuel economy in the process. Mated to a continuously variable transmission, the 166-hp four-cylinder was quite acceptable. Taking a base ES front-drive model for a spin on lightly travelled backroads and secondary highways of the high desert region, it was up to the task, with suitably quiet operation and decent verve under acceleration. Even the CVT operated with less fuss and bother than most others of its ilk, though a heavy right foot still caused it to generate more noise than ideal.
The most pleasant aspect of driving the five-passenger ES model was the feel and weight of the electric steering — firm without feeling artificially heavy, assisting rather than hindering in setting up the sport-ute in the twisty bits.
Switching over to a topline, V6powered, seven-seat GT version showcased, among other things, the latest version of Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) — Mitsubishi’s advanced all-wheel-drive system. S-AWC utilizes an active front differential that splits torque either left or right, providing power to the wheels with the most traction for superior cornering, improved stability and enhanced road-holding performance. Along with the less advanced AWC found on the SE and ES models, S-AWC comes with a new Eco mode. Promoting fuel efficiency, the mode operates in 2WD only unless wheel slip is detected. It is less aggressive than the 4WD Auto/Normal modes of the AWC/S-AWC systems.
On-road, the added power from the V6 naturally improves the Outlander’s performance. It is also quieter in operation, although the lack of noise intrusion into the cabin in both the pre-production ES and GT models was duly noted. (Mitsubishi claims the addition of a sub-frame and reinforcements throughout the SUV’s structure as the reason for less noise, vibration and harshness.) The added weight of the V6, however, meant a heavier feel to the GT’s steering, especially as the road went from straight as an arrow to hilly and twisty.
Off-road, though, proved to be a surprise, the GT and its S-AWC system displaying a surprising amount of grip and control on a particularly gnarly trail consisting of a lot of rock, washouts, several steep inclines and declines and several sections of sugary-like sand. It’s no Trail Rated Jeep, but the new Outlander is more than a “soft-roader,” lacking only some form of hill descent control (there is standard hill start assist) to really make the grade.
Mitsubishi has upped the safety quotient in the GT. Standard is Forward Collision Mitigation, which detects obstructions in front of the SUV and issues warnings if there is a danger of a collision; Lane Departure Warning to alert drivers if they’re drifting to another lane and Adaptive Cruise Control, which uses radar to automatically follow a vehicle at safe distances and speed. (The Lane Departure Warning proved a little too attentive on the more serpentine stretches of road and was switched off.)
The cabin of even the entry-level ES sees the benefit of higher-grade materials (padded surfaces, softtouch finish, nicer trim) as well as better ergonomics to the controls and the addition of a tilt and telescopic steering wheel. For the V6-powered SE and GT models, the third-row seats now fold flat (in a fiddly fourstep process), resulting in 335 millimetres more cargo area length. The second row seats also receive 170 mm more travel slide for additional legroom. Six-footers should be able to find some measure of comfort.
As an automaker, Mitsubishi has been in the background longer than is healthy, shedding product (Endeavour, Galant, Eclipse) over the years and, frankly, letting most of its remaining models fall behind the competition. With a renewed — and pragmatic — goal of “sustainable growth in targeted segments,” Mitsubishi, through the Outlander, is showing it’s not ready to roll over. The new SUV is now a solid contender in its segment.
The company says the new Outlander will be priced similar to the 2013 model it replaces. The 2014 edition goes on sale in June. A plug-in hybrid version will be launched later next year.