Mitsubishi charges up with Outlander PHEV ES
BY ROBBIE WALLIS | 5th Sep 2018
MITSUBISHI Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) has created a new entry point to its plug-in hybrid Outlander medium SUV range, with the new ES variant lowering the price of Australia’s most affordable plug-in hybrid to $45,990 plus on-roads.
The Japanese car-maker has reshuffled the range, with the previous entry-level variant – the $50,490 LS – deleted from the line-up, while the top-spec Exceed has come down by $1500 to $53,990.
Speaking to GoAuto at the launch of the new ES variant, MMAL president and CEO John Signoriello said the addition of a more affordable Outlander PHEV will make it more appealing to fleet customers.
“I think for a plug-in hybrid it definitely does (become more appealing to fleet customers), because you’re bringing that technology into a price range that becomes a bit more affordable,” he said.
“But even from a private buyer’s perspective, it gets on the shopping list if you’re considering a high-end diesel, you don’t have much of premium to get to a plug-in hybrid-type setup.”
Since launching in Australia in 2014, Mitsubishi has sold approximately 2100 units of the Outlander PHEV, with an overwhelming 90 per cent of those sales going to fleet and business buyers.
Along with the introduction of the new variant, the Outlander PHEV range has undergone some changes to bring it in line with the rest of the Outlander range that was updated last month.
Both variants have refreshed styling with an updated grille and front bumper design, tweaked rear bumper and new-look 18-inch alloy wheels.
Other range-wide updates include one-touch power windows from the driver’s door with illuminated switches, improved seat cushion design, soft leather-look centre console lid and rear air-conditioning outlets.
Steering has been reconfigured for sharper response, while larger front struts and rear shock absorbers enhance ride comfort and body control.
Standard kit on the new ES includes seats upholstered in new leatherette and microsuede trim, silver pinstripe detailing on the dash and door trim, 7.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, DAB+ digital radio, rearview camera and rear parking sensors, seven airbags, dusk-sensing headlights, rain-sensing wipers, LED daytime running lights, push-button start, dual-zone climate control and a 12V port in the luggage compartment.
An Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) pack can be optioned on the ES for an additional $1500, which adds forward collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, auto high beam and an electrochromatic mirror.
Changes to the top-spec Exceed include the addition of high-beam LED headlights, high-grade leather seats, carbon-fibre design and silver pinstripe dash and door trim, black headliner and a change to the LED foglight bezels.
The updated Outlander PHEV was revealed ahead of the Geneva motor show earlier this year, but as GoAuto reported, the Australian-market version misses out on some of the updates.
While European and Japanese-spec cars gain a new 2.4-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine with more torque, and an increase in output for the rear electric motor, the local version continues with the existing powertrain.
Both variants employ a powertrain that teams an 87kW/186Nm 2.0-litre petrol engine to electric motors on the front and rear axle that output 60kW each, giving the Outlander all-wheel drive and three driving modes including a pure EV mode.
Sales of the overall Outlander range have remained steady in 2018, down just 0.1 per cent to 10,906 units at the end of August.
It sits sixth in the medium SUV segment behind the Mazda CX-5 (18,679), Toyota RAV4 (15,307), Nissan X-Trail (14,037), Hyundai Tucson (13,768) and Honda CR-V (11,247).
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV pricing*
| ES (a) | $45,990 |
| ES w/ ADAS (a) | $47,490 |
| Exceed (a) | $53,990 |
*Excludes on-road costs
