What’s hot?
- The entry-level GX3h costs the same to buy, £28,249, as the equivalent diesel Outlander, once the Government’s £5000 plug-in car grant is included. GX4h and 4s versions are £1000 more than the diesel equivalents but Mitsubishi says they have extra equipment.
The car is adept at shifting power between the petrol engine and the 2 electric motors to ensure maximum advantage. The screen tells you what it’s up to - Thanks to the petrol-electric powertrain the company car tax rate is a mere 5 per cent – a 40 per cent taxpayer will only need to pay £56 a month.
- CO2 emissions of 44g/km mean no VED, and the Outlander PHEV is one of the now very few cars exempt from London’s Congestion Charge.
- Business car managers will like the Outlander too – it has a 100 per cent write-down allowance in the first year.
- The official mpg figure is 148mpg. Anyone using the Outlander for the average UK daily commute of 25 miles and charging it overnight will achieve much higher figures – if you choose to neglect the fuel used to generate the electricity used to charge the batteries.
- A full charge overnight can cost less than £2 depending on local electricity supplier rates.
- With the powertrain including a petrol engine, there is no range anxiety that particularly puts off business car users buyers. Mitsubishi quotes a full cruising range of up to 512 miles.
- The latest Outlander, launched last year, was designed from the start to accommodate the PHEV powertrain. So there are no compromises – the battery is mounted under the floor, instead of taking up boot space. So just about everything is the same as a stock Outlander.
- The extensive spec includes a clever smartphone app that allows drivers to control the car’s charging schedule from their mobile, and even turn on the heating or aircon remotely before getting in the car.
What’s not?
- If your daily grind consists of mile after mile of motorway trawling, the Outlander PHEV is not for you. After 106 miles its mpg figure drops below that of a diesel version, eventually to around 35mpg.
- The quoted 32.5-mile pure electric range is low compared with some PHEV rivals, though admittedly not in a full-house SUV.
- The Outlander PHEV is significantly heavier than the diesel, adding an extra 200kg.
- The towing ability takes a hit – 1500kg is 500kg less than the diesel.
- The interior is unremarkable, and will not impress buyers being coaxed out of their premium company cars.
- Centre console display is pretty but not very user-friendly.
