Updated company car favourite: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 2019 review

• P11D Value: £39,445
• BIK band 2018/19: 13%
• 5 door compact SUV
• 135bhp/211Nm, 2.4 litre MIVEC Atkinson cycle petrol engine with 13.8kWh capacity lithium ion battery
• Performance: 10.5secs/106mph
• CO2 emissions/economy: 46 g/km (WLTP) / 40.3 g/km (NEDC)
• Economy: 52.1mpg (no battery engine only) / 159.5mpg (Weighted Combined MPG including battery EV running)

What is it?

THE number one car choice for PHEVs is the Mitsubishi Outlander. When no one else had anything similar, Mitsubishi introduced the Outlander PHEV in 2014.

It offered company car drivers the benefit of low CO2 emissions for reduced benefit in kind company car tax, and the chance to switch between battery mode and hybrid mode.

So what do you do with the best-selling PHEV? Treat any update with care, that’s what. Which is exactly what Mitsubishi has done with the 2019 model year Mitsubishi Outlander.

The front end has been given a minor refresh to keep it contemporary, the front and rear light visuals have been tweaked and there are re-designed 18 inch alloys.

More importantly there’s a new engine which switches between Otto cycle to Atkinson cycle (a really economical engine cycle) automatically to provide the best possible mpg and lowest emissions. The battery itself has more output and now offers a total of 28 miles in full EV mode.

For most morning commutes, then, you should be able to do it in full zero emission mode.

So what’s it like to drive? We’ve been in the 4h model to review the new Outlander PHEV experience.

Why would you want to drive a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 2019?

• Well it’s beautifully quiet and refined. The miles glide by effortlessly
• And while you are enjoying those miles disappear, you can appreciate the nicely appointed interior…
• …as the suspension copes well with the demands of lumpy street furniture
• We saw over 55mpg on mixed driving – but don’t forget you can drive up to 28 miles in EV mode only. So if your daily commute is say 10 miles, it will cost you nothing but the
• The key thing for business motorists, though, is the benefit in kind appeal of the Outlander PHEV. This remains. The Outlander company car tax band for 2018/19 is 13%, rising to 16% in the 2019/20 tax year before dropping down to 12% in 20/21
• So company car tax starts from just £86 a month – not bad for a near £40k car

What might put you off a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 2019?

• Acceleration – not much happens initially – those 0-60mph figures are relaxed shall we say
• The steering is overlight – the Sport mode weightens this up a bit and there’s more edge to the acceleration. But it’s not a great experience. Better to play to the Outlander’s strengths of waffability
• Some boot space compromised by battery
• Some of the controls look dated inside the interior

Verdict on the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 2019

The changes Mitsubishi has made to the Outlander PHEV make for worthwhile improvements – certainly enough to keep the car current.

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It still retains all those positive advantages for company car drivers over benefit in kind tax and just as importantly offers real-world commutes in zero emission mode capability.

Plus there are three drive modes that offer electric four-wheel drive ability all the time, so in wet weather or snow, your business motoring will not be compromised by your car.

If you want  company car to get your between meetings efficiently and with as little BIK charge as possible, then the Outlander PHEV has it nailed.

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What else do you need to know about the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV?

The model we drove was the 4h mid-range model. Executive specification includes:

• Heated windscreen
• Heated front seats
• Electric Pre-Heater with air con function
• Remote Smartphone App compatibility
• Smartphone Link Display Audio with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Electronic parking brake with brake auto hold
• EV priority mode
• Reverse Camera
• Cruise Control with speed limiter
• Dual-Zone Climate Control
• Front and Rear Fog Lamps
• Keyless operation system with start/stop button
• 60° camera
• Leather seats with 8-way electric adjusted front driver’s seat
• LED Front Fog Lamps
• Blind Spot Warning
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Power Tailgate
• Heated Steering Wheel
• LED headlamps with auto levelling

There are also three new drive modes on Outlander PHEV 2019: all offering permanent electric 4WD:

EV Priority Mode

• Car powered by the front & rear motors
• Energy sourced from the battery

Series Hybrid Mode

• Car still powered by the front & rear motors
• Engine engaged to run the generator to charge the battery while driving
• Mode automatically activated for sudden acceleration, driving uphill or when the state of battery charge is too low (3-10 mins)
• System switches back to EV Priority mode as much as possible

Parallel Hybrid Mode

• Engine powers front wheels (via Multimode front transaxle)
• Front electric motor assists engine, rear motor drives rear wheels
• Mode automatically activated at high speed
• System switches to Series Hybrid/ EV Priority mode as much as possible
• Surplus engine torque used to charge generator

 

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