Jonathan Gitlin
What to make of Mitsubishi, now we’re nearly 1 / 4 of the best way into this century? For fans of a sure age, the model is synonymous with rallying and fire-breathing all-wheel drive sedans with extraordinarily brief service intervals. To my previous driving teacher, Mitsubishi was the Mercedes of Japan. And a Mitsubishi was even the primary electrical automobile I reviewed for Ars, approach again in 2012.
Today it feels very very like the third model on the Nissan-Renault alliance. The rallying heyday is gone, and its lineup right here within the USA is down to only three SUVs and the sub-$20,000 Mirage, all centered on worth for cash fairly than all-out luxurious. Mitsubishi did not comply with up the electrical i-MiEV with one other battery EV, nevertheless it does make a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the Outlander SUV.
The Outlander is comparatively reasonably priced by at present’s requirements, beginning at $40,345, and per week with a mannequin yr 2024 instance discovered it to be a strong PHEV with a large enough battery to make most of 1’s every day motoring emission-free.
Jonathan Gitlin
Going by sentiments from our viewers, it is doable to really feel that the PHEV has nearly been deserted in favor of extra on-trend battery EVs. And knowledge from Shopper Studies is not significantly complimentary about PHEV reliability, though the identical publication did discover PHEVs (and BEVs) are cheaper to take care of than a automobile that simply burns gasoline.
Ars truly examined the brand new Outlander PHEV—albeit briefly—simply over a yr in the past. However a first-drive occasion held by an automaker is stage-managed in a approach that simply spending per week with a automobile is not, and I figured since I fairly preferred the final mannequin, it would not be a wasted week.
They are saying it’s a compact
Mitsubishi classifies the Outlander PHEV as a compact SUV. One can quibble about whether or not an SUV that is 185.4 inches (4,709 mm) lengthy and 75 inches (1,905 mm) broad actually is compact, however that begins to get into philosophical debates about technical definitions versus the generally accepted which means of phrases. The Outlander PHEV’s 106.5-inch (2,705 mm) wheelbase is sufficiently lengthy to permit for a 3rd row of seats within the again although, so it’s going to seat seven people, so long as the 2 within the again are fairly brief.
