Is 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV EV the Best Car on the Road

We took the 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV EV “up the cottages”, and 2 things reared an immediate, and rather surprising head: The SUV ticked everyone’s boxes, and that it under-promised and over-delivered.

Outlander PHEV EV is like driving the Clark Kent of automobiles, mild mannered looks, with something super underneath. In this case, the unassuming exterior is a boxy twin-crate affair, adorned with an aggressive shield front end, LED lights, and just enough chrome to be tasteful without being gaudy. Apart from a sunroof and other minor window dressing, there is little to tell punters which model is which. Our Aspire is the second to bottom model that looks exactly like the top model sans sunroof.

The looks have touches of the manly and the feminine, not an easy thing to achieve without causing obvious demarcation disputes.

I’ll attach a copy of the specifications so we don’t have to laboriously list them here, leaving us to get on with the touchy-feely stuff.

Get the brochure HERE:23MY Outlander Brochure

The best bits:

Mitsubishi took the best bits of Nissans Leaf, and X-Trail’s e-force e-Power, then mixed a bit of Toyota’s Rav4 Hybrid and Kia’s Sorento Plug-in hybrid, et voila: a plug-in range extender hybrid that is at all times an EV with the range of a Petrol car.

The 20kw battery can run either the front and/or rear electric motors, and can power 2×240 volt plugs, even when the car is turned off, and can power your home or send electricity back to the grid. The latter needs special hugs from local authorities and power companies, and despite the previous Australian Capital Territory test bed, South Australia Is the only place that currently allows VTG, dagnabbit!

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The Cabin:

There is a tasty list of techy goodness, even in lower models.

The 12.3” driver display has a Head-Up-Display to go with it, and a 9” display in the centre console. It is all configurable so the driver can fettle themselves into a frenzy, giving the Goldilocks amount of data without overwhelming all and sundry.

If you want to know where your power is flowing, leave the Power graphic on display. It will keep even the fussiest onlooker completely mesmerised.

Our Aspire 5-seater had a nice balance of space divided between people and gear. There are 7 seat options if you fancy carrying freeloaders around, but, just why?

The is enough power for everyone. A USB and USB C on both the front and back consoles, and a 12V outlet on the rear console and rear cargo hold, will keep every device powered and content.

The upper models have leather trim, but the lower 2 models have “combination trim.” Can we assume the leather was made in a vat?

Most of the instrumentation makes sense, but the one-pedal-driving button (beside the EV button) has a weird looking symbol on it.

The Drive:

What a joy Outlander PHEV EV is. This will be the hardest part to explain, so here goes:

The AWD Outlander PHEV EV is an EV that can plug in like any other AWD EV. The smallish 20kWh battery can also be charged from the petrol engine, and at highway speed, the petrol engine can also help power the front wheels. I know that sounds confusing, but there’s more. In South Australia, the only jurisdiction that allows it, the Outlander PHEV EV acts as a mobile home battery and when plugged in, can power the home or send power to the grid.

Let’s put the VTG stuff aside for a second, and get back to our drive.

We 4 boys met Max at the cottages, cradled in the bosom of the Hunter Valley. The AWD system uses 2 electric motors, 85kw at the front and 100kw in the back. The 2.4 petrol engine cuts in when it feels like it, and at highway speed also powers the front wheels via the transaxle. Otherwise, the Outlander PHEV EV is an EV or hybrid, depending on whether or not it has been plugged in to charge fully.

One of the EV modes allows the petrol engine to fully charge the battery, and you can choose to save an already full battery should you need to. That’s handy when going camping or entering an ultra low emissions zone.

There is no gearbox, only the transaxle reduction gear to convert high motor revs to lowers wheel revs.

Ride is firm, and the drive modes have a programme for every occasion. Steering is quite light, and brakes have enough feeling for my tastes. There is a touch of tyre noise on terrible tarmac, otherwise the atmosphere is reasonably restful. You never really feel like you’re overdoing things, and the ADAS features keep things tidy. Full auto steering is in the top models only.

At the Vineyard:

For laughs, we powered an evening campfire/sing-along from the Outlander PHEV EV, with the Karaoke machine plugged into the Mitsi.

Luke and Travis set up a tent, with a lead powering their campsite after the singing finally finished. Max, Casper and I had cottages because we aren’t savages, but the scene looked like a set from a bucolic version of Tales of the City.

Picture it; a Hunter vineyard, 5 small charismatic cosy country cottages surround a small green when a tent and fire sit, lit only by embers and toasting marshmallows. The temperature is near ZERO c, and there is laughing, wine, and a grill where steaks, chops, bacon sizzle alongside jacket potatoes in foil.

Luke’s lab fumbles from lap to lap in search of attention, and a couple of the vineyard workers wander by, waved in by Casper who is doing a decent interpretation of a demented windmill. They’re extremely cute, and Casper is a young, posh, gay, version of Barbara Cartland

We turned in late, but not before each of us had given a verdict:

Casper:

The Outlander PHEV EV looks are not quite my style, but I like the cabin very much. The drive is completely neutral, neither sporty nor tough. Anyone can get into it and feel at home.

I like the 2.4L/100k (our figure) consumption, and think I could get it lower by plugging it in every night at home. I only do 20km a day, well within the EV-only range.

Max:

I didn’t do the drive up to the estate, but I did runs around town, and loved the Outlander PHEV EV. Sure, we got really bad singing out of it, but that wasn’t its fault.

We could probably run it 100% electric, but it is nice to know I can go as far as the petrol engine will take me. I don’t have to stop for hours to charge, and I can do anything I want. Outlander PHEV EV makes you feel surprisingly smug.

Luke:

Outlander PHEV EV has room for sports gear. The cabin isn’t too precious to be used that way it was designed, and you can wipe it down if it gets grubby. Look, I like fast V8s. I love the sound, and the smell, but I also love technology, and the writing is on the wall, oil is a dirty word.

Travis:

I drive a RAM for work, so the Outlander PHEV EV feels tame. I like the clever electronics underneath, and that it feels like an EV to drive. I have nothing bad to say, and that’s unusual for anything that doesn’t have a V8.

Conclusion:

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV EV ticked the boxes without anything feeling like a compromise. The range pricing is fairly tight, and an official fuel figure of 1.5L/100k is remarkable. It won’t suit those wanting to ditch petrol completely, but will please everyone else.

The warranty has terms and conditions, and although runs to 10 years, only does so if you service at a Mitsubishi dealer.

As far as an all-rounder goes, Outlander PHEV EV is arguably the best SUV for 2023. Why? No other SUV can do everything that the Outlander PHEV EV does. It is unique.

23MY Outlander PHEV Range

Engine, Fuel and Emissions

2.4-litre petrol plus

two electric motors

185kW/450Nm combined output

1.5L/100km

35g/km Co2

Transmission

Single-speed transaxle

Price (not including onroads)

ES $55,490

ASPIRE $61,990