Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi Outlander Design & Engineering

The Outlander follows a conventional SUV template. Though it could do with more visual drama, the proportions are spot-on and there are lots of neat touches that make the Mitsubishi stand out. The Outlander’s nose has appealing elements. The two-part grille, the shapely headlamps, and big silver skid plate give it impressive presence in other cars’ rearview mirrors. The LED lights at the rear are stunning and really grab your attention. The rest of the body is quite conventionally shaped except for the D-pillar which tapers inwards. The Outlander’s upright stance and huge ground clearance (215mm to the CR-V’s 185mm) make it look taller than it is.

The Outlander gets electronically-controlled real-time four-wheel drive. In addition, it has a lockable centre differential (that ensures a 50:50 power split between the front and rear axles). There’s a two-wheel-drive only mode you can opt for if you want to help fuel economy.
Built on a car platform, the Outlander is based on Mitsubishi’s GS platform, which is shared with the Lancer and Evo X.

It comes with fully independent suspension. In the front, it uses MacPherson struts, with an added brace, proof that it is a serious off-roader. At the rear the Outlander has a multi-link set up. High-tensile steel is used to keep weight down and the Outlander gets a light-weight aluminium roof as well.

Mitsubishi Outlander Interior

The Outlander’s interiors are all black with a few splashes of silver thrown in (you can order the interiors in beige though). The dials are sporty, the three-spoke steering is nice to hold, and the red-lit displays look good. However, the design itself is a bit bland and doesn’t have too much flair. The quality is pretty good with excellent fit and finish and the switches and controls feel nice and solid. But for a Rs 20 lakh-plus vehicle, the plastics don’t feel that rich and should have had a softer touch.
Climb into the Outlander’s driver’s seat and you’ll notice the dashboard is somewhat higher than that of other SUVs in this category. Forward visibility though good, could have been better. The front seats, however, are really comfortable for people with a large build. They are well bolstered and very comfy.
The rear seats aren’t as spacious though, however they do slide back to give you those vital extra few inches. The Outlander has a keyless system but misses out on dual-zone climate control. Curiously, the Outlander has heated seats, a pretty redundant feature unless you are spending winter in Ladakh. Boot space is good and the Outlander’s split tailgate is extremely useful and one of the most practical bits of the car.

Mitsubishi Outlander Performance & Economy

The Outlander comes with a twin-cam 2.4-litre engine. Mitsubishi’s MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve-timing Electronic Control) engine is an all-alloy unit and a good performer by itself but the buzzy CVT transmission doesn’t allow it to achieve its full potential. To get the best out of the Outlander, you have to leave it in ‘D’ and keep your foot mashed on the throttle. The electronics and the CVT will figure out how to get you to 100kph in the least time, which is 11.4 seconds. Still, the CR-V, despite its 7bhp disadvantage, beats it to the 100kph mark. This is because of the weird runner-band effect of the Outlander’s CVT transmission which gives you a feeling that the engine is revving without a corresponding increase in speed. There is a delay in response before the Outlander gets going. The extra 50-kilo kerb weight doesn’t help either.

The Outlander is more fun to drive in manual mode by simply tugging on those beautiful paddleshifts. Though a CVT has no fixed gear ratios, the six ‘gears’ are great to play around with. What amazed us were the lightning-quick shifts both up and down through the range. The downside is that the engine sounds thrashy when you extend it and in terms of refinement isn’t the best past 4000rpm. But for the most part, performance is more than adequate and once the CVT picks up, the Outlander surges ahead with ease. The Outlander is a pretty good highway cruiser and canters effortlessly at high speed.

In terms of fuel efficiency, the Outlander returned 7.2kpl on the highway and 9.7kpl in the city.
 

Mitsubishi Outlander Ride & Handling

Based on the current Lancer’s chassis, one can expect the Outlander to have tidy dynamics. The steering is a delight, requiring little effort yet providing loads of feel and weighting up perfectly at speed with little body roll. This makes it easy to attack corners with enthusiasm. The ride is pretty good and quite pliant at low speeds and this works well on Mumbai’s bad roads which are soaked up quite effortlessly. On the highway, the Outlander’s ride doesn’t deteriorate and gives a decent sense of security at three-digit speeds.

Seeing the Outlanders suspension and chasis, we feel that the car is meant for more on-road than off-road driving. The high ground clearance and the 4WD systems this car employs is intended to give owners comfort when the roads disintegrate during the monsoon.