Replacing an icon is never easy. Replacing an icon that was still at the height of its popularity is just that much harder. And, if the icon getting replaced just happens to have saved your company, well, you can bet that at least a few of the designers and engineers tasked with its design are buying Depends by the case-load.
I exaggerate, of course. Oh, not on the Depends thing. That’s true. The pressure of replacing a manufacturer’s most popular models really is that intense. No, my exaggeration is that the first-generation Outlander plug-in hybrid saved Mitsubishi Canada. In fact, though sales might have been somewhat moribund when the plug-in Outlander was first introduced, the company was not in need of being saved.
But it certainly did revive the Mitsu’s Canadian sales. Prior to 2003, Mitsubishi sold cheap and cheerful Mirages; just as cheerful, but not quite as cheap, RVRs; and once owned a smidgen of the hot-compact market. Known more for its 10-year warranty than technological advancement, Mitsubishi had virtually no presence in the premium segment.
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Photo by Nadine Filion
Then, along came the Outlander, the first PHEV sport-utility vehicle in the land. Sales exploded, well-monied Boomers suddenly took notice of the small Japanese automaker, and Mitsubishi became the poster child for emissions-conscious SUVs. Despite being (by far) the most expensive vehicle it had ever sold, the Outlander PHEV would quickly become the second-fastest-selling vehicle in its lineup, and overall Outlander sales (i.e. including the gas-only version) overwhelmed the rest of its fleet.
Sales of the PHEV peaked at 5,270 in 2018, almost a quarter of all the company’s sales here in the Great White Frozen North. The Outlander PHEV may not have saved Mitsubishi, but it certainly put it on the map. So, now the question is, What is the solution to an event that Mitsubishi Canada plainly admits is the “biggest new model launch in its history?”
More. A lot more. As in more lithium-ions, more horsepower, and, in a little bit of a surprise, more seats.
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Photo by David Booth
The increase in battery size is not unexpected. As the first plug-in SUV in the segment, the previous Outlander’s 13.8-kWh battery is, by today’s standards — that should be read “Toyota RAV4 Prime PHEV standards” — small. Ditto its range, which, in its previous guise, was a measly 39 kilometres, exemplary in 2018, perhaps, but behind the game in 2022.
The first of those important criteria has been increased to 20.0 kWh — thanks to an increase in the number of lithium-ion cells, from 80 to 96 — making the Outlander’s battery the largest in the compact plug-in SUV segment, just edging out the Toyota’s 18.1 kilowatt-hours. The second, more important, number is 61 kilometres. That’s the EPA’s official tally of how those 20.1 kilowatt-hours will propel the Outlander all by their lonesome.
Eagle eyes will spot that that is down a little on the RAV4 Prime’s official numbers, which, again according to the EPA, stand at 68 km. Important then, is that, unlike almost all other battery-powered vehicles — be they BEVs or PHEVs — in our testing, the Outlander exceeded its range rating quite handily, squeezing out some 68 kilometres before its 2.4-litre four-banger had to kick in to help things along.
Now, seven kilometres may not sound like much, but it is worth noting a) that it exceeded its rating by some 10 per cent; b) that it all but matches the numbers I averaged driving the aforementioned Toyota; and c) that included some high-speed driving, which generally reduces range. How the new Outlander PHEV will perform under more stringent testing remains to be seen, but in our initial tests, it seems to be rated quite conservatively.
That’s made all the more surprising by the fact the new version of the electrified SUV boasts significantly more power than the outgoing model. The front electric motor, for instance, is now rated for 114 horsepower, up from 80 hp in the first gen. The rear motor jumps even more, up some 40 hp to 134 hp. Throw in the 131-hp Atkinson-cycle 2.4L four, and there are a lot of potential horses under the hood.*
In actual fact, when all three motors are working in tandem, the 2023’s total horsepower is only up 27 hp from the 2021 model — 248 hp now, compared with 221 hp the outgoing model boasted. What gives? Why, with so much more power from the electric motors — 74 hp in all – is the total increase so paltry?
Well, first off, even though the electric motors total 248 hp when working independently, when they are working in tandem with the gas engine in Power mode, they are limited to 214 hp. Why, you ask? Well, it’s partly because the front motor is, according to Mitsubishi, “newly equipped with a booster function which increases driving force by raising the supply of voltage.” What we’re reading into that is that the front electric motor has an “over-boost” function that is only available temporarily. As well, the new front motor is rated at 188 pound-feet of torque, up from just 101 lb-ft in the original version. Combined with the 144 lb-ft the gas engine produces, that’s one heck of a lot of twist to put through the front tires.
So, it is possible that Mitsubishi — and this is purely speculation on my part — is deliberately reducing the front electric motor’s output when all three propulsion units (the two electric motors and the gas engine) are all at full throttle. Mitsubishi talks much of the balance that its “evolved” Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) imparts in the electrified Outlander’s handling, so it’s possible that, in Power mode at least, it is restricting the front electric motor’s output.
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Photo by Mitsubishi
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Photo by Mitsubishi
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Photo by Mitsubishi
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV plugged into a charging station Photo by Mitsubishi
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Photo by David Booth
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Photo by David Booth
That said, in pure EV mode, the new Outlander feels decidedly more powerful than the previous model, indicating that all of that front electric motor’s punch is being used. I can also attest that it is also capable of maintaining 135 kilometres an hour on the highway, the same top speed in electric mode as the plug-in RAV4.
And, in Power mode, when all hands are on deck, it manages a 7.9-second run to 100 kilometres an hour. That’s roughly the same as the Hyundai Tucson PHEV, but noticeably down from the RAV4 Prime’s 6.0-second dash to 100 km/h. To be fair, the Mitsubishi’s 2.4-litre inline-four is noticeably smoother and quieter than the RAV4’s 2.5L, which gets noticeably busier at full throttle.
It’s also worth noting that, along with the aforementioned Power mode — which, again, sees all three engines/motors working together — there are now a total of seven driving modes available through the new plug-in Outlander’s centre-console-mounted mode selector: Normal, Eco, Tarmac, Gravel, Snow, and Mud. That’s besides the options to choose battery modes through the EV Select button: EV Priority mode, which, just like the name implies, drives on battery alone; Battery Save mode, which maintains the current battery charge while driving; and Battery Charge mode, which actually charges the battery regardless of whether the car is driving or stationary, as long as the gas engine is working.
Needless to say, that’s a lot of decisions for the driver to make. I suspect that most will simply toggle either the Normal or Eco modes and then run the Outlander in EV Priority mode until the battery runs out. It’s good, nonetheless, to know that if you want to go all NASA in your quest to maximize lithium-ions, Mitsu has given you some tools.
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Photo by Mitsubishi
And finally, while still on the subject of the Outlander’s electric performance, Mitsubishi says that a 50-kW DC fast-charger can replenish 80 per cent of the Outlander’s 20 kilowatt-hours in 38 minutes. That’s not bad, but a Porsche Taycan can do the same thing for its 90-plus-kilowatt-hour battery in about the same timeframe. Your 240V/15A home charger, meanwhile, will charge the battery completely in about 6.5 hours.
As for evaluation of the Outlander’s everyday qualities like styling, interior quality and roominess, a short one-hour “exploratory” test drive hardly lends itself to exhaustive conclusions. However, a few details stand out. Firstly, the new Outlander is a good-looking little beast. Just like its gas-powered sibling, it manages to stand out in crowded field of sameness with an aggressive front grille; substantial, but not offensive, chrome trimmings; and a silhouette that says sport-utility vehicle, not crossover.
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Photo by David Booth
But, it’s the interior that really stands out. While the previous Outlander’s cabin was the very definition of “pedestrian,” this revised version feels nothing short of luxurious. Those looking for a reason to opt for the Mitsu over Toyota’s RAV4, look no further than the Outlander’s spacious and luxuriously-trimmed interior.
That goes doubly so for those with extended families, as the Outlander PHEV will only be available in Canada as a three-row seven-seater. Yes, legroom in the aft quarters is extremely tight, but the third row doesn’t compromise cargo space — behind the second row of seats, the new Outlander has essentially the same cargo capacity as the RAV4 — and it’s incredibly easy to stow. One can argue all one wants about how seldom the third row of seats are used in an SUV, but according to Mitsubishi, it was the second-most-popular ask from owners of the previous-gen PHEV, after more range.
As for the most important detail, pricing, Mitsubishi is still holding its cards close to the table. However, U.S. pricing of $39,845 suggests that the our base model will squeak in under the $45,000 mark that allows for Canada’s $5,000 federal subsidy. Meanwhile, a quick perusal of the structure of its grades — ES, LE, SEL, GT, and GT-P — also suggests the GT will sneak in just under the $60,000 mark, so it, too, still qualifies for the federal incentive. The GT-P version, as with the grade walk of so many other electrics and PHEV — Kia EV6 and Toyota RAV4 Prime come to mind — is officially deemed an options “package,” which means it, too, should qualify for the fed’s five grand, despite likely costing around $62,500.
The new 2023 Outlander PHEV is expected in Mitsubishi dealerships as soon as November.
*More accurately, under the floor.
Keyword: First Drive: 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV