- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr
New Mitsubishi Outlander. Now also PHEV
Following the gasoline model that debuted earlier this year in the USA, the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid was revealed in Japan. The last third generation hybrid model was very popular. Thus, almost 300 thousand vehicles were produced from 2013 to 2020. So the appearance of the new Outlander PHEV is a big event. Sales of the plug-in hybrid will begin first in Japan, and during 2022 the vehicle will be supplied to the rest of the countries.
The powertrain was modernized, but the units themselves are the same as those of the predecessor after the restyling of 2018. The 2.4-liter 4B12 naturally-aspirated engine now produces 133 hp and 195 Nm, whereas the front electric motor produces 115 hp and 255 Nm, and the rear one offers 136 hp and 195 Nm. These indicators are higher than those offered by the third generation vehicle. As for the battery, its capacity reaches 20 kWh, and the driving range is from 83 to 87 km according to the WLTC cycle. The average fuel consumption of the new model is only 6.0–6.17 l/100 km, depending on the configuration.
Israeli buyers can purchase the third generation Mitsubishi Outlander after restyling in 2018, and the fourth generation, released in 2021, has not yet reached us. But we have a hybrid Outlander. The hybrid system consists of a 2.4 liter gasoline engine (128 hp at 4,500 rpm) and two electric motors, including the front one that generates 60 kW and the rear one offering 70 kW. The vehicle consumes 6.5 liters in the city or 6 liters outside the city.
The new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has become ‘smarter’. The S-AWC (Super-All Wheel Control) vehicle dynamics control system has acquired Active Yaw Control (AYC), an old corporate technology used in sports cars back in the 1990s. It selectively brakes slightly one of the rear wheels.
Due to the new position of the rear electric motor control unit, there is enough space for the third-row seats. A seven-seater version is provided for a hybrid car. But the list of innovations is not complete. Now you can drive ‘on one pedal’ by accelerating and braking smoothly (for energy recovery) without pressing the brake. The Mi-Pilot driver assistant has become more useful: now, based on navigation data, it adjusts the speed when approaching road interchanges.
