Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: Aha, an SUV with ooh-moments

They have been waiting a long time for this at Mitsubishi Europe: four years after it was dropped without replacement and an interim revival of the Japanese brand in Europe, the new Outlander is now in the starting blocks. After the ASX and Colt, which were taken over virtually one-to-one by alliance partner Renault as Captur and Clio clones, the SUV will be the first independent model to give the brand a higher profile again from March next year. At the premiere of the new flagship, there were some aha moments, but also some ooh moments.

For one thing, the new Outlander PHEV is not as new as it seems. The plug-in hybrid SUV has been on sale in Japan and the USA since the end of 2021. It has now been given a slight visual and technical overhaul for the European relaunch. On the other hand, the Japanese have once again relied on Alliance technology. This time not from Renault, but from Nissan, with the Outlander using the X-Trail platform. For Mitsubishi and its European CEO Frank Krol, the fourth generation is nevertheless a "real game changer", which embodies "the next stage of the company's product offensive" with more electric range, improved quality and a wider range of assistance and comfort systems. (aum)