New Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in gets bigger battery, same range

Specifications and pricing for the 2020 Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid) are now out, and as Mitsubishi’s latest incarnation of its electrified SUV it gets better tech, a larger battery (and a larger engine)…but no increase in range.

The 2020 Outlander PHEV will have a 13.8kWh battery, up from the previous 12kWh, and will be available in two trims at $46,990 for the entry-level ES and $55,990 for the top-of-the-range Exceed, before on road costs.

For an additional $1,000, lane departure control, adaptive cruise control can be added to the ES model.

While the 54km pure electric driving range of the Outlander PHEV won’t be increased, the larger battery does mean greater power output and torque from the rear motor (up to 70kW and 195Nm from 2019’s 60kW and 137Nm) for what the company says will be a more dynamic driving experience.

Front motor output and torque remains the same, while the 2.4 litre engine delivers 87kW power at 4,500rpm and 199Nm torque up from 2019’s 87kW and 186Nm torque.

Charging of the 13.8kWh battery can be done in 7 hours on a standard 240V wall socket, while out and about the EV battery can be recharged to 80% using a CHADeMO connection in 25 minutes.

Senior manager of product strategy for Mitsubishi Australia Owen Thomson says the changes are in response to customer feedback.

“Since its introduction, the Outlander PHEV has retained its DNA as the first PHEV to market, but it has improved a number of safety and technical features, as well as a number of efficiency and performance measures, all in response to customer feedback,” said Thomson in a statement.

“It doesn’t hold owners back, or ask them to buy a second family car; it enhances the overall driving experience and improves their fuel expenditure, without them having to worry about driving range.”

In addition to the upgraded hybrid driveline, three drive modes (EV priority, series hybrid with engine charging the battery, and parallel hybrid where the engine works together with the front motor and the rear motor drives the rear axle) are joined by Snow and Sport driving mode on all variants.

Exceed models will draw on the integration of a TomTom navigation to display speed limits and will also feature an 8-speaker proprietary surround system.

Both variants get an interior upgrade, including a new 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and 2 USB charge ports sit in the rear of the centre console.

The ES model gets new fabric trims for the seats, all models feature front seat heating and power lumbar support for the driver’s seat is added in the Exceed model.

A slew of safety features now come as standard as well, most notably with forward collision mitigation now standard for the ES (this was previously only available in the Exceed).

Other safety tech includes:

• Relocation of seatbelt reminder makes monitoring passenger safety easier
• Automatic headlamps
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Reversing camera Seven airbags, including driver’s side knee airbag
• LED daytime running lights
• LED fog lamps and LED high beams (Exceed models only)
• Electronic parking brake with auto-hold
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert (Exceed models only)
• Blind Spot Warning with Lane Change Assist (Exceed models only)
• Ultrasonic Misacceleration Mitigation System (Exceed models only)
• Multi Around Monitor (Exceed models only)
• Dynamic Safety: Lane Departure Warning, Automatic high-beam; Adaptive Cruise Control (ES ADAS and Exceed models only)

The 2020 Mitusbishi Outlander will be available in four colours: starlight, titanium, ruby black and red diamond, and comes with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty (8 years /160,000km for the battery) and capped servicing at $299 per visit, with intervals of 15,000 kilometres or 12 months.