2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
No, it certainly won't be a hit in Germany, for example. It would pass as a plug-in hybrid, especially as a company car, but somehow the Japanese messed that up.
The problem lies with the electrical component. The report on it reads well, because 22.7 kWh is quite a lot, even if it's not clear whether that's gross or net. It's just that they talk so strangely about 'total capacity'.
Is there another high-voltage battery or has the 12V battery also been counted? The consumption is stated as 23.4-23.5 kWh (note the huge difference!), but the maximum range with only 85 km.
How does this fit together? Single-phase charging is somewhat disappointing these days, but would easily suffice during the night. What's nowhere near the standard, however, is the CHAdeMO connection.
In today's charging landscape, compatible stations are among the remaining protected. And then still sharing such meager electrical equipment? What can we do about the fact that the Japanese (and the Americans)
attach great importance to disaster prevention?
The money could have been invested more appropriately for European standards. The hybrid drive also doesn't seem suitable for seven seats. But if that's the case, the second-row passengers could have been given a bit
more space.
Otherwise, the brand's (presumably future) top model comes across as very solid, although the seating configuration deserves mention, but this time in a positive way, because their upholstery promises good seating
comfort just by looking at it.
The 40:20:40 split of the rear seatback, even with adjustable tilt, also suggests a great deal of versatility. Only the luggage compartment is rather mediocre for the class. The option to pull down blinds in front of the rear
windows is also nice.
These days, it's generally assumed that there are small displays behind the steering wheel and larger ones in the center. In the Outlander, both are the same size at 12.3 inches. However, the underlying software is state-
of-the-art, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available.
Overall, you get the feeling you're sitting in a facelifted car in the truest sense of the word. The front end has been almost violently modernized, the battery capacity doubled, and the rest of the car's rear and interior have
largely been left as is.
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