Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: New powertrain ‘a matter of when’ for Oz
Timing to be confirmed, but the punchier plug-in hybrid is looking likely to come Down Under.
Mitsubishi will bring the updated Outlander's more capable plug-in hybrid powertrain to Australia, having previously committed only to 'consider' the new setup for our market.
Speaking with CarAdvice at the opening of the world's first joint Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance distribution centre, John Signoriello, Mitsubishi Australia CEO, said "it's a matter of when" the new Outlander powertrain will make its way Down Under.
"Yeah. Down the track, I would like to think that [the new powertrain] would come into our PHEV," Signoriello said.
"When... timing to be determined, because it's all got to do with ADR [Australian Design Rule] requirements and the likes, and more part of development for Australian specs, so it's a matter of when."
Revealed in February, the updated Outlander PHEV swaps the current 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine for a 2.4-litre Atkinson Cycle unit for "higher torque, smoother operation and overall higher efficiency", according to official Mitsubishi Motors materials.
A new 13.8kWh battery pack (15 per cent bigger than before) and 66kW rear electric motor (10 per cent more powerful) have both been fitted, while pure-electric range is unchanged at 54km – or 45km on the stricter new WLTP cycle.
The hybrid all-wheel drive system has gained Sport and Snow modes, supplementing the existing Normal and 4WD Lock modes.
Powertrain changes aside, the 2019 PHEV for Europe and Japan has been treated to an exterior refresh. There are LED headlights, tweaked fog-lamp bezels, a bigger grille and tougher skid plate up front, along with new 18-inch alloy wheels.
Quilted leather seats, fresh instruments and revised climate controls are also included in the update, which we'd suggest will be eventually be rolled out across the wider Outlander range.
Speaking of the wider range, Karl Gehling, communications boss for Mitsubishi Australia, said a handful of tweaks will be rolled out to ensure the brand's range is hitting the right notes in the market. Last year, an 'MY18.5' line-up change re-introduced the ES model to the Outlander range for a $27,990 drive-away price point.
2024 Suzuki Jimny XL auto review
