2012 Mitsubishi Outlander

 

           2012 Mitsubishi Outlander

 

The Mitsubishi Outlander is one of the reliable and toughest SUV from Mitsubishi after the Pajero. The updated version of the Outlander was launched recently in the year 2012 in the Indian market. The Outlander first made its official appearance in the year 2001 and it still is one of the most popular SUV from the Mitsubishi stable.
The new Outlander is powered by a 2.4 litre, 2360 cc DOHC 16 valve MPI MVIEC engine which generates 170 PS of maximum power at 6000 rpm and 226 NM of torque at 4100 RPM. There are no other engine options for the vehicle. Let’s get to find out some more details about this muscular looking SUV.

Design and interiors

The most striking feature of the SUV is its front grille, the huge front grille will surely attract everyone’s attention, and Mitsubishi got the inspiration of such a bold design from the Jet fighter , the Mitsubishi logo is also placed in the middle of the grille. The sharp looking adaptive headlamps also look good on the Outlander and provides good amount of illumination at dark. The front fog lamps are integrated in the lower bumpers to provide assistance on roads during rough weather conditions. The side profile of the SUV looks muscular, it also has good ground clearance which clearly proves its offroading capability, the 16 inch alloy wheels has been fitted in the SUV, the rear view mirrors are body colored and has integrated side turn indicators in them. The roof rails which has been provided on the roof of the SUV makes it look sporty.

The rear of the SUV is also attractive like its front, the rear tail lamp cluster consists of the LED units, the high mounted stop lamps also is an useful addition to the rear, the Mitsubishi logo is placed at the center of the vehicle. Overall the SUV looks attractive and the few additions like the roof rails, the sporty alloy wheels and the LED units at the rear makes the SUV look very modern and peppy.
Once you step inside the vehicle the you will be greeted by sheer comfort along with practicality. The Outlander has a seating capacity of 7 persons inside the SUV, the driver seats are power assisted for the comfort of the person driving the vehicle the front visibility is good in the SUV, the seats are extremely comfortable and there is good amount of under thigh support which is very much useful for long journeys. The dashboard is painted in black and has silver finish to it, the multi information driver display displays all the information related to the vehicle, it even displays the gear selection and fuel level. The dials also looks sporty and attractive. The 3 spoke steering with the Mitsubishi logo placed in the middle has been placed keeping in mind the comfort of the driver; the SUV even has paddle shifters which is great and enhances the driving pleasure. The dashboard houses the fully automatic air conditioner and a upper glove box with cooler. There is even a bottle/cup holder in the driver side.

The rear seats offers good amount of leg room but it can feel little less compared to other SUV of its class but the seats can be pushed back to create some extra space for the comfort of the passengers. The third row seats does not provide plenty of space and thus it becomes a bit of squeeze for tall persons at the rear. There are plenty of other features in the interior of the vehicle and are provided below:
 710 watt premium Rockford Fosgate sound system.
 Scientifically engineered 9 speakers
 Steering wheel audio controls
 USB and AUX port
 Keyless entry
 Split tailgate with park bench
 Remote folding rear seats
 Lower tailgate
The overall dimension of the SUV has been provided below:

Length	4640 mm
Width	1800mm
Height	1680 mm
Wheelbase	2670 mm
Groundclearance	215mm

Engine and performance

The Mitsubishi Outlander as mentioned earlier has been fitted with a 2.4 litre, 2360 cc DOHC 16 valve MPI MVIEC engine which generates 170 PS of maximum power at 6000 rpm and 226 NM of torque at 4100 RPM. The engine is quiet and refined, the SUV is pretty fast compared to its size and reaches 0-100 km mark in just 11.4 seconds, which is just 2 seconds more than the recently launched premium SUV the Freelander2.
The paddle shifts increases the fun of driving the vehicle by some extent. The Outlander is a performer although the CVT engine tends to lose the level of refinement after the needle hits the 4000rpm mark, but still it never runs out of breadth in the open roads.

Ride and handling

The Mitsubishi Outlander uses Mcpherson coil springs with stabilizer bars at the front and Independent, multi-link, coils prings, stabilizer bars at the rear as its suspension setup; this suspension works wonders for the SUV, providing a comfortable ride in any terrain. Beside that there are many other features which makes the Outlander a perfect handling machine,
 The electronically controlled 4 wheel drive
The Outlander has a centrally located dial which allows the driver to switch between 3 drive modes depending on the situation and terrain, there is an option of 2 wheel drive, 4 wheel drive and a lock mode which helps the Outlander to conquer even the toughest roads and weather conditions.
 AWC( All wheel control)
Instead of controlling only the front or the rear wheels the mechanism helps to control all 4 wheels separately and thus it provides superior handling.
There is little amount of body roll and only can be felt if the Outlander is speeding in the corners. The suspension setup and all other features works perfectly to makes the SUV a perfect and easy handling machine on any terrain. The straight line stability at high speeds is also impressive.

Safety features

The safety features which are available in the Mitsubishi Outlander are:
 Dual airbags for both the driver and the front passenger.
 ABS with EBD
 Rigid body with light Aluminum roof panel
 Secure alarm with engine immobilizers

Pricing

The Mitsubishi Outlander is priced at Rs. 20.55 lac ex-showroom Delhi.
The color options that are available in the Outlander are:
 Chic Black
 Vogue White
 Sparkling Gold
 Runaway Grey

Competition

The Mitsubishi Outlander gets tough competition from the
Toyota Fortuner

The Toyota Fortuner is powered by a 3-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged and intercooled common rail injection engine producing 171PS@3600rpm and 343Nm of torque between 1400-3400rpm. The engine is also extremely refined like that of the Outlander.

Conclusion

The Mitsubishi Outlander is a powerful and sporty SUV and also has lots of premium features inside the vehicle, the quality of interior needs some improvement though. The SUV is a good handler and its exterior also looks stylish and it is also priced very aggressively and thus will definitely attract lots of attention towards it.

Quotes

“The Outlander outshines most of its rivals is when you take it off-road. Ample ground clearance, four-wheeldrive and good low-end pulling power of the motor makes it a very capable off-roader. What the Outlander does possess are looks, perfect road manners and pedigree. All in all, it’s a great package.” —Autocar India
Being based on the rally-winning Mitsubishi Lancer EVO, you instantly know that the Outlander is one of the best soft roaders out there. Revamped recently with a new nose section heavily borrowed from the Evo X, the Outlander is not only great on the beaten path, but also has the ability to show a thing or two about handling to most sedans owing to its low centre of gravity and flat poise that makes pushing this car through a corner as enjoyable as splashing through slush!—Zigwheels India

 Great looking Exterior
 Comfortable interior
 Good ride and handling quality

 Interior plastics needs improvement

Press Release

Hindustan Motors has introduced an upgraded Mitsubishi Outlander 2012. The stylish and sophisticated SUV was launched earlier in 2010.
Outlander’s 2.4-litre engine delivers 170-PS power and 226-Nm torque making it apt for both on-road and off-road driving. The feature-rich Outlander offers smart specifications such as keyless operating systems, highly capable Rockford Fosgate premium 710 watt music system with 6 CD changer and USB port, row seating with tumble function, split tail gate, paddle shifters and cruise control. High contrast meter combination, leather upholstery and 3-spoke leather wrapped steering wheel with audio controls in the interior enhance the style and luxury quotient of the vehicle. In the exterior, the jet fighter type front grill complements the suave and stylish look of the vehicle besides HID headlamps with AFS. ABS and EBD along with RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) body and dual frontal airbags make the Outlander an extremely safe vehicle for its passengers.
The new Outlander’s two additional rear seats, particularly for children, make it an ideal vehicle for a complete family.
The vehicle is priced at Rs. 20.55 lac ex-showroom Delhi

Source:Mitsubishi Outlander

 

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2008 Mitsubishi Outlander

 

               2008 Mitsubishi Outlander

 

The curious case of Mitsubishi Motors continues and there is no end in sight. Why the Japanese manufacturer doesn’t launch a small car based on the Colt or a MPV like the Grandis is beyond us. Internationally too this isn’t the best time for Mitsubishi Motors and there is nothing exciting on the table from the Japanese manufacturer. This is a rather sad state of affairs because Mitsubishi is adored by enthusiasts around the world and is known for their success in motorsports, most recently being in the Dakar rally. In the World Rally Championship they were the team to beat when Tommi Makinen was piloting the Evo VII and the Lancer Evo is one of the iconic cars of our generation. The point that we are trying to make is that Mitsubishi and their cars have pedigree like none other and to see the manufacturer struggle disappoints many of its fans. The Outlander was launched in India in 2008 and in 2010 it received a facelift. Despite being the sharpest looking utility vehicle around, the Outlander finds favour from amongst only a few. Priced at Rs20,55,000 ex-showroom New Delhi, are the Outlander’s poor sales a reflection of its quality?

The vehicle that we think has potential for the Indian market if Mitsubishi gets the pricing right is the Pajero Sport, which can take the robust and popular Pajero brand name into higher levels of plushness. Based on the Thai-built Triton pickup truck, the[Pajero Sport is not a softroader like the Outlander or the Honda CR-V, but a purpose built off-roader with great looks on the lines of the Toyota Fortuner.

Design

The Outlander follows a conventional SUV shape and the proportions are spot on. In 2010 the Outlander received a facelift and got new design elements like the headlamp cluster, Lancer Evo style ‘jet fighter’ front grille, restyled bumper, new roof rails and indicators integrated into the outside rear view mirrors. These changes are similar to the Outlander GT Prototype. The Outlander is a contemporary design and has a good blend of muscle and aggressive. The two-part grille and big silver skid plate look good and at the rear the LED lights are attention bragging. With a ground clearance of 215mm the Outlander is taller than the Honda CR-V. From the side profile what we liked the most is the way the D-pillar integrates into the upward opening boot. The wheel arches are large and smaller wheels do leave a gap but the overall build quality is good.

Interiors

The Outlander is a seven seater unlike the Honda CR-V and in order to seat as many comfort is compromised. The legroom for middle seat passengers is less than the Honda CR-V and the Chevrolet Captiva and the headroom too isn’t as good as the competition. The front seats are big and wide and you get a good driving position and the middle seats split and fold 60/40 by a one-touch button. The seats though on the Outlander are extremely comfortable and offer good support. Like the Montero, the Outlander also gets black interiors.
The dashboard gets a simple layout and there isn’t a barrage of knobs and buttons. The centre console has a carbon-fibre look with soft inserts and for the air conditioning you get rotary knobs. Generally the plastic of the Outlander is good all around but some of the plastic is hard and also lacks in finish. The steering feels really inviting to hold on, there is lots of space to store knick-knacks and the inner door handles are finished in chrome and the front seat is power assisted.
Equipment is high on the Outlander and you get headlamp washers, keyless entry and start, a multi-information display, paddle shift on the steering and one-touch power windows all around. The Rockford Fosgate sound system is probably one of the best in the market and you also get dual front airbags and ABS with EBD.

Engine and performance

The Outlander’s 2.4-litre MIVEC multi valve engine produces 170PS@6000rpm and 226Nm of torque@4000rpm. The MIVEC engine uses similar variable valve technology like the Honda VTEC and the 16-vlave engine is made of die-cast aluminium. Engine refinement is good and while the power rating is stronger than the Honda CR-V, the acceleration time of over12seconds to 100kmph makes the Outlander slower to the CR-V. While there is nothing wrong with the engine, the deal breaker is the 6-speed CVT gearbox. The rubber-band effect of the Outlander’s gearbox is irritating and at low speed particularly you feel the lag before gear changes. The only advantage of the CVT gearbox is that in sports mode while using paddle shifts it holds the revs even at the red line. The Outlander is capable of reaching speeds of around 180kmph but you don’t get the same kind of grunt and rev happy performance like on the CR-V. The Outlander’s fuel efficiency too is less than the Honda CR-V.

Ride

The Outlander is based on Mitsubishi’s GS platform, which is shared with the Lancer and Evo X. The GS platform was originally designed as a global platform along with DaimlerChrysler and the Outlander’s monocoque is built on high-tensile steel to keep weight down and the softroader also gets a light-weight aluminium roof. The Outlander rides on MacPherson coil springs with stabilizer bar at the front and multilink coil springs at the rear. Unlike other soft roaders, the Outlander gets electronically controlled four wheel drive with a lockable centre differential that ensures a 50:50 power split between the front and rear axles. This allows you to drive in two-wheel-drive mode for better fuel efficiency.
The Outlander’s handling is pretty assured and you would expect that considering Mitsubishi would have learnt a thing or two from its seven Dakar victories. There is considerable body roll around corners but its predictable and consistent and there is a lot of grip around corners. The steering is well weighed and precise and it offers good feedback too. With the Outlander though you shouldn’t expect to do any serious offroading like on the Mitsubishi Pajero. The car’s approach, departure and ramp angles are 22, 21 and 19 degrees respectively which aren’t ideal for off road. The ride is a bit on the firm side at lower speeds but on broken patches passengers are well taken care of and the ride quality is good all around and composed.

Competition

The Outlander’s biggest competitor is the Honda CR-V but the CR-V’s golden days are long gone ever since petrol prices started to climb. The CR-V has roomier interiors, the engine and gearbox combination are better than the Outlander and the handling too is better than many sedans in the country. The CR-V though doesn’t have a differential lock and an equipment list to match the Outlander. The Chevrolet Captiva is only available in diesel which is what most buyers want in this segment and interior space is better than the Outlander. The Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota Fortuner are in the same price range as the Outlander but they are more thoroughbred SUV’s.

Verdict

The Outlander has pedigree which not many vehicles can boast of. Agreed it is not the same 4WD vehicle which went for the Dakar or the WRC, but lessons learnt in motorsport have definitely been incorporated into the Outlander. Ride and handling and the strong feature list are its strengths. While the interior space isn’t as good as its competitors, it’s a seven seater nevertheless and build quality too is good. You also get a differential lock which gives you the confidence to venture into territory where other would struggle. The engine is refined but the CVT gearbox spoils the party for Mitsubishi to a big extent. Sales are also poor because there isn’t a diesel engine on offer.
Quotes from other reviews:
BS Motoring: ‘The Outlander is true to its rally genes. It rides better, handles better and steers better than the CR-V. It is also the only one capable of going off-road, but you really need to be an outdoor junkie to be even trying out the 4WD knob. On the other hand, the CR-V has more sorted build quality, has a sweet sounding engine, is a mite more frugal, is more spacious and will offer better return on your money when it’s time to upgrade.’

 

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