Mitsubishi Outlander – Car-like SUV
Mitsubishi Outlander
Modern SUVs are no longer sluggish, lumbering or clumsy 4WDs with carpets, comfortable seats, and air conditioning. They are now quick, agile, and handle very well, at least most of them do. The Mitsubishi Outlander, imported in CBU form by Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia, is a great medium sized SUV that belongs to this new grouping. It drives and handles like a car. Having one means you can enjoy all the benefits of driving a car, and yet have the versatility and the additional space associated with an SUV. Drive it to work or use it to send the kids to school; enjoy the high sitting position and the feeling of security that comes with it, and take it out to the dusun or fishing with your friends on weekends. The Outlander will take it all in its stride.
The Outlander is built on a strengthened car platform; you take a car platform, raise the waistline, make the roof a little higher, raise the suspension, put on stronger wheels and tyres, put in a 4WD drive train, and voila, you get the Outlander. Much of the stuff is Lancer-based, beefed-up of course to allow for off-road punishment; think of it as a tough station wagon.
To compensate for the extra weight, (some 1505 kg, to be exact), Mitsubishi have incorporated a 2.4 litre SOHC engine, complete with their own version of variable valve technology, namely the MIVEC system, to give the Outlander a hefty 160 PS and 215 NM of torque. Our test drive yielded some interesting results.
For one, the driving feel is excellent; the Outlander drives and handles very much like a car. The additional power makes it feel light when on throttle, unlike some very sluggish feeling you get with some other SUV’s. With full-time four-wheel drive, it is very sure-footed, both in the dry and in the wet. The superb handling characteristics are of course helped by the all-wheel drive working in unison with a well sorted out 4-wheel independent suspension. The ride is comfortable, with a suspension set-up that is on the softer side of firm; there is very little roll, and you get a good confident feeling through bends. The 4-speed automatic transmission has well spaced ratios, and there is also a ‘sports mode’ to allow for manual shifting of gears.
Acceleration from zero to one hundred kilometres per hour as tested was a very credible 11.2 seconds, and we used up the full 180 kilometres per hour indicated on the speedometer. The power to weight ratio has been well thought out, perhaps a lesson learnt from the earlier Airtrek; the turbo version drank too much fuel, and the non-turbo version was a little under-powered. The Outlander is a beautiful compromise. Being naturally aspirated, but with a slightly larger engine capacity, it yields sufficient power without being too thirsty. The sixty litre tank will give you a little over 320 kilometres before you need to refuel, and our rough estimate gives it a cost of 30sen per kilometre, not a bad figure considering the 1.5 ton weight.
In terms of looks, it depends much on each individual’s taste, but one can see the EVO rally heritage that has influenced the front mask of the Outlander; who is to blame Mitsubishi for leaning on their past rally successes, anyway. I find it quite attractive, and outstanding at the very least. However, amongst the people who saw the Outlander during the test, there were mixed feelings about the looks. Not all agreed that it looked great; some still preferred the old Airtrek look.
Inside, the Outlander is very comfortable, with wide, generous seats, plenty of legroom, and all the base amenities one would expect of a SUV, plus some. Seating capacity is officially five, but if you want to be really comfortable, four is the practical number, especially if you want the extra luxury of the rear centre armrest folded out for use. The front seats also feature a fold away armrest in the centre. Instrumentation is simple and functional, and the instrument panel is finished in white with big bold fonts for easy visibility for those with long-sightedness. The four-spoke steering wheel is height adjustable, and the headlights have an ‘auto-on’ switch.
On the whole, the Outlander is a real pleasure to drive, and at RM182, 550 (price on-the-road without insurance), it makes quite an attractive proposition for the driver who wants something that is imported, and is not commonly seen on the roads.
