“More
‘bling’ and more
bhp — Mitsubishi’s
new Outlander
Diamond has that and
more, including a
torquey new 2.2-litre
turbodiesel. If you want
the ‘real-deal’ in
sensible SUVs, start
here...”
FOR BUYERS PUT OFF FROM OWNING a multi-seat SUV/4x4 by the forthcoming
£400 Road Tax (to be levied on so called gas-guzzling models from 1 April
2008) and the new higher £25-per-day London Congestion Charge (due later this
year for vehicles emitting over 225g/km of CO2), then the latest Mitsubishi
Outlander 2.2 DI-DC Diamond with five-doors and seven-seats could be just
the answer.
Until recently the Outlander was available with the choice of a 2.4-litre
petrol engine with a CVT automatic transmission and a VW-sourced 2.0-litre
DI-D turbodiesel unit with high-geared manual transmission. Neither engines
are particularly suited to this SUV vehicle due to its high gearing —
adopted to achieve lower exhaust emissions.
However, Mitsubishi now has access to the PSA Peugeot-Citroen 2.2-litre turbodiesel
powerplant that has more power and, importantly, more torque — so it
copes much better with the high gearing. This 154bhp 2.2-litre unit puts out
194g/km of CO2 — that's well below the 226g/km that incurs the £25-per-day
London Congestion Charge. It also gives this Outlander an annual road tax
bill of 'just' £205.
On the 'bling' front, the Outlander Diamond variant, which is only available
with the 2.2-litre diesel engine, has lots of extra exterior chrome. There
is a chrome sports mesh front grille, chrome mirrors and door handles, chrome
headlamp bezels, chrome exhaust tailpipes and, as you'd expect, the obligatory
privacy glass is already fitted. The Diamond version also has 18-inch alloy
wheels, heated front seats, power-operated driver's seat, an excellent touch-screen
DVD satellite navigation system with live traffic updates, a premium sound
system, roof-mounted DVD system, electric sunroof, rear-view parking camera,
parking sensors and rain-sensitive windscreen wipers.
There is, however, a high price to pay for the extra power and added equipment
— £26,999. That's £2,000 more than the Outlander with Elegance specification
and powered either by the 2.4-litre petrol or lack-lustre 2.0-litre diesel
engine. Add in the on-the-road charges and you will be writing a cheque for
£27,254 for the Outlander Diamond variant.
It's a shame Mitsubishi has not made the 2.2-litre engine available in a lower
specification to compete with starting prices of the Citroen C-Crosser and
Peugeot 4007 versions of the same vehicle, which start at £22,790 and £22,890
respectively.
Mitsubishi manufactures versions of the Outlander for Citroen and Peugeot.
Which brand the SUV customer goes for will be down to personal choice and
the final deal they manage to negotiate with their local dealer.
Whichever they choose they can be sure it will be cheaper to buy, run, and
incur much less tax and road charges than the more expensive top SUV models
such as the Range Rover, Audi Q7, BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes GL, M
and R-Class 4x4s and the VW Toureg — all favoured by the 'City-slicker'
business community and affluent families.
Although overall sales of new SUVs and 4x4s in the UK have not slowed in response
to the increase in fuel costs, it is the demand for the medium-sized models
such as the Outlander/C-Crosser/4007 trilogy, Nissan X-Trail, Land Rover Freelander,
Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 — to name but a few — that has really
driven the growth in the market. And the recently-introduced VW Tiguan should
further increase SUV sales in the UK.
Mid-sized SUVs are liked because of their 'country-life' styling, roomy and
versatile interiors and their 4x4 traction which provides security for winter
and wet weather driving.
But it is not just in the winter that SUVs are fit-for-purpose. Imposing country
life-style good looks also play a part and customers also find them ideal
work, leisure and family transport all the year round.
The Mitsubishi brand is famous for 4x4 models and the Outlander is currently
the best model in their entire range. Yes, their Lancer Evolution high-performance
all-wheel drive fast road and rally cars are the 'halo' models for the range;
but the Japanese-built Outlander has been a huge volume sales model worldwide
— Mitsubishi is now adding extra European production capacity for the
Outlander at their Netherlands factory.
The Outlander Diamond with the PSA 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine
(154bhp and 280lb ft of torque from 2,000rpm) has a six-speed manual gearbox
with an electronic on-demand two, four and 4WD lock transmission. As mentioned,
the on-the-road price is a hefty £27,254 but then the specification is high.
Undoubtedly some will consider the Outlander's styling 'garish' because of
the exterior chrome 'bling'. Others will love it and argue it looks 'smart'.
At 4,640mm long and 1,800mm wide, the Outlander is the same size as a family
estate car and even the extra ground clearance and extra headroom (which gives
the vehicle a height of 1,720mm) causes no problems with multi-story car parks.
The five-plus-two seating configuration will be an added bonus for some families
— although the rear two seats (which drop down into the floor) are really
only suitable for occasional use, but when they're stowed away the load area
is pretty large. The middle row of seats can be folded down as well to create
a huge — 1,691 litres — cargo space. With the middle row in place,
passenger space for two adults is excellent; three can be accommodated at
a push. The legroom is pretty good as well. However, on more than one occasion
my passengers passed comment about the lack of comfort due to the overly firm
seatback.
The front seats are comfortable — they are heated and, for added convenience,
the driver's seat is electrically adjustable. The Diamond specification also
includes leather upholstery. The dashboard is well laid out and houses the
control and switches in logical, easy-to-find locations. There is storage
space within the fascia and in the console that runs from the fascia to between
the front seats. Overall, the cabin is very user-friendly.
The added Diamond specification thankfully includes rear parking sensors,
which are a must as the door mounted rear-view mirrors are too small, and
dark tinted glass that I (for one) can live without. This model also has a
very good colour DVD satellite navigation system which incorporates a rear-view
camera. The system is brilliant and makes driving very easy and parking simple.
The Outlander Diamond version runs on 18-inch alloy road wheels and comes
with other important standard equipment such as cruise control, alarm with
remote control locking and deadlocks, automatic air conditioning with climate
control, electrically-operated front and rear side windows, electrically-operated
and heated door mirrors, trip computer, front, side and curtain airbags, electronic
stability control and anti-lock braking. Outside there are roof bars and a
lower tailgate fold-flat section for added ease of loading.
It is the overall size — not too big, not too small — the high equipment
levels and the performance and responsiveness of the well-known, smooth and
quiet 2.2-litre diesel engine that together make this Outlander a really strong
contender for sales. Add in Mitsubishi's reputation for build quality, together
with their four-wheel drive technology, and you end up with the 'real-deal'
in sensible SUVs.
Some customers might prefer the Land Rover brand name, their 4x4 abilities
and credentials but the Freelander is smaller inside and, with like-for-like
specification, costs much more.
Most of the time SUVs are used for on-road work, in good or bad weather —
and this is another place where the Outlander scores. It performs really well,
just like a large estate car. Top speed is 124mph, 0-62mph takes 9.9 seconds
with a gallon of fuel officially stretching to 38.7mpg — 35.2mpg on average
during my week's motoring. What makes the Outlander — and C-Crosser and
Peugeot 4007 for that matter — so good is their general all-round performance.
In fact, the Outlander does most things well enough to satisfy most people.
The road holding is good, there's not very much body roll, the grip is excellent,
the steering precise, brakes strong and the engine responsive. In addition
there's the ability to go from two- to four-wheel drive at the turn of a dial
(as well as some considerable off-road ability with the 4WD lock facility).
The Outlander can also tow up to 2,000kg. Not hard to see why these vehicles
make a strong and sensible case for themselves, and why customers continue
to buy them.
As for negative issues, there are very few: no automatic transmission option
— yet. Road noise intrusion is another, as are small door mirrors and
the forward sloping rear load floor where small items move forward out of
reach. Some potential customers will prefer the front styling treatment of
the Citroen C-Crosser or Peugeot 4007, and these models are cheaper.
More 'plus points' include the Outlander's sensible size, its high specification,
the practical seat/load space, sure-footed handling and easy to use 4x4 system,
strong engine and good fuel economy. Not to be overlooked either is the £8-a-day
London Congestion Charge (not the upcoming £25 per day) and Mitsubishi's Service
Plan: £200 for 3 years/37,500miles. — David Miles
 Mitsubishi Outlander Diamond 2.2 DI-DC 7-seat | £26,999 Maximum speed: 124mph | 0-62mph: 9.9 seconds Overall test MPG: 35.2mpg | Power: 154bhp | Torque: 280lb ft CO2 194g/km | VED Band F £205 | Insurance group 13E Visit Mitsubishi's website  |
