2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: Forging Its Own Path

The Mitsubishi Outlander was the first plug-in hybrid SUV in the world in 2013 and the first in the U.S. when it launched in 2018. It is also distinguished by the fact it is paired with Mitsubishi's S-AWC for off-road capability. The PHEV segment has grown since, but the Outlander is the only 7-passenger option (Kia Sorento PHEV holds six). The 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has the potential to make the brand, and plug-in hybrids, more relevant.

Mitsubishi owes its continued existence to Nissan taking a large stake in the Japanese automaker in 2016 in the wake of a fuel-efficiency scandal. Mitsubishi brought its two strengths to the table: S-AWC (super-all wheel control) and its plug-in hybrid technology—Nissan and Renault were more focused on hybrids and battery-electric vehicles. Nissan and Renault have not adopted Mitsubishi's PHEV technology; sticking instead with their own electrified solutions.

PHEVs are seen as a bridge to full BEV. The knock against them has been twofold: not enough pure EV range, and most PHEVs are engineered to have the internal combustion engine kick in automatically when extra power is needed, even if there is still range left and the customer wants to remain in pure EV mode.

The Outlander PHEV has a decent EPA-certified range of 38 miles although on a recent test drive in Franklin, Tennessee, our SEL Premium showed an available range of as much as 42 miles. But when we turned on the HVAC system, depending on the fan speed, range dropped as much as 5 miles.

The steering wheel paddles offer five levels of regenerative braking, from virtually none at B0 to B5. But the strongest regen comes from hitting the "innovation" button because it adds some mechanical braking, as well, taking the level to somewhere between B8 and B10, says Mitsubishi Segment Chief Vehicle Engineer Kentaro Honda.

Even at its most aggressive, the regen braking does not bring the vehicle to a full stop—you must ultimately do that yourself with the brake pedal. Mitsubishi engineers felt it was more important to customers that the vehicle be able to slowly creep when you release the brake.

What distinguishes the Outlander PHEV is that you can keep the SUV in pure EV mode. Push the "EV" button for a choice of Normal (mix of EV and ICE), EV (pure EV), Charge (engine propels the vehicle while also adding range), or Hold (keeps the current state of charge until requested for use later).

Putting the SUV into Charge mode, when idle, will bring it up 80 percent in about a half hour. Putting it in Charge while highway cruising could replenish it in about an hour, depending on how you drive because the engine will be used mostly for propulsion, with some energy siphoned to the battery.

The downside: the complicated engineering and choices can be confusing for the consumer to figure out what to do when. The Outlander PHEV has two charging options: regular 240 volt as well as the CHAdeMO fast charging system that is popular in Japan but not in North America. Strange choice perhaps, but the fact the SUV offers a DC fast-charge option at all is noteworthy.

The Outlander has an 85-kW front motor and 100-kW rear motor. Both provide propulsion at all times—the Outlander is never in front-wheel drive only. And S-AWC provides the traction control. On a track on a rainy day, you could feel the power of the AWD as the rear wanted to pull out but kept on course. And doing donuts in a mud field, when the front bogged down and threatened to get stuck, power to the rear kept the SUV moving—and spinning as mud was flung onto the roof.

Engineer Honda says making the Outlander a full EV would require four times the batteries, making it substantially heavier and only offering 180 miles of range, which would not be competitive. As a PHEV, the Outlander is only 440 pounds heavier than the ICE version but it drive like an EV, more so than the competition, he says.

The first generation of the Outlander PHEV was not available in North America until 2018, and the last one sold out mid-year. The second-generation Outlander and Outlander PHEV, which shares a platform with the Nissan Rogue, has better proportions than the tall and narrow SUV it replaces. There is a third row, but it is hard to get into and quite cramped, making it more suitable for small children for short periods of time. There are clever touches like a pocket for phones for the second row, one of three storage pockets on the back of the front seat. There is double-pane glass on the front passenger windows.

The 2023 Outlander PHEV will start sales in zero-emission states but will be a nation-wide vehicle. Mitsubishi wants every U.S. dealer to have at least one model on site as a demo by the end of the year. The PHEV comes with a choice of three trim levels with a starting price of $41,190.

The SUV is built in Japan and there will be production constraints for awhile. It launched first in Japan (which only sells the PHEV) in November 2021, then in Australia two months ago, and in the U.S. at the end of November. Mitsubishi pulled out of the European market 18 months ago and subsequently decided to return with a rebranded Renault so its plans are still in flux.

Mark Chaffin took over as CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America in April, moving up from chief operating officer, and he is part of an effort to reinvent every aspect of the brand that has been selling vehicles in the U.S. for 40 years. Like Nissan, Mitsubishi uprooted itself, moving its headquarters from California to Franklin, Tennessee, in 2019. A new dealer program was introduced in 2019 and so far about 75 percent of dealers have completed or enrolled in the program that required a full facility upgrade in anticipation of the new Outlander, which launched in April 2021, and now the Outlander PHEV which is considered the star of the show and gateway to the brand's transformation.

Sales, market share, and transaction prices are up, and the brand is attracting a more affluent buyer, Chaffin says. They have an appetite for tech: demand for the PHEV is outpacing the ICE Outlander. The CEO won't comment on when Mitsubishi will introduce the first pure electric in North America, which will likely be a version of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross or the subcompact Outlander Sport SUV.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross had a redesign for the 2022 model year and demand exceeds supply. The 2023 Outlander Sport now has AWD standard. The Mirage and Mirage G4 add a Black Edition and the CVT is standard with the decision to drop the five-speed manual. The Ralliart performance brand returns for the 2023 model year.