As the number of SUVs and high-rise wagons on-sale in Australia proliferates, so the difficulty of carving out an individual identity increases.
Case in point? The Mitsubishi Outlander mid-size SUV.
Competent and moderately popular in a growing market segment, the Outlander doesn’t really generate much in the way of attention let alone excitement.
Well you wouldn’t say Mitsubishi has managed to achieve that with this midlife update, but its prominent ‘Dynamic Shield’ snout does at least nose it ahead (sorry) of some of its rivals in the battle for attention from buyers.
It’s up to you to decide whether that look is good, bad or somewhere in-between.
Anyway, the new look is the headline item, but Mitsubishi says the MY16 (yes this is officially a 2016 model that goes on sale in May 2015) includes more than 100 new or changed parts, many of them drilling deep under the skin in an attempt to improve the Outlander’s driving behaviour.
Various reinforcements have been applied to the body while the electric-assist steering and the combination of MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension have been retuned for improved ride and handling.
The continuously variable transmission (CVT) used with the 2.0 and 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engines has been retuned for improved acceleration feel and fuel economy.
Mitsubishi has also followed the current trait with CVTs of making its response feel like an orthodox automatic transmission by emphasising pseudo shift and kick-down.
There has also been attention paid to making the cabin quieter through a variety of measures including a revised door seal structure, a modified intake system for petrol engines, additional damping materials, acoustic windscreen glass, modified tyres and damper tuning.
There’s also been an attempt to lift cabin quality with a new-design three-spoke steering wheel, new seat and headlining materials and redesigned seats, which are claimed to be more comfortable.
Back at surface level Mitsubishi has elected to retain exactly the same line up in terms of drivetrains and seat options, yet change the names.
So ES becomes LS, the old LS becomes XLS and Aspire becomes Exceed.
LS is available as a front-wheel drive 2.0-litre petrol manual or optional CVT auto and all-wheel drive seven-seat 2.0 CVT auto.
XLS comes as a FWD 2.0 CVT five-seater, AWD 2.4-litre petrol CVT seven-seater and AWD 2.2-litre turbo-diesel six-speed auto seven-seater.
Exceed only comes with AWD, auto, seven seats and eschews the entry-level 2.0-litre engine.
Power and torque figures remain unchanged across the range, with the 2.0 offering 110kW/190Nm; the 2.4 124kW/220Nm and the DiD diesel 110kW/360Nm.
Diesel fuel economy also remains unchanged at 6.2L/100km and CO2 emissions of 163 grams of CO2 per km.
As noted previously, tuning work on the CVTs has eked out claimed fuel consumption improvements for both the 2.0 – which drops from 6.9L/100km and 160g/km of CO2 to 6.7 and 156 – and the 2.4, which drops from 7.5L/100km and 174g CO2 per km to 7.2 and 166.
Speaking of fuel consumption, if you’re wondering why the plug-in hybrid PHEV hasn’t been mentioned that’s because its update doesn’t arrive for a few months yet.
In terms of manufacturer list price, there are both rises and falls in the Outlander’s figures. At the bottom-end the price has gone up as much as $750 for the LS compared to its predecessor, while at the top-end the Exceeds dip by $400.
Pricing stretches from $28,490 to $46,490, lining Outlander up in the vicinity of the Honda CR-V, Jeep Cherokee, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Nissan X-Trail, Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4.
Apart from the changes we have gone through already, all models get new-look 18-inch wheels, LED daytime running lamps and rear combination lamps and a rear foglights. The LS adds privacy glass and door mirror indicators, while new gear for the XLS includes digital audio, electric folding, heated mirrors and an electro-chromatic rear view mirror. The Exceed has gloss black trim and LED headlights as new features.
That lot is in addition to an equipment baseline including seven airbags, five star ANCAP rating, reversing camera and sensors, Bluetooth, single-zone climate-control, cruise control and reach and rake adjustable steering.
XLS additions include sat-nav, dual-zone AC, a cargo cover and rain-sensing wipers. The exceed includes what Mitsubishi calls Forward Collision Mitigation (or autonomous emergency braking as it is widely dubbed), adaptive cruise, a smart key and button start, a power tailgate, sunroof, leather seats, front-seat heating and a powered driver’s seat.
One thing that’s changed is the warranty which has been cut from five years and 130,000km to five years and 100,000km. Mitsubishi says this is in line with global policy.
It also says that both diesel and all-wheel drive are the preference of the majority of Outlander buyers, so that’s what we have ended up in for a brief first drive that encompassed a little county driving on Sydney’s northern fringe and plenty of time navigating the suburban road network of our biggest city.
In other words, given the use these vehicles normally get, it was a pretty appropriate route.
And our diesel Exceed did the job without fuss or elan. Maybe the suspension retuning has made the ride a little brittle and contained body roll a little better, but this is no fundamental shift in the car’s character.
Turn enthusiastically into a corner and the steering will weight up rather too suddenly, giving the front-end a heavy and unresponsive feel.
OK, forget about that stuff then. Instead, utilise the command driving position and substantial torque offered by the engine between 1500 and 2750rpm to ply your way through the suburban challenges.
Apart from a rather agricultural burr at low revs, the engine is quiet and smooth by diesel standards and works well with its automatic transmission.
From the drivers’ seat the interior still looks a lot like the old car. It’s not ageing particularly well, especially the media screen which is to low down and too small. The sat-nav set-up is also pretty confusing until you get used to it.
But the seats are comfy and the new steering wheel is, er, round…
While the Exceed isn’t a star, a brief sample of the base model LS manual confirmed it has solid advantages over the price leader, which lacked pulling power.
Further back the Outlander is known territory whatever version you by, with decent second row space and kids-only accommodation in row three. Set up as a five-seater the Outlander offers 477 litres in luggage space. It expands to 1608 litres as a two-seater.
So a dramatic update to the Outlander’s style is supported by a substantial bundle of changes under the skin. The net result, however, is more of the same. No matter how you look at it (sorry, again).
What we liked: | Not so much: |
>> Smooth delivery and torque of diesel | >> Driving character missing |
>> Space for price | >> Interior presentation old-school |
>> Pretty quiet | >> New look – OK that’s subjective, but… |