2020 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR review: Sportier version adds points to green machine

The age of the hybrid is upon us.So far this year more than 40,000 petrol-electric vehicles have found a new home, although most are conventional hybrids such as the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, which don’t require recharging. Plug-in hybrids, such as Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV, are much less popular, attracting roughly 1100 sales this year.
The difference lies in the pricing. Toyota’s RAV4 is just $2500 more than the standard model, while the Outlander PHEV charges a $13,000 premium.
The PHEV has accounted for less than 10 per cent of Outlander sales since its launch in 2013, but Mitsubishi is hoping to give the model a boost with a largely cosmetic mid-life update.
The biggest change is the addition of a new sporty-themed GSR variant to sit in between the ES and Exceed.
Outlander prices start with the ES at $51,990 drive-away, while the GSR is $56,490.
For the extra spend, the GSR has more safety equipment, adding rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning and lane keep assist to the ES’s auto emergency braking, lane departure warning and radar cruise control.
Infotainment is taken care of by Apple CarPlay and Android Auto accessed via an eight-inch touchscreen.
Inside a spacious cabin you get an upgraded eight-speaker stereo, red stitching throughout and electrically adjustable, heated faux leather-trimmed seats. Rear passengers have their own air vents and two USB charging points.
There are plenty of soft touch materials in the cabin, while upgraded suspension delivers a firmer ride and a “sport” driving mode.
All versions are backed by Mitsubishi’s standard five-year/100,000km warranty, but if you get the vehicle serviced at the dealership every time you’ll be covered for 10 years/200,000km.
To accompany this Mitsubishi has added a 10-year capped price servicing program costing about $4900 over 10 years.
The PHEV’s biggest selling point is the hybrid tech.
Mitsubishi combines a 2.4-litre petrol engine with a 13.8kW battery and two electric motors with maximum combined outputs of 157kW and 332Nm.
The brand claims the PHEV can travel up to 53km on purely electric power. We managed about 40km in mostly free flowing traffic and saw a big drop when the aircon was turned on.
There is some smart tech at work behind the scenes. The Outlander will automatically choose the most fuel efficient mode to drive in and will charge the battery with the petrol engine at higher speeds to reserve the battery for urban commuting.
Eventually, owners will be able to use the PHEV as a battery to power their houses. The hardware allowing this feature should be on sale in Australia by next year. All PHEV models dating back to 2017 are capable of this.
Claimed fuel use of 1.9L/100km isn’t achievable in real life. If you are on short commutes you’ll use zero, on longer jaunts it’ll be much higher as you use the petrol engine to drive the vehicle and charge the battery.
On the road, the GSR’s new suspension set up, which employs Bilstein shocks, delivers a firmer, more controlled ride that translates into better composure through corners.
The steering still lacks a little feel, but acceleration is brisk thanks to the instant torque delivered from the battery.
Engaging Sport mode makes the regenerative braking more aggressive and the car will slow noticeably as soon as you lift off the accelerator.
VERDICT 3/5
Smart, safe and thrifty with fuel the Outlander does what a family SUV should, if you can justify the considerable additional spend.
MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV GSR VITALS
Price: $56,490 drive-away
Engine: 2.4-litre petrol and two electric motors with 13.8kWh battery
Warranty/servicing: five-year/100,000km, $1795 over five years
Safety: Five stars, auto emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert, blind pot warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, reversing camera and radar cruise control
Thirst: 1.9L/100km
Cargo: 463-1602L