Mitsubishi Outlander Review, First Drive

In a bustling world of SUVs, is the Mitsubishi Outlander arriving on our shores a bit too late or is it versatile enough to create a niche of its own?

It’s been so long that I can’t recall when was the last time I sat in a brand new Mitsubishi vehicle. Anyways, we have some good news for its loyal followers, the Japanese automaker has decided to bring back their urban beast, the Outlander. Even though this crossover's not been launched in India, it is expected to be priced around ₹31 lakh as it will take the CBU route. Yes, it will be expensive and did we mention that only the petrol version will be launched here?

Have we met before?

Yes, that is quite a tacky pickup line, but I remember test driving the previous generation Outlander almost a decade ago and sadly the new version seems to look and feel the same. Maybe I’m judging the Outlander by its cover. If I remember correctly, this ‘new’ generation SUV was launched in 2012 globally and then in 2015, it received a facelift, which is the one we are driving today. So, doesn’t that make it 3 years ‘new’? My sincere apologies, today I’m going on a rant.

The Outlander always came across an understated crossover and the simple and clean design has started showing its age. Therefore, Mitsubishi has decided to give it a more aggressive front fascia. The angular metal finish front grille looks bold and the LED headlamps are sleek, while the bumper houses LED fog lamps. Coming to the side profile and the new Outlander is more or less identical to the earlier version except for the black cladding with silver finish on the lower part of doors. Honestly, it comes across as a lazy attempt to rejig its plain Jane side composition. Mitsubishi sticks to the tried-and-tested rear design even and now it's equipped with LED lights and a silver line running between the tail lamp clusters. This new crossover lacks a commanding stance as it is fitted with minuscule 16-inch wheels. Even our homegrown SUVs like the Tata Hexa and Mahindra XUV 500 boast bigger sets of wheel.

Simple yet solid interiors

The all-black interiors do add a classy touch to the cabin and they also ensure that it doesn’t age quickly. Again, if you have sat inside the previous generation Outlander, you’ll notice that the layout is more or less the same, except for the central console which now sports a 6.1-inch touchscreen infotainment. The screen resolution is decent, but the touch response's disappointing as we ended pressing the screen with more force than we would have liked. Believe it or not, the infotainment doesn’t come with Bluetooth connectivity option. Now Mitsubishi’s told us that they are working on this with Rockford and soon they shall launch a Bluetooth enabled system. So, at the moment you can play music via radio, USB slot, auxiliary port and the good old CD player. Some millennials might be wondering what that is. The fit-and-finish of the cabin is impressive, the build quality is solid, the leather-wrapped steering wheel, gear knob and upholstery are of top quality

Where it matters?

The Outlander is powered by a 165bhp 2.4-litre petrol engine and once it's fired up and slotted in drive mode, the crossover is ready to pull away in a linear fashion. We did wish there was more initial poke from the engine, but if you push it harder, the motor responds quicker once it crosses 4,500rpm mark. The culprit here is the CVT gearbox’s typical rubber band character. As you step on the accelerator, you will notice that the rev needle shooting up, but there is the only minimal response in power. The Outlander comes with beautiful aluminium finish paddle shifters, but sadly even on manual mode, it doesn’t transform into a roaring beast. I guess a leopard doesn't change its spots.

What is impressive about the Outlander is that there is hardly any engine noise in the cabin as its so refined. As it’s based on a monocoque chassis, this crossover behaves like a car and remains glued to the tarmac while entering and exiting the twisties. As it comes with AWD option, the additional aid comes from the rear wheels when required. We predominantly drove it on the tarmac and the independent suspension carpeted ditches easily and the ride quality was never compromised. The Outlander also never wallowed on undulations as it remained stable.

Final word

The Outlander is one tough crossover that is built to last. The 2.4-litre engine is refined and fairly agile for a powerplant mated to a CVT. The cabin too is made of top quality materials, but they lack the premium feel. It is a seven-seater and the third row, at best, can seat children, but with the middle getting sliding seats this does help in improving the last row passenger’s legroom. Being a CBU, the Outlander will be expensive and in all honesty, Mitsubishi is re-entering this segment very late and again with the wrong engine option. With fuel prices skyrocketing on a daily basis, diesel variant continues to be the more favourable option. Even though it has an impressive Rockford subwoofer, but sadly the infotainment doesn’t come with basic features like Bluetooth, Apple Play, Android Auto and navigation maps. There is no doubt the Outlander has potential, but it looks like Mitsubishi is making hasty decisions and is overlooking the obvious requirements in this segment.