The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Makes its U.S. Debut

2017 MItsubishi Outlander PHEV (Credit: © MItsubishi)

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is already a huge success in Europe, but its U.S. release was delayed for some reason. At the 2016 New York Auto Show, the plug-in hybrid version of Mitsu’s largest crossover finally debuted.

Save for a few mild changes to the exterior, like its wheels, grille and badging, the Outlander PHEV is nearly identical to its gas-only sibling. Inside, the overall design language remains unchanged from its standard model, but some of the details, like the joystick-style gearshift, the electric parking brake, and the steering wheel, are new.

Of course, the area that sees the most updates in the Outlander PHEV is its powertrain. Here, Mitsubishi installed a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors. These units combine to deliver their power to the S-AWC all-wheel-drive system for optimal traction.

2017 MItsubishi Outlander PHEV (Credit: © MItsubishi)

Mitsubishi was coy about the output and range of the Outlander PHEV, but all we need to do is look to the U.K.-spec model to get a good idea of what to expect. Altogether, this powertrain produces 203 horsepower, travels up to 32 miles on a single charge, and delivers up to 156 mpg-e. What’s more, the driver can choose the mode that best suits the conditions; the modes include EV, series hybrid, and parallel hybrid.

Charging its 12 kWh battery takes five hours on a 13-amp system or 3.5 hours on a 16-amp charger. On a fast charger, the Outlander PHEV can reach 80 percent of its full charge in just 30 minutes.

Mitsubishi plans to have the Outlander PHEV in U.S. showrooms by the fall of 2016.Stay tuned for more details.