Wednesday, 29 August 2007

Mitsubishi Outlander

The new Mitsubishi Outlander is very sleek and has an elegant look and feel to it and has attracted quite a bit of attention during the my test week, from people wanting to give it the ‘once-over’. Friends and neighbours have come over had a look round the outside were impressed by the size, space and quality of the car, and went away in search of a Mitsubishi dealership. It looks big, hefty and capable of dealing with everyday life and the great outdoors, but actually casts a footprint smaller than most family-sized 5-seat cars.

The Outlander’s dynamic qualities are reinforced by its sleek profile and clean styling cues - the front end features a rounded, curved bonnet swooping down to a large bumper with integrated grille and protective panel. Moving around the rest of the vehicle you notice the distinctively slash-back rear quarter window, the boldly flared wheel arches and the technical LED wrap-around tail lights further adding to the Outlander’s overall distinctive appearance.
Outlander is powered by a Volkswagen-sourced 1968cc intercooled turbo diesel four-cylinder engine. Featuring an advanced pump-jet injection system and a variable geometry turbo charger, it produces 138bhp at 4000rpm and enough power to accelerate the Outlander to 62mph in 10.8seconds and onto a maximum speed of 116mph. Mounted prominently on the centre console is the rally-derived AWC, or All Wheel Control. By turning the rotary switch, the driver can select from three settings; 2WD where only the front wheels are driven for normal road use, 4WD Auto, which activates when the going gets tough and finally, 4WD Lock (50:50 torque split) for when the tough get going.

In the front, the seats are heavily contoured and therefore, supportive, there’s height-adjustment for the driver but not the front passenger and in the top of the range Elegance, the seats are leather-clad, heated and powered. All Outlander models are fitted as standard with fully automatic climate control complete with an effective filter to remove pollen, dust and other impurities. From a driver’s point of view, it is all very easy to use and the rake- and reach-adjustable, means that it is also easy to find a comfortable driving position. The Outlander feels taut and I liked the positive feel of the steering, the six speed box offers a slick and easy gear change. On motorways the ride is comfortable and smooth, even on twisty, minor roads, the Outlander is very stable and well balanced.