Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 4h 2018 UK first drive

A little bit better in some ways; but at least 90% familiar in what it is, what it does on the road, and in the way that it does it.

Stiffened chassis welds, new shock absorbers, a new steering rack and a change of tyre supplier combine to make a perceptible difference to the car’s handling response, body control and ride comfort – but not a big enough difference, in any case, to make the Outlander’s driving experience stand out in any new way.

There is now a ‘sport’ driving mode that sharpens the car’s throttle response and adds weight to its steering – but it’s not a particularly convincing one, and doesn’t change the fact that this car feels at its best when wafting along in comfortable, quiet, relaxing and efficient fashion. Dig deep into the car’s accelerator travel and, while those beefed-up electric motors and bigger engine do make for slightly more authoritative acceleration than before, they don’t make for desperately strong outright pace. Or for much driver involvement, for that matter, as the petrol engine spins up to peak revs without feeling particularly well-connected to the driving wheels.

So there’s been no great character change exacted here. But then, as we’ve already hinted, you might not think the Outlander PHEV was in need of one. It was and remains an interesting car to drive in its way, when running solely on electric power.

The car’s bigger battery would appear to have made little if any difference to zero-emissions range. When this tester ran an early Outlander PHEV as a long-termer in 2014, it would do about 25 miles on a full battery before the petrol engine kicked in. In the new version, you might make that 27 or 28, once you’re used to eking out your battery charge by varying the car’s power regeneration settings: something not all electrified powertrains make so easy.

There is certainly a bit more electrical oomph on offer for accelerating away from junctions, for climbing and for nipping into gaps in the traffic, with Mitsubishi claiming the car will now quietly usher itself up to the far side of 80mph without needing to wake its petrol engine. On anything other than motorway, or for A- and B-road overtaking, you’re unlikely to need the car’s combustion powerplant in order to keep up with the general flow of traffic - unless you're driving in hybrid mode, after the battery has been depleted. Around town and from low speeds, meanwhile, there’s enough electric motor torque to make the Outlander feel as speedy and responsive as you’re likely to want it to be.

As an affordable family SUV with sub-50g/km carbon emissions, the Outlander PHEV found itself in a class of one when it appeared four years ago. Mitsubishi must scarcely believe its luck that, four years on, the car’s still in that position. And so, if Kia’s Kia Niro PHEV just isn’t quite spacious enough for you, or if four-wheel drive is a motivating factor, this car will still make an awful lot of financial sense for a great many people.

Mitsubishi’s UK importer has sold almost 40,000 of them so far, and expects to sell plenty more. With nothing else quite like it on the market – and since the firm estimates that this car can save £5000 a year for an owner with a 20-mile each-way daily commute, who does about 18,000 miles a year, pays company car tax and is switching from a typical 40mpg diesel SUV – so it should.

This tester would certainly warn anyone getting out of a credible premium-branded car that running an Outlander PHEV might not make you laugh quite all the way to the bank, travel agent, retail park or mortgage broker. This is an easy-going and relaxing car to drive, and one of interesting glimpses to drive, but its perceived quality levels remain a key weakness at the price point - and if you don’t plan to charge it, it could end up costing you money rather than saving it.

As long as you’re happy to accept the limitations of an efficient, comfortable and functional, if slightly plain and one-dimensional family car, however – and you’re ready and able to fully embrace plug-in car ownership – I suspect you won’t regret picking an Outlander PHEV one little bit.