After publishing revealing images earlier this month, Mitsubishi is now finally sharing some technical specifications of the new Outlander PHEV. For the first time, the electrified SUV is offered with three rows of seats, made possible thanks to better packaging after unifying the rear-mounted electric motor with the control unit to obtain additional floor space. Moving the control unit outside of the passenger area also improves comfort as there are fewer high-frequency noises penetrating the cabin.
The new plug-in hybrid Outlander will use a battery pack with a capacity of 20 kWh, which Mitsubishi says has enough juice for 87 kilometers (54 miles) of range based on the Worldwide Harmonized Light Duty Test Cycle (WLTC). Curiously, the Japanese automaker still isn’t willing to talk about the horsepower and torque figures, only saying the output of the front and rear electric motors has increased by approximately 40%.
Based on the latest-generation Nissan Rouge, the new Outlander PHEV comes with a larger gasoline tank to expand the driving range when combining hybrid and electric modes. As with many electrified vehicles, the revamped SUV can be driven by only using the accelerator pedal as Mitsubishi’s engineers have added a pedal operation mode that brakes the car after taking your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Another novelty brought by the latest generation is an evolution of the company’s proprietary Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) by adding brake Active Yaw Control (AYC) for the rear wheels. The technology improves handling and stability courtesy of torque vectoring for controlling the brakes on the left and right wheels of the rear axle. In addition, the power delivery between the front and rear wheels is now done in a more optimal way.
Regarding its market launch, the plan is to have the Outlander PHEV on sale in Japan from December 16, with Australia and New Zealand to follow in the first half of next year while the United States will get the vehicle in the latter half of 2022 where it’ll likely be available as a 2023MY.
Source: Mitsubishi
