Car: Mitsubishi Outlander 2.2 DI-DC
Prices: £26,999 – on the road
Insurance Group: 16
Emissions: 194g/km
Performance: 0-60mph 9.9s / Max Speed 124mph
Fuel Consumption: 38.6mpg [combined]
Safety: Twin front, side and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD, AWC
Dimensions: Length/With/Height [exc roof rails] 4640/1800/1680mm
THE GREATER OF TWO DIESELS
Our Rating: 7.4 / 10
The original Mitsubishi Outlander had no chance with petrol power but the latest model looks much more like it with a choice of diesels of which the 2.2 DI-DC is the range topper. Steve Walker reports…
A spacious and fine handling compact 4x4, the Mitsubishi Outlander is improved by the inclusion of the 2.2-litre DI-DC engine. The unit produces smooth performance and good refinement but is only available in the top trim level. Buyers on a budget may have to settle for the more affordable 2.0 DI-D alternative which is no sluggard itself.
Scratch the surface of the world automotive industry and you’ll uncover a tangled web. Car manufacturers that you thought were battling tooth and nail for your business often turn out to be different arms of the same global conglomerate. Even rival marques that lack these kinds of hard and fast links are regularly found to be cosying-up together in some kind of technology sharing partnership. With so many similar products on similar platforms, using similar technology, success or failure can hinge on who manoeuvres most effectively in the market place, forming the right alliances at the right times. Mitsubishi is never one to duck out of the wheeler-dealing and some astute brokering looks to have put its Outlander 4x4 in a strong position.
Mitsubishi originally brought the MK1 Outlander to market with 2.4-litre MIVEC petrol engine developed in conjunction with DaimlerChrysler and Hyundai. A reasonably modern unit, it did a decent job of getting the Outlander around but for European 4x4 buyers, it had one major drawback. It wasn’t a diesel. Launching a 4x4 without an oil-burning engine in Europe is like launching a collection of fur-lined balaclavas in Jamaica. It’s not really what the local market demands. Lacking a diesel engine suitable for its compact 4x4, Mitsubishi did what any sensible car manufacturer would do and set about trying to borrow one. The results were promising. Today’s second generation Outlander has two competitive diesel engines but the deal that secured the 2.2-litre DI-DC for Mitsubishi saw Peugeot and Citroen get their own versions of the Outlander. The question is was it a fair swap?
When the second generation Outlander first emerged in Spring 2007, it was powered exclusively by a strong 2.0-litre DI-D diesel powerplant sourced from Volkswagen. That engine was quickly followed by the unit we feature here, the 2.2-litre DI-DC common-rail diesel that was developed by Peugeot. The VW lump uses direct injection technology to generate 138bhp b
The Outlander drives extremely well for a compact 4x4. The steering has a nice weight to it and there’s a firm, mechanical quality to the gearchange. The dreaded body roll that afflicts many of the lesser efforts in this sector is well suppressed by the firm suspension and ride comfort on long distance jaunts is also out of the top draw. If you had to pick fault, it would be with the ability of the springs and dampers to soak up the imperfections that litter our minor roads but most would happily take this slight firmness in exchange for the cornering poise it helps to produce.
The Outlander is a 4x4 vehicle and its All Wheel Control (AWC) transmission is controlled by a chunky dial behind the gear lever. The technology forges a close link between the four-wheel drive system and the Active Stability Control program so that it can switch smoothly from two wheel drive (for better fuel economy on road) to a locked four-wheel drive mode when it gets really slippery underfoot. You can also lock it into 2WD or 4WD mode as required using the rotary dial.
It’s the Outlander’s 7-seater capacity is perhaps the main factor that sets it apart from many of the other compact 4x4 products on the market. The ‘Hide & Seat’ third row of seating is big enough for smaller children but definitely a no go area for adults. The middle row is a different story with excellent amounts of legroom even for taller passengers. The seats are mounted higher than those in the front so that children can get a good view out but this does restrict headroom a little and may be a problem if you’re over six feet tall. The boot is very large too, so there should be plenty of space for all the paraphernalia of family life.
The Outlander’s styling is typical 4x4 stuff and Mitsubishi has plenty of experience in this line having been producing 4x4 products since well before it was fashionable to do so. The interior holds to smart minimalist themes with clean surfaces and large controls that couldn’t reall
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