You can understand why Japanese and Korean car makers continue to rollout petrol-
only models.
Not all buyers want or can afford the cost of an electric vehicle, although that is the
way the market is ultimately heading.
With a barrage of competition from cheaper Chinese rivals, anything they can do to
pick up a few extra sales is fast becoming essential.
And so, we have the top of the range Outlander Exceed Tourer, powered by a 2.5-
litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, with all the bells and whistles to match.
In fairness, Mitsubishi also offers hybrids or more specifically plug-in hybrids, for the
Outlander and Eclipse Cross, but naturally they cost more — quite a bit more in fact.
STYLING
Before proceeding, it should be pointed out that Outlander shares its underpinnings
with the Nissan X-Trail, so you might want to shop both vehicles.
Prices for Outlander start from $39,990 for the five-seat, front-wheel drive petrol
Outlander ES. It’s followed by LS, Aspire, Exceed and Exceed Tourer, the last
topping out at $57,990 plus on-road costs, with two or all-wheel drive and five or
seven seats an option with some grades.
If you’re feeling a little guilty about pumping unnecessary hydrocarbons into the
atmosphere, the Exceed Tourer in plug-in hybrid form takes the price to a lofty
$74,490 plus on roads.
At a savings of $17,000, our test vehicle was the petrol-powered, five-seat, all-wheel
drive Exceed Tourer.
Launched in May 2025, the latest Outlander features local steering and suspension
tuning, reportedly adopted for markets around the world because it’s so good.
Minor styling changes have been made to freshen up the car, with updated bumpers
and lower garnish, designed to create a modern look with improved aerodynamics.
The lights have also been upgraded with the rear combination units featuring a
‘smoked’ clear outer lens and a ‘black tone’ inner.
Rear turn indicators and reversing lights are now LED.
The profile benefits from updated wheel designs, with 18s for the ES and LS, and a
more complex 20-inch design for Aspire, Exceed and Exceed Tourer.
Exceed adds such goodies as cooled and heated front seats, aluminium pedals,
frame-less rear-view mirror (with digital monitor), memory and auto tilt in reverse for
exterior mirrors, along with front door puddle lights and a rear cargo floor box with lid.
The icing on the cake for Tourer includes two-tone exterior paintwork, full-size alloy
spare, quilted brown semi-aniline leather trim, massage front seats, heated second-
row seats and the Dynamic Sound Yamaha Ultimate audio system with 12 speakers.
Outlander is covered by a 5-year/100,000km warranty or 10 years/200,000km
provided you get it serviced by Mitsubishi – plus 10-year capped price servicing, plus
up to four years of complimentary roadside assistance.
INFOTAINMENT
The new 12.3-inch infotainment system features higher resolution and an enhanced
response rate, with another 12.3-inch screen for the instrument cluster, plus two
selectable themes.
There’s Bluetooth with voice control, AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio, built-in
navigation, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto and in the case of the Tourer —
Yamaha premium audio.
This includes 12 speakers and is designed to deliver a rich, cinematic experience,
with a subwoofer, dual amps and Yamaha’s Digital Signal Processor (DSP) with
Finite Impulse Response, delivering 1650 watts of power for an immersive sound
experience.
There’s also wireless charging and five USB-C ports (2 x front, 2 x back and 1 x
console box), with 12-volt outlets in the front and luggage area.
Outlander is the first model to get Mitsubishi Connect.
Available in LS grade and above, it features SOS calls, automatic collision
notification, breakdown assistance, anti-theft notification, curfew alert, geo-fence
alert, speed alert and tow-away notification.
SAFETY
Five-star safety includes refinements to the haptic brake warning, blind spot
intervention and lane departure prevention systems.
Autonomous emergency braking (Car to Car, Vulnerable Road User, Junction and
Backover) as well as a lane support system with lane keep assist (LKA), lane
departure warning (LDW) and emergency lane keeping (ELK) are standard.
There’s also driver monitoring, camera-linked rear automatic braking, 360-degree
monitor, traffic sign recognition with active cruise control and speed limit link.
A centre airbag provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact
crashes, but the third row misses out on side airbag protection.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
Apart from the PHEV, all grades get the same proven 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated
four-cylinder petrol engine.
Paired with a CVT style transmission, it generates 135kW of power at 6000 rpm and
244Nm from 3600 rpm.
DRIVING
The new model is 4720mm long, 1862mm wide and 1745mm high, with a 2706mm
wheelbase and 11.2 metre turning circle
The interior has been redesigned, with higher quality materials throughout, and
stitched and quilted part-leather trim.
An updated centre console sees the cup holders relocated, while centre storage has
grown 45 per cent.
In the second row, new padding improves support and the seat back itself has been
lengthened for additional comfort.
For the first time cooled front seats are offered up front for Exceed and Exceed
Tourer. They’re also heated — not just the front seats but the outer, second-row
positions in Tourer.
All interior lighting is now touch-sensitive LED.
Australian and overseas research and development staff worked closely to refine the
updated Outlander’s ride and handling balance.
Working on roads throughout Australia and Japan, the group developed new
suspension components and a steering map to ensure Outlander drives better than
before.
Updates include re-calibrated front and rear shock absorbers with changes to both
bump and rebound tuning, and a smaller-diameter front anti-roll bar.
The electric power steering has been re-mapped to provide improved on-centre feel
and a more linear response when turning.
Finally, the whole package was calibrated to work in conjunction with a new
Bridgestone summer tyre.
The updated model also benefits from several chassis and body updates designed to
reduce noise, vibration and harshness.
For example, a new isolator was added to the transmission tunnel, while the use of
steel for the bonnet further reduces sound intrusion.
In all, 18 structural points were identified and addressed to enhance the passenger
experience.
High-end Exceed and Exceed Tourer feature Super All-Wheel Control all-wheel
drive.
With a 55-litre tank it takes standard 91 unleaded with fuel consumption a claimed
8.1L/100km for this model.
Getting into the Outlander for the first time we were impressed by the fit and finish,
generous space and comfortable seats, along with the way the chunky steering
wheel sat snugly in our hands.
The cabin is a nice, relaxing place to wile away the hours.
The non-turbo, non-hybrid 2.5-litre engine feels more than adequate around town,
with gear change paddles and eight steps or simulated gears to play with.
At the same time, it could do with some more grunt, especially when it comes to
merging or overtaking out on the open road.
This is where the gear change paddles come into play, allowing you to quickly drop
back a step or two.
But, with a full complement of passengers and their gear for a trip away, it could
struggle.
Given Mitsubishi’s boast about Australian input into the ride and handling, we were
expecting big things.
The experience on our favourite rural drive route, which features plenty of rise and
fall and sneaky potholes to dodge, wasn’t bad — but it’s not what we’d call life-
changing.
Furthermore, 20-inch wheels with low profile 255/45 series rubber reduce roll in
corners, but they are just not that absorbent when it comes to bumps.
The wagon crashes through potholes and even becomes a tad bouncy at speed, but
fortunately doesn’t get out of shape.
A centre rotary terrain control offers a variety of scenarios to select from.
Dynamic we assume is Mitsu-speak for Sport and locks in all-wheel drive.
For anyone seriously considering heading off road in the Outlander, it’s an SUV not a
4WD, and ground clearance is a moderate 210mm.
But it will happily take you down a rough dirt road without too many dramas.
Keep away from sand — it’s hard on transmissions.
If the Japanese helped with ride and handling, the Chinese seem to have infiltrated
the driver assistance systems, with a constant and unexpected barrage of irritating
warnings.
Braked towing capacity by the way is 1600kg and it comes with a full-size alloy spare
(tick).
Rated at 8.1L/100km. we were getting 8.6L after close to 400km of driving. The long-
term average, for more than 5000km, was 9.0L/100km.
These figures are not outrageous, but by the same token are not really up to
expectations in this day and age.
SUMMING UP
Outlander Exceed Tourer is a classy, accomplished motor car.
It will appeal to a wide cross-section of buyers, but the main problem is cheaper,
arguably better competitors.
For the price of this car, you can get into a full-blown, plug-in hybrid Chinese SUV,
that in at least one case has also been tuned for local roads.
They offer stronger performance, better fuel economy and an equally impressive
equipment list and buyers are starting to take notice.
The Yamaha sound system is a keeper though and adds a welcome point of
difference.
RATINGS:
Looks: 8
Performance: 7
Safety: 7.5
Thirst: 7
Practicality: 7.5
Comfort: 7.5
Tech: 7.5
Value: 7.5
Overall: 7.4
AT A GLANCE
MODEL LINE-UP
Outlander ES FWD 5-seat, $39,990
Outlander ES AWD 5-seat, $42,490
Outlander LS FWD 5+2-seat, $43,290
Outlander LS AWD 5+2-seat, $45,790
Outlander LS Black Edition AWD 5+2-seat, $49,990
Outlander Aspire FWD 5+2-seat, $47,790
Outlander Aspire AWD 5+2-seat, $50,290
Outlander Exceed AWD 5-seat, $55,140
Outlander Exceed Tourer AWD 5-seat, $55,140
Outlander Exceed Tourer AWD 5-seat, $57,990
Outlander PHEV ES AWD 5-seat, $57,290
Outlander PHEV Aspire AWD 5-seat, $63,790
Outlander PHEV Exceed AWD 7-seat, $69,290
Outlander PHEV Exceed Tourer AWD 7-seat, $71,790
Outlander PHEV GSR AWD 7-seat, POA
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact
your Mitsubishi local dealer for drive-away prices.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed Tourer, 2.5-litre 4-cyl petrol, 8spd auto, AWD
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.5-litre
Configuration: four cylinders inline, naturally aspirated
Maximum power 135 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum torque: 244 Nm @ 3600 rpm
Fuel type: Petrol 91 RON
Combined fuel cycle: (ADR 81/02) 8.1 L/100km
CO2 emissions: 185 g/km
DRIVELINE:
8-speed CVT-style automatic, all-wheel drive
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT, AND CAPACITIES
Length: 4720 mm
Width: 1862 mm
Height: 1745 mm
Wheelbase: 2706 mm
Kerb weight: 1695 kg
Turning circle: 11.2 m
Fuel tank: 55 l
BRAKES:
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Disc
STANDARD WARRANTY:
5 years / 100,000km
10 years / 200,000km (if serviced by Mitsubishi)
