Five years ago this month the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV began its pioneering journey to global best-seller when retail sales commenced in The Netherlands on October 21st 2013.
When it was launched the plug-in hybrid market was practically non-existent and electric cars were mostly confined to city limits so the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was truly exploring uncharted territory when it first hit showrooms.
However, thanks to its advanced twin-motor 4WD architecture and genuinely useable EV range, the Outlander PHEV quickly caught the public’s imagination. It packaged this ground-breaking technology in an easy to use, practical and spacious SUV with a 500+ mile range, all backed up by Mitsubishi Motors’ legendary reliability.
Five years later, this pioneering vehicle is still the market-leading plug-in hybrid across Europe, irrespective of segment, brand or body type, with 115,448 total European sales (to Sept. 30th 2018 – MME data) and more than 40,000 sales in the UK to date. Remarkably, it is even more popular than the home-grown competition in some European markets such as Germany or Sweden.
With the launch of the more sophisticated and advanced 2019 model, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV again finds itself leading the field, offering improved driving performance as well as increase petrol and EV efficiency.
While tougher new WLTP real-world emission regulations have depleted the ranks of would-be competitors, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV’s CO2 emissions of 46g/km and 28 mile EV range (WLTP figures) reinforce its status as the benchmark for authentic plug-in hybrid vehicles.
