|
|
|
|
17/02/2012
REVIEW by EWAN KENNEDY
|
|
|
Mitsubishi has provided some advance information on the all-new Outlander that’s going to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and arrive in Australia within a matter of months.
The new-generation Mitsubishi Outlander was designed from the start to be eco-friendly and the result is fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions that Mitsubishi says are among the best in the class.
Just as importantly, many active safety features not usually seen in this price range are also built into the new Mitsubishi medium-duty 4WD.
Lighter body weight from the use of high-tensile strength panelling and improved aerodynamics play their part in the low emission credentials of the all-new Outlander. And also provide strength should the active safety devices not be able to prevent a crash.
The European-market specification Outlander is offered with a choice of petrol and diesel engines. It’s anticipated both will come to Australia.
The petrol powerplant is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit with what sounds like an interesting new concept in valve-train design. We have arranged interviews with Mitsubishi design chiefs at the Geneva show so will be able to expand on details in a future article.
Diesel models use a 2.2-litre in-line four-cylinder turbocharged unit with a very low compression ratio of 14.9:1. The latter enables it to meet the increasingly stringent European diesel emission regulations.
Interestingly, within the next 12 months, Mitsubishi will introduce an Outlander with a plug-in hybrid system in some markets. It’s too early to say if Mitsubishi will bring this model to Australia, but given that the Mitsubishi i-MiEV was the first ever mass production electric car to go on sale in this country there must be a good chance we will see the Outlander hybrid here.
Many active safety features normally only seen on expensive European models will be introduced in the new Mitsubishi Outlander. These include:
FCM (Forward Crash Mitigation) that detects obstacles on the road ahead of the car and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. ACC (Active Cruise Control) that maintain a safe distance between the car in front. This will even work at very low speeds in heavy traffic, which isn’t always the norm with systems such as this.
LDW (Lane Departure Warning) to warn the driver that their vehicle is about to depart from its lane, and therefore that they should pay more attention to their driving.
Mitsubishi Outlander has been a strong seller in Australia since its launch almost 10 years ago. Owners appreciate the fact that’s it’s a reasonably serious 4WD, not simply a station wagon dressed up to look tough. It also works well in the home-school-shopping-etc routine thanks to its adaptable interior and quality of finish. The all-new models sounds pretty interesting. |
|
|
|
|
|
Print Article
Submit Feedback
Email This Article
