BLOKES WHO KNOW CARS SAY THEIR BIT ON THE PHEV

The Outlander PHEV has impressed a lot of people; reviewers , judges, bloggers and test-drivers alike. We thought we’d show you what a few motoring editors thought:

I’ve never before driven a full-sized all-wheel drive SUV that boasts an average fuel consumption of just 1.9 litres per 100km. That’s 149 miles per gallon – a remarkable claim, given that this vehicle is a full-blown offroad-capable machine weighing in at more than 1800kg.
I try to shy away from using the word game-changer when writing about new motoring products, but in the case of this new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV I’m convinced it has all the potential to be exactly that.

Rob Maetzig, Fairfax

In full electric mode the car will travel up to 52km on stored, off-peak mains power, which EECA says will cost users around $1.40 a day. Maximum speed in EV drive mode is 120km/h, and the car will reach this quickly and eerily. There’s a delicious irony with the Outlander PHEV: because of the car’s incredibly quiet propulsion system, Mitsubishi has used thicker acoustic glass and more sound deadening material to isolate road and tyre noise from the cabin, yet it has also installed a noise generator to warn pedestrians of the vehicle’s approach at very low speeds.

Robert Barry, NZ Company Vehicle

Don’t be surprised if the world’s first production hybrid sports utility with plug-in recharging capability hums by unrecognised; the Outlander PHEV is, in look, a ringer for the best-selling orthodox model.

A walk around gives little hint of the full extent of the re-engineering.

Putting the car on a hoist is the revelation; the whole underside charges. Drive is primarily for two 60kW electric motors, one for each axle – to make it four-wheel-drive – that draw power from a 12kWh lithium ion battery pack under the floor. The rear motor produces 195Nm of torque from zero revs, the front up to 136Nm.

Richard Bosselman, Yahoo

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