What’s Unique About the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV?

Now that the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has been added to the North American lineup and is already on its way to dealership showrooms, it’s time to talk a little more about what makes this plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) so darn special! What makes it “unique” aside from the fact that it’s a plug-in hybrid? What makes it tick? Is there anything new? Well, let’s take a look at a couple of the features that make the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV “unique”.

Powertrain

Let’s get the most obvious bit out of the way. The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is powered by a plug-in hybrid setup. What this means is, like any other hybrid or PHEV model, the Outlander PHEV is powered by both, an internal combustion engine powered by gasoline and an electric motor powered by a battery. But unlike hybrid vehicles, PHEVs have a battery and electric motor that are powerful enough to run the vehicle itself without the internal combustion engine. The current setup in the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a 2.0-liter MIVEC DOHC 4-cylinder engine that can generate 117 horsepower and 137 lb-ft of torque and two electric motors .

That would be the first unique difference about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Most plug-in hybrids split the power between the internal combustion engine and one electric motor. The Outlander PHEV has two electric motors. Both can generate 60 kW of power; the front motor can generate 101 lb-ft of torque (represented as 137 Newton Meters (Nm) on the Mitsubishi website due to European metrics), and the rear motor can generate 143 lb-ft of torque (195 Nm). The battery that powers these motors is a 12.0 kWh lithium-ion battery – definitely larger than one would find in a normal hybrid vehicle.

Savings

If one were to wish to go green all the time with a Mitsubishi vehicle, the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV gets 22 miles with only electricity. That can match most daily commutes, and with the multiple charging stations in Miami, Florida and all of the savings one can get with the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV , only using electric energy is a bargain for a couple of dollars to charge up. Also, being a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and not a regular hybrid vehicle, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is eligible for $5,836 in federal tax credits if purchased within the previous year tax year, i.e. Buy the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in 2018, and you will receive a credit up to $5,836 in the federal taxes that you owe for that tax year. Sweeeeeeeeeet.

Fuel Economy

When it comes to driving range with an electric motor is in the mix, a plug-in hybrid has a few different measurements of fuel economy — total driving range, all-electric range (AER), MPG, and MPGe.

• MPG is the fuel economy of the vehicle when only powered by its internal combustion engine. When the Outlander PHEV is only powered by its internal combustion engine, it has a combined city/highway fuel economy of 25 MPG.
• MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) is the average fuel economy of the vehicle operating with its internal combustion engine and battery. The Mitsubishi Outlander averages 74 MPGe.
• The total driving range of vehicle is the total distance a vehicle can travel when all of its driving components are full, so in the case of a PHEV, that is a full tank of gas and a fully charged battery. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has a total driving range of 310 miles.
• All-electric range (AER) is the total distance a PHEV or electric vehicle can travel when only powered by its battery. The Mitsubishi Outlander has an ER of 22 miles, and the vehicle does not emit any tailpipe emissions during those 22 miles.

Drivetrain

Another awesome thing about the Outlander PHEV is that it is fuel efficient and also capable, because the Outlander PHEV comes with Mitsubishi’s super-all-wheel control (S-AWC) as the drivetrain – not a feature most people think of when they think of fuel economy. Thanks to the Outlander PHEV’s S-AWC, it has the freedom to explore off the beaten path. S-AWC also helps driving in a variety of road conditions and weather.

Technology

When it comes to Mitsubishi Motors, some of their vehicles in recent years struggled a bit with modern technology, saving the good stuff for high-end trims or non-existent until the next model year. Before 2018 even began, Mitsubishi Motors released many of their 2018 model-year vehicles with upgraded interiors and technology options. Moreover, the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV came with the best tech available to Mitsubishi Motors (at the time) for both trims.

Having only two trims, the Outlander PHEV SEL S-AWC and GT S-AWC (both with Mitsubishi’s super all-wheel control drivetrain), both trims also come with a 7-inch smartphone link display audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities – that’s a first for a Mitsubishi base trim. Both trims also came with Digital HD Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio for three months, and of course, Bluetooth wireless technology and steering wheel-mounted controls for audio, phone, and voice. The base trim, SEL S-AWC, comes with a six-speaker system with no upgrade option. The second trim, GT S-AWC comes with a nine-speaker Rockford Fosgate premium audio system for some sweet tunes. Mitsubishi Motors is one of few if not the only automaker with Rockford Fosgate products as well. Just one more feature that makes it unique among other plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Check it out. The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV comes with plenty of features that separate it from the rest of the pack. When looking for an alternative fuel vehicle, swing by Miami Lakes Automall and take a look at our inventory of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles.

* Photo Source/Copyright: TheVerge.com *

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