2022 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV detailed: Seven seats, bigger battery and more driving range for Ford Escape and MG HS PHEV rival

Mitsubishi has upped the battery capacity and electric driving range of its all-new Outlander PHEV that should hit Australian shores in the first half of 2022.

Mitsubishi says it has increased the output of the front and rear motors by 40 per cent, and the new Outlander PHEV comes with a larger 20kWh battery, up from 13.8kWh in the outgoing version.

Electric driving range gets a 33km boost from 54km to 87km which is more than its plug-in hybrid medium SUV rivals. That’s 31km more than the upcoming Ford Escape PHEV (56km) and 35km more than the MG HS PHEV (52km). The one-size larger Kia Sorento PHEV can drive for 68km on electric power.

The fuel tank capacity has also increased for a better overall driving range, but Mitsubishi hasn’t said by how much.

The Japanese carmaker revealed images of the plug-in version of its mid-size SUV a couple of weeks ago but held back details of its powertrain. It looks to be continuing that theme as it still hasn’t announced details of the petrol engine or fuel economy figures.

Power in the current version comes from a 2.4-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with a PHEV powertrain for a combined output of 157kW of power and 332Nm of torque.

The other big news for Mitsubishi’s new eco car is that it will be offered with a third seating row for the first time. While non-hybrid Outlander variants were available with seven seats, the outgoing Outlander PHEV was a five-seat only proposition.

Mitsubishi says it freed up space for the third row by unifying the rear motor with the control unit, while moving the control unit has also made for a quieter cabin.

A regenerative braking system will allow drivers to accelerate and decelerate without using the brake pedal, similar to systems like Nissan’s e-Pedal.

As expected, the new PHEV features Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control twin-motor four-wheel drive system, which sends drive to front and rear wheels depending on road conditions.

There are seven drive modes to choose from including Normal, Tarmac, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Power and Eco.

Built on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s CFM-CD architecture that also underpins the upcoming next-generation Nissan X-Trail and Qashqai, the Outlander has greater body and torsional rigidity than before and the latest version of Mitsubishi’s active safety tech.

Internationally, three model grades will be available, M, G and P, but those variant names are unlikely to be used in Australia. The current PHEV is offered in ES, GSR and Exceed grades, with pricing ranging from $47,990 to $56,490 before on-road costs.

Pricing for the new PHEV hasn’t been revealed but given the regular petrol variants have increased in price between $2000 and $4000 per grade, expect pricing for the plug-in to jump up too.

Petrol versions of the new fourth-gen Outlander start to roll into showrooms in November priced between $34,490 to $49,990 before on-road costs.

The Outlander was the first mainstream PHEV on the Australian market back in 2014 and Mitsubishi has since sold 290,000 units globally.