Mitsubishi Outlander GSR plug-in hybrid review finds it can double as home battery

Plug-in hybrids aren’t new, but the classy Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR seven-seater has an ace up its sleeve

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR sits atop the range with a drive-away price of about $78,000.

You know you’re on the right path when attracting the attention of luxury buyers.

One learned friend recently traded his Lexus NX for the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV.

Launched in 2021, the new Outlander signified a vastly improved product from Mitsubishi.

While among the plug-in hybrid pioneers, it was the external dimensions, along with the upgraded cabin materials, that have delivered substantial improvements to the mid-size SUV.

Early models had a pure electric range of about 40km, but this new generation has more than doubled the original figure.

Prices for the hybrid start at about $62,000 for the base ES (an entry-level all-wheel drive petrol model with five seats is $17,000 less), but an athletic new GSR was recently added to the range and it now sits atop the Outlander plug-in shelf at $78,830 drive-away.

What do you get?

The sporty GSR facade comes via a range of black finishes, most notably 20-inch alloys and the Outlander bonnet lettering. Also finished in glossy black are the bumpers, skid plate, door mirrors, roof rails and grille.

There is also an exclusive paint option of red with a black roof. Other offerings are white, silver or titanium with the black roof combination, or black with bronze.

Sharing its feature list with the slightly cheaper Exceed Tourer, the GSR also comes with heated front seats with massage function, cushy leather trim, nine-speaker Bose stereo, 12.3-inch digital driver display, phone charging pad, embedded rear window sunshades, power tailgate, wireless smartphone mirroring apps and a panoramic sunroof.

Mitsubishi does offer the best warranty going around at 10 years, although it’s capped at 200,000km. To gain full coverage you have to maintain Mitsubishi dealership servicing throughout – otherwise it’s restricted to half that value.

Capped price servicing is available throughout the decade, which collectively would cost $5490. That’s more expensive than the basic combustion engine version, which is estimated at $4340.

One of the biggest trump cards of the Outlander is its bi-directional functionality. That means not only can it run like an electric vehicle, but it can be used to put energy back into the grid, another vehicle, a building or a home.

Mitsubishi says an Outlander with a full tank of fuel during its “charge mode” and the 20kWh battery could power a typical Australian home for up to seven days.

Among the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR internal highlights are cushy leather trim, a nine-speaker Bose stereo, 12.3-inch digital driver display, phone charging pad, embedded rear window sunshades, wireless smartphone mirroring apps and a panoramic sunroof.

How was the drive?

With a full electric range of just over 80km, the hybrid Outlander was showing a range of more than 1000km when fully juiced.

Maintaining regular overnight charges throughout the week, we managed to primarily run on electric power before a couple of longer highway journeys required the four-cylinder petrol engine to take control. Yet we still managed more than 1000km with 220km worth of fuel still in the tank.

Using a standard household power point took about 10 hours to charge fully, starting with about 20 per cent of energy still in the battery.

Operating purely on electric power delivers the more responsive performance. It’s not insanely quick, like a Tesla Model 3 Performance variant but, off the line, the Outlander PHEV is brisk for a seven-seater.

Underfloor battery positioning aids the centre of gravity and cornering remains well balanced. Attack the bends with too much momentum and the body roll becomes evident, which is the case for most SUVs.

When out of electric power and the petrol engine does the bulk of the work the engine soundtrack can be gruff, but under the majority of circumstances the Outlander has near impeccable manners with a quiet ride.

During our road test of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR we managed average fuel consumption of 4.1L/100km. .

Would you buy one?

Kel: Many people are chasing greener transport solutions. For those of us in regional areas where we undertake longer travels, having a pure EV doesn’t stack up in terms of common sense. I like the plug-in hybrid for that solution. The Outlander has a prestige look, and the GSR version just makes it better. If only the heated seats got warmer than just taking the edge off … then I would be sold.

Grant: The starting price would make many shirk, and the GSR upgrades are purely cosmetic with no additional sporting prowess. There is no doubting the PHEV Outlander can be an ultra efficient offering – many people wouldn’t travel more than 80km a day. Get the vehicle-to-grid or vehicle-to-home functionality working and that’s where the real pay-off can be for frugal buyers. Charge by day on solar and use the energy in your home at night. That would lock me into a deal.

Originally published as Mitsubishi Outlander GSR plug-in hybrid review finds it can double as home battery