When Mitsubishi Motors commenced its campaign around January 2013 for its eye-to-the-future PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), based on a car platform (Mitsubishi GS) that was already nudging 12 years of existence, I believed that my subsequent cynicism was justified. Environmental transport aspects have moved on considerably since 2001, which meant that the PHEV was operating on a base that was as far removed from eco-friendliness as it could be.
Its platform was used to produce cars as varied as the Mitsubishi Lancer (even in its rally-winning Evo-8 form), the Peugeot 4007, the Citroen C-Crosser, Jeep Compass, Dodge Caliber, Chrysler Sebring, Proton Inspira and Mitsubishi Outlander. It overdosed clearly on applications. Factoring in a pair of electric motors to the regular (but optimised) 2.0-litre petrol engine and making the chassis carry the weight of a substantial battery pack, was hardly a recipe for hyper-efficiency…or was it?
In one-from-top specification (GX4hs), as sampled here, it weighs in at both £41,555 (before lopping off the £2,500 government grant and excluding your FCD discount) and 1,845kgs. You can spend an extra £2,000 on the GX5hs but I really cannot see the point, as the 4hs variant is more than adequately equipped. From the outset, I questioned the integrity of Mitsubishi’s fuel economy claims, in excess of 140mpg. I no longer do so.
I achieved an outstanding 173.9mpg, on a drive from Lincoln, across the Wolds to Skegness, travelling within legal speed limits but not trying especially hard to be economical. In fact, without plugging the PHEV into the mains socket (five hours for a full charge) and using its petrol engine to revitalise the 12kW Lithium-ion battery pack, via regenerative brake energy (using the shifter paddles), over the course of a week’s motoring, I actually attained 64.8mpg overall, which is hugely impressive for a large 4x4. By expending some additional effort on the recharging front, I believe that 100mpg is well within regular bounds.
On the subject of performance, the PHEV cracks the 0-60mph sprint in around 11.0 seconds, although its top speed is rated at only 106mph, despite a combined engine and battery pack power output of 204bhp. It accelerates strongly in the mid-range up to and beyond an indicated 70mph in the right places. There is more than enough performance on tap and the maximum EV range is around 35 miles, with 9.9 gallons/500-plus miles of petrol as support. Juggling between the dial-in EV, Charging and Eco modes maximises the fuel economy range. Most importantly, at no time did I have to endure ‘range anxiety’, a condition familiar to many EV drivers. In fact, the Mitsubishi’s mile-eating capability is outstanding, aided in no small part by the excellent cabin refinement.
The seats are clad in good quality hide, with a small sliver of it being carried onto the dashboard trim, just above the instruments and more on the door cards. Both front seats are heated, as is the steering wheel rim, and, allied to the steering column adjustment, they move through a good range to ensure a safe and supportive driving position. The PHEV incorporates innumerable creature comforts and, apart from the usual safety addenda (airbags and ABS), the car features an ‘Unintended Acceleration Mitigation System’, lane-keeping technology and semi-autonomous braking, when using the distance cruise control. A 360-degree colour camera system provides useful vicinity viewing for parking, or driving off-road, for which the AWD system provides the maximum traction.
Its packaging, despite the bulkiness of the electric motors and battery pack, is that of a spacious and practical estate car, with plenty of leg, head and shoulder room up front and in the rear seats, while the boot offers a moderate 436-litres of carrying capacity, which can be more than doubled, when the back seats are folded forwards. The battery pack is located low down and within the wheelbase, which also helps with the car’s sound dynamic balance.
In truth, I had expected the PHEV to feel more ‘leaden’ on the road than it is. All EVs and most hybrids suffer from weight-related issues. Some are significantly worse than others. Yet, the power steering of the Mitsubishi provides a decent amount of road surface feedback, without dulling responses, and the suspension is not as uncompliant and compromising as quite a few of the latest SUVs. In addition, the brake energy recovery system works more fluently than a lot of rival products (when fitted) and does not detract from the overall braking efficiency. As a result, the PHEV, apart from its lack of mechanical kerfuffle, feels like any competent family estate car to drive.
The most recent styling upgrade works particularly well, with the chromed surrounds to the front grille that supplements the current Mitsubishi family appearance. The application of tactile trim surfaces within the cabin add to the overall impression of high quality, which goes a long way towards justifying what might be perceived as a hefty price tag.
While business users, who are little interested in more than monthly lease/rental rates that are competitive due to the PHEV’s undoubted popularity and solid residual value, have been drawn to the car in their droves, private buyers constitute a healthy proportion of the well-over 100,000 European registrations. Other undoubted attractions lie in its low road tax penalty and just 7% Company Car Benefit-In-Kind Tax (the average is around 25%).
