SECTOR: SUV PRICE: €30,400 to €32,100 (approx.) FUEL: 4.0–6.4l/100km CO2: 44g/km

Size means that Mitsubishi is not a big player in the fleet sector, but as advanced hybrids like the Opel Ampera have shown, low CO2 emissions can be particularly attractive for fleet drivers where CO2 emissions-based tax systems are in use. Several countries also offer incentives for buying hybrid and electric vehicles too, which might help to offset the higher price.

So could Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV plug-in hybrid make a good fleet vehicle? The problem, as with all advanced hybrid and electric vehicles is the price, even with grant funding available in some countries. Low CO2 emissions – the Outlander PHEV emits 44g/km – makes this car an attractive proposition for drivers where Benefit-in-Kind taxation applies. That figure equates to 1.91l/100km on the EU combined cycle. How easy that is to achieve will depend on your driving cycle. The Outlander’s lithium–ion battery will provide an electrically driven range of up to 52km. Short-range commuting could be covered almost entirely by electric power, meaning that the car would rarely use its 119hp 2.0-litre petrol engine.

Like the Ampera, the Outlander PHEV’s main advantage is that it is not restricted by the available battery capacity. The car is fitted with two 60kW electric drive motors, one at the front and one at the rear, giving four-wheel drive when required. In addition, the car has three drive modes: EV, series hybrid and parallel hybrid. EV mode uses battery power to drive the front and rear motors. In series hybrid mode, the engine supplies electric power direct to the motors and in parallel hybrid mode, the motor drives the front wheels with assistance from the electric motors.

Mitsubishi says that the batteries can be completely recharged in five hours from a 13-amp supply or four hours from a 16-amp supply. The car has a rapid charging facility too which means that it would take 30 minutes to restore an 80% charge in the batteries, which can also be directly charged using the petrol engine.

The compromise compared with conventionally powered Outlanders is that the third row seat option is not available, making the Outlander PHEV a five-seater. This is because the batteries are stored under the floor, although the car still provides 463 litres of luggage space with the rear seats in place. Driving the car is as straightforward as any other electric car. Once the power is switched on, it’s a matter of selecting your drive mode and setting off. In EV mode the car moves off silently – Mitsubishi provides an audible warning for pedestrians that operates up to around 30km/h. The paddle-shift levers behind the steering wheel allow the driver to select higher or lower levels of regenera- tive braking, meaning it is possible to drive the car without using the brakes. When the batteries have been run down, the engine will start up to provide power quietly enough to almost pass unnoticed. It’s an interesting package with the potential to use very little petrol and takes a step forward in making advanced hybrids mainstream.

Verdict:

Outlander PHEV is an impressive car, but does it make financial sense? That will depend on the available incentives and tax regime. It moves the EV technology game on.