The 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander wades into the mid-sized SUV market with a number of compelling reasons for buyers to put it on their comparison lists.
This is the third generation of the vehicle, which debuted in 2012. Last year, Mitsubishi extensively upgraded the vehicle to keep it competitive.
The upgrades are eagerly welcome, as four years these days can seem like an eternity in a market as dynamic as the one for SUVs.
Competitors include the Hyundai Santa Fe XL, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Highlander and the Chevrolet Traverse.
Why these models and not others? Because in order to compare apples to apples, one has聽to consider the subset of the market where the Outlander finds itself.
These vehicles are the last ones to offer V-6 engines for customers who intend to tow, since a growing number of manufacturers are turning to turbocharged engines to improve fuel economy.
The other reason is that these contenders carry at least seven passengers (and depending on configuration, some boast the ability to squeeze eight).
Although the Outlander comes in a 2.4-litre four-cylinder model with just front-wheel drive for $26,698, I drove a top-of-the-line GT model with the six-cylinder and all-wheel drive, the more popular (and useful) version with a MSRP of $37,998.
The price is the first reason most shoppers pay attention. While it is about $11,000 more than the base Outlander model, it is comparable to the base model of most of the aforementioned competitors.
Car manufacturers being what they are, it is virtually impossible to compare apples to apples. Suffice to say that the level of standard features is impressive.
On my tester, that included dual-zone climate control, an all-round camera system on top of a back-up camera, blind-spot warning, lane-change assist, forward collision mitigation (automatically applies brakes for vehicles or pedestrians) and rear cross-traffic alert.
While I didn鈥檛 need it now, the steering wheel is heated (along with the heated leather seats), and a sunroof, which comes in handy these days.
The audio system includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two essential parts of a connected system with your phone these days.
But the V-6 engine is the reason I wanted to drive the Outlander. The 3.0-litre V-6 produces 224 hp and 215 foot-pounds of torque, enough to tow almost 1,600 kilograms (3,500 pounds).
If you look at the vehicle specifications side-by-side, you wouldn鈥檛 be impressed, as that is the least powerful engine in this small sample.
But that isn鈥檛 the whole story, as the Outlander only tips the scales at 1,630 kilograms 鈥� the lightest of the bunch, about 585 kilograms lighter than the Traverse, the heaviest.
As you can imagine, pushing around less weight is directly co-related to fuel consumption, which, at 11.9 in the city and 8.5 per 100 km on the highway, is the second-best in this group. The downside is that Mitsubishi recommends you feed it a diet of premium gas.
I imagine that it could even be better, if the Outlander had been equipped with engine stop-start or added a few more gears in the existing six-speed automatic transmission. A case in point is that the Toyota Highlander is equipped with an eight-speed transmission, and it boasts the best fuel economy in the group 鈥� despite an engine that produces 72 more horses and weighing 360 kilograms more.
A button on the centre console behind the shifter allows the driver to engage one of four modes 鈥� Eco, Snow, Lock and Normal.
Acceleration is decent, especially using the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters in manual mode.
I did not get to take the Outlander off-road, but if past history (and hundreds of thousands of off-road drivers) are any indication, the Outlander will probably get you home in the worst weather Mother Nature can throw at you.
As stated earlier, the Outlander is a seven-passenger SUV. Just be aware that adults may not get into that third-row seat without complaint 鈥� or without contortions. It is a space left for nimble and agile children. The second-row back seats fold flat, but competitors have been able to devise systems that don鈥檛 require an operator to pull-tuck and fold (in sequence) manually to get them there.
The second-row seats do slide forward, should you want to increase legroom for the souls languishing in the back.
Keep in mind that the Outlander is the smallest vehicle in this group, both in length and wheelbase. This can be an advantage in fuel economy and getting out of tight situations, but the extra millimetres are welcome when carrying people and cargo.
One last note. Mitsubishi is a relatively young entrant into the marketplace, delivering its first vehicles in sa国际传媒 in 2004. To offset that, they offer a superior new-car and powertrain warranty 鈥� 10 years and 160,000 kilometres.
The Outlander isn鈥檛 the sexiest-looking, the fastest or most cutting-edge entrant in the mid-size SUV market. But its ability to shine in a few important areas make it worth consideration.
THE SPEC SHEET
Type: Mid-sized seven-passenger SUV, front engine, all-wheel-drive
Engine: 3.0-litre V-6, 224 hp at 6,250 r.p.m., 215 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,750 r.p.m.
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Dimensions (mm): Length, 4,695; width, 1,810; height, 1,680; wheelbase, 2,670
Curb weight (kg): 1,630
Price (base/as tested): $37,998/ $39,798 (includes $1,700 freight and PDI and $100 AC tax)
Options: Nil
Tires: 225/55 R 18 on alloy wheels
Fuel type: Premium
Fuel economy (L/100km): 11.9 city/ 8.5 city
Warranty: Ten years/160,000 km new car, ten years/160,000 km powertrain, 10 years/ unlimited km roadside assistance