• Published On: 21 May 2018
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The company hasn’t launched an all-new product in India for six years. There’s a lot riding on the Outlander’s shoulders.

It’s 2018 and this new Outlander is the SUV will lead the resurgence of the Mitsubishi brand in India. The car we’re driving was first launched overseas in 2012, and this facelifted version was introduced in 2015. It features slim, part-LED headlamps (with an L-shaped running lamp signature) that flank two thick bars of chrome, which make up0 the signature grille. There’s a sliver of black cladding runs around the base of the car, accented by brushed silver trim at the front, rear and sides. The car’s 16-inch wheels, which looks a bit puny inside those big wheel wells.

The Outlander isn’t a massive SUV like the Pajero Sport, but it comes with a fair amount of off-road credentials. On a rough road, you can set the AWD (all-wheel drive) system to Auto, which means the rear wheels will spring to action only when they’re needed. Even when you drive quickly from corner to corner, the car holds its own really well. It responds to inputs so predictably and benignly, it’s great. The steering is well weighted and makes driving this car a lot of fun.

This is no sports sedan or hot hatchback, so for a crossover, it’s quite good to drive. It’s almost as good to drive as Honda’s CR-V. Even on a rough track, the effortless sure-footedness with which the Outlander cruises is mighty impressive for a crossover. Even during everyday driving, the car absorbs bumps well – the suspension does a very good job. It’s not setup firm, but it’s not too soft either. As far as dynamic are concerned, the car feels like it’s built using simple, old-school engineering, which is great! The new Outlander however, only comes with a petrol engine, but a hybrid may come soon. The 2.4-litre MiVEC naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine continues and it makes 167hp and 222Nm, as before. The car is lighter by a not-too-significant 13kg. Power delivery is strong right from the word go, and this 1.6-tonne SUV shoots off the line when you put your foot down. It can hit 100kph in a good 10.6sec. The CVT gearbox is good but it’s nowhere near as smooth or seamless as a dual-clutch or a torque converter. There are virtual gears you can change to using paddles in the steering column. In more relaxed driving environments, refinement is good and the CVT works just fine at city speeds.

On the inside, the car now has seven seats, all wrapped in leather. The dials look good and have a neat colour screen between them, you even get automatic headlamps, wipers and climate control, a sunroof, powered driver’s seat, and heated front seats. There’s a solid battery of safety tech, which includes traction and stability control, hill start assist, and seven airbags. You also get a 6.1-channel Rockford sound system with a subwoofer in the boot.

The front seats are comfortable, while the back seats are adjustable - the middle row can be slid a long way back and forth, from zero legroom to lots of it, but it eats into the last row. The third row, as you’d expect, is best for small kids. The design is quite functional, but not exciting by any means, the all-black colour scheme doesn’t really help matters. Quality of materials is good – parts feel robust and long-lasting, but not special.

There’s a touchscreen unit, but it’s quite small and there’s no Apple CarPlay, Android Auto or Satellite navigation. Overall, this car does a lot of things right, but not enough to have you running to the showroom. Its fundamentals are strong, and at an expected price of around Rs 30 lakh, it’s a solid and dependable SUV to own.