Outlander offers pleanty of choice (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Outlander offers pleanty of choice

4:10pm Friday 11th February 2011 in Cars By Echo Reporter

The chief attributes of such models were historically ground clearance and a go-anywhere chassis. Take that go-anywhere chassis away and you’re left with a tall car, which, on the face of things, should actually be as appealing as driving a van.

In reality, the appeal of the modern SUV has considerably less to do with going anywhere than it does with having an increased sense of security on the road. The feeling comes from the commanding position and the increased bulk.

Combining those attributes with the favourable characteristics of a more typical car is what has made the crossover such a success in recent years.

Following the arrival of the genre-spawning Nissan Qashqai, many manufacturers projected crossover status onto existing compact SUV models – many doing so while they developed their own answer to the Nissan model.

With the arrival of its genuine crossover, the notably impressive ASX, Mitsubishi can now release the Outlander model from segment-straddling duty. Returning it to compact SUV status is a good thing. Even in the post-crossover world, there’s still a place for such a model; larger, more accommodating and more substantial than the ASX but smaller, less intimidating and cheaper to run than the full-size Shogun.

Of course, with competition from above and below, the Outlander needs to spread itself across as wide a remit as possible, hence the availability of four-wheel drive, two-wheel drive, twin-clutch automatic and manual models. And while the two-wheel drive manual may seem on paper to bring less to the table in terms of endearing attributes and abilities, this is far from the case.

It’s impressive stature on the road continues to offer the excellent driving position and commanding view that drivers came to love during the SUV boom, and have found hard to give up in more fuel-efficient, austere times.

There’s no doubt a safety advantage to having a better view of the road ahead, as well as one of convenience and the psychological lift that comes courtesy of an elevated status on the road.

As a tow car, the two wheel drive version doesn’t lag far behind the four-wheel drive model. Realistically, once on the move, towing has more to do with the stability and security of the car on the road as it does with grip.

The ground clearance is present, too. That’s not such an issue for urban or suburban compact SUV drivers but, for country-dwellers with challenging access roads, sometimes the increased height is required without the increased traction.

The chief advantage of the two-wheel drive Outlander comes in terms of fuel consumption. Compared with the SST twin-clutch, four-wheel drive model, the manual front-wheel drive version boasts better real world economy. Noticeably, the current fuel consumption indicator spent considerably more time on the right side of 30mpg, although still way below the official figure.

Equipped with Mitsubishi’s 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel unit, the Outlander is surprisingly quick, too.

Given the model’s family car potential, performance driving in the Outlander is unlikely to be a major concern.

One quibble is the heavy nature of the seats operation. They require some effort to retrieve. Folding up the middle row to create extra load space is simple but, again, putting them back in place is not a one-handed affair.

In the front, things are more user-friendly and practical. Storage is excellent with three large bins and the GX3 model is equipped with an iPod connector and steering wheel controls for the audio and cruise control.