Mitsubishi's revival continues

Mitsubishi says its new Outlander is another example of the spirit of revival running through the corridors of the Japanese carmaker.

The first sign of things to come was the small Colt of in 2004. Next up was last year's 380 sedan, the replacement for the Diamante.

"We are really excited about Outlander," said Peter Wilkins, sales and marketing chief for Mitsubishi Motors NZ. "It epitomises our brand and is bursting with with technology developed from a long history in top-level motorsport."

In its first two months on the Japanese market, Outlander out-sold its sales targets by 250 per cent.

"With fuel economy test figures of 8.6l/100kms, the Outlander will be a real bonus for sports utility vehicle owners who have seen their wallets getting lighter as the price of oil continues to climb," said Wilkins.

The Outlander was launched in Wellington on Thursday, replacing the slow-selling Airtrek.

Three models are available - the LS at $ 34,990, XLS at $38,490 and VR-X at $43,990. The difference between the three is mostly trim levels and the number of airbags. The LS rides on 16in steel wheels, the XLS and VR-X on 18in alloys. There are anti-locking disc brakes all-round.

Key features include an electronic on-demand all-wheel-drive system with active stability control. It allows drivers to change modes on the fly, switching from two-wheel-drive to full-time or part-time AWD at the turn of a dial.

Interior space is generous. Access is easy with hip-height seats and the centre console carries the gear shift, 2WD/AWD selector, handbrake and an elbow-high, two level storage compartment.

The LS has halogen headlights with manual levelling , while both the XLS and VR-X have discharge headlights with self-levelling.

The Herald spent several hours last year on Mitsubishi's test track in Japan driving the Outlander, which shares its platform with the next-generation GS Lancer.

It is considerably bigger inside and out than the Airtrek and offers a much improved, sportier styling. New features include a horizontally split tailgate, one-touch automatic fold rear seats that split 60/40, improved safety engineering and an aluminium roof for lightness and a lower centre of gravity.

The idea for the lighter roof was borrowed from the Lancer Evolution rally car. So were the Outlander's shock absorbers and suspension components.

Its 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine develops 127kW (170bhp) and 230Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT) with steering wheel paddle shifts.

The engine has an alloy block and uses composite components to lighten weight. Mitsubishi says exhaust emissions from the new engine are 75 per cent lower than required by the Japanese Government.

The driving position offers good visibility.

On Mitsubishi's banked test track, the Outlander was largely unruffled. It remained stable at speed, and in sharp braking and swerving manoeuvres.

The only niggles were the over-assisted steering and a tendency for the stability control to get in on the action too quickly.