There's a lot to consider when hunting down a good lease vehicle. One of the big things is, of course, running costs. So when an SUV comes along with the kind of economy figures you'd expect from a go-kart, you take a closer look. That's what John Oxley from NZ Company Vehicle Magazine did recently. His video for the new Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle says it all.
Mitsubishi have claimed, and John has verified, that the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid will do 1.9L per 100km(1). For an SUV, this is an entirely new realm of efficiency. John is also quick to point out that this figure was achieved with a combination of uphill, round town and motorway driving. In electric vehicle mode, of course, you'll be using no petrol at all, with a range of around 52km(1). To reach full charge would take about 6.5 hours, from an ordinary internal power point, and cost $1.41 at the off-peak rate advised by EECA(2).
How it achieves these figures is a rather technical story, involving electric motors, a highly efficient petrol engine, a lithium-ion battery and three drive modes. What's interesting is that none of this complexity interrupts the driving experience. The drive modes are selected for you and the vehicle is able to charge its own battery while driving. This leaves the driver free to enjoy the ride, which John describes as being even firmer and more positive than the conventially powered Outlander models, which had a reputation for handling rather well. He's also an advocate of the amount of space at your disposal and the useability of the SUV platform. Other mod cons include Bluetooth(TM), reversing camera and Twin Motor 4WD, which utilises the instant torque of the electric motors for exceptional grip on any surface.
But the first thing John says is just how quiet this vehicle is - and he's right. With the combination of sound-proofing and the overall hush of electric vehicle mode, it's quieter than anything else you've ever driven, or leased. So you'll have no difficulty in hearing John's views as he drives around. The upshot of it all, in John's words, is that the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid "Will make a really good fleet car." And he would know.
