The 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a much-improved hybrid SUV
Enlarge / Mitsubishi's plug-in hybrid SUV has been comprehensively redesigned for 2023. (credit: Mitsubishi)
Mitsubishi provided a flight from Los Angeles to Nashville and back and two nights in a hotel so we could drive the new Outlander PHEV. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.
It wasn't all that long ago that we were questioning whether Mitsubishi would continue operating in the US. With an aging lineup that was far from being considered class leaders, the future was looking bleak. Thanks to a partnership with the Nissan and Renault alliance, however, prospects are looking more optimistic.
A long-overdue redesignThe Mitsubishi Outlander was redesigned in 2021, with an abundance of technology and parts shared with the Nissan Rogue, and represented a dramatic improvement over its rather forgettable predecessor. The Outlander isn't simply a reskinned Rogue, though, as it's built by Mitsubishi in Japan, while the Rogue is made in the US.
For 2023, Mitsubishi introduces a new Outlander PHEV, a plug-in hybrid variant that is more powerful than the standard Outlander as well as the PHEV model it replaces. Its 20 kWh lithium-ion battery pack's capacity marks a 45 percent improvement over last year, yet it takes up less room beneath the floor. Under the hood is a 2.4 L Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine that is mated with an electric generator and motor. A second electric motor powers the rear wheels for Mitsubishi's advanced all-wheel-drive system, called Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC).