MUCH more of anything for just a fraction more price is always a good thing. In the case of Mitsubishi’s greatly upgraded 2010 Outlander, the “good” borders on the sensational.
With new looks and more features, plus an extended range, the latest Outlanders present quite a choice for buyers.
There are now four models, two each with 2.4litre four and 3.0litre six-cylinder engines.
The entry level LS four-cylinder can be had as a five or seven seater while the others, the upspec XLS and the two six cylinder models, VR and VRX, are all five-seaters.
Prices start at $33,240 for the LS, the only one with a manual gearbox, go to $40,490 for the XLS and rise to $40,990 for the VR 3.0litre V6 and $51,990 for the VRX.
The latter’s price hasn’t changed at all.
The others are up by an average $300 or so.
Then there’s the option of a $7500 luxury pack, which our test car, a 2.4litre XLS, came with.
It’s a comprehensive pack that comprises 18-inch seven-spoke alloy wheels, a powered sunroof, a 170W Rockford-Fosgate audio system with nine speakers and a huge sub-woofer, rear seat DVD with remote control and headphones, a multi-communication system that includes SatNav, powered driver’s seat, heated front seats, a reverse camera and auto-on headlights and wipers.
So our little number looked the berries and she drew appreciative glances everywhere.
The thing about Outlanders is there’s precious little to tell them apart.
There are few badges and they all have the same aggressive so-called jet-fighter grille and jaunty tail end.
So nobody but the owners know whether it’s a $33,000 car or one that’s got the full monty.
The front bumper, headlights, front fenders, external mirrors, rear bumper and side sills are all new.
The compact SUV is very smartly packaged inside with leather seats, upgraded door and dash trim, a new instrument cluster and drilled alloy pedals.
The features go on forever, but noteworthy items include a box that can warm or cool food or drink, privacy glass, foglights and headlight washers.
The lights themselves are something else too: high-intensity discharge (HID), the next best thing to portable sunlight. Cargo capacity is 882litres, which just about doubles to 1691 litres with the back seats folded.
The well-proven 2.4litre multi-valve engine puts out 125kW and 226Nm and drives through a super-smooth continuously variable transmission (CVT) with Sports Mode and paddles on the steering wheel.
That will appeal to enthusiasts who prefer sequential shifts.
Once Sports Mode is selected, the CVT becomes a six-speed auto.
So the XLS with luxury pack clearly wants for nothing. It drives pretty well too.
There’s a neat rotary switch that lets the driver select between two and four-wheel drive, plus there’s a diff lock feature should your Outlander encounter some demanding stuff, such as soft sand or mud.
The car gives a very comfortable ride with great visibility and skims along the highways with ease.
It can shake a leg too, reaching 100km/h in just under 11seconds, but of greater value these days is fuel economy.
We averaged 9.7litres/100km.
It’s an easy vehicle to drive, more car than SUV in road behaviour with little body roll and good tenacity through corners.
Open the bonnet and you’ve done your push-up exercises for the day. It’s a fairly weighty thing, but once up you’ll notice a strut brace across the suspension turrets.
Yay! A bit of rally technology built into a road car.
Naturally the Outlander has all the safety bits: ABS, plus electronic stability and traction control, and front, side and curtain airbags.