The first thing to say about this car - before any mention of price, performance, economy or accommodation - is that it allows a remarkably low level of road surface noise to penetrate the passenger cabin. You'd expect a bulky "crossover" 4x4 with very wide tyres to sound rackety on coarse-grained tarmac, but on its Yokohama Geolandars, with their unexaggerated tread pattern, the Outlander is as quiet as most saloons.Mitsubishi uses words like "robust" and "aggressive" to describe the styling, and that's fair enough. I don't much like the front-end appearance, but there's no doubt that, especially with the standard roof rails, the Outlander looks ready to tackle quite rugged going, with a high stance and all-wheel drive.This is where it's worth bearing in mind that, as with the Subaru Forester, the Outlander is based, not on a dedicated off-roader platform, but on a modified version of the one used for the Evo VIII.Taking all that into account, the Outlander occupies a rather difficult-to-describe estate/off-roader niche, but I propose to avoid any philosophical arguments of the "What exactly is this car?" variety by saying that if this is the kind of car you need or prefer, then the Mitsubishi seems to me to be one of the best, and the company has, after all, being doing crossovers of various kinds since models like the original Space Wagon back in the mid-1980s.Having now covered additional miles on roads which were much more varied than the ones around the original launch exercise base, I'm quite surprised at how pleasant it is to drive briskly, which is not the same as saying on the limit. There's very good traction, of course, and while you can't expect anything like Evo VIII cornering from a car of this weight and height - there's a certain amount of body lean to take into account too - I thought there was a smoothness and ease to its handling which you don't get in the general run of 4x4s.Mitsubishi is quite right in talking about the Outlander offering "all-weather all-wheel drive", because I can see that with its permanent 4WD, ability to shift torque around the axles as the under-wheel conditions demand, high ground clearance and elevated driving position, this would be pretty impressive winter transport. But on a recent almost blindingly hot day's drive to the coast it was in its element too, not least because of the very generous dimensions of the cabin, which offers masses of rear seat room as well as a light and airy atmosphere.While there's no suggestion that this is an all-terrain machine - indeed, the Evo VIII-style suspension is tuned to be softer, mainly to make the Outlander ride better on motorways - there's enough suspension movement to let it tackle rough roads with no anxiety.Although you wouldn't think so at first glance, the Equippe is the entry-level version, well turned out even if lacking the front sunroof and rear skylight of the Sport, or the full leather trim of the Sport SE. Mind you, there's enough leather in the Equippe to make me wonder for a while if the test car was actually a higher-priced version which somebody at the factory had forgotten to fit with the glass roof panels.It's simple to settle into a comfortable driving position, with a commanding view and all the controls within easy reach. This is another car whose console-mounted gear selector (for the four-speed auto box with a manual change at one side of the gate) shows what a convenient location that is.There's a centre armrest and a handy stowage box between the front seats, leaving no room for a handbrake. The Outlander has one of those ratchety foot parking brakes, and, unlike a Mercedes, say, it does without a separate fascia pull-out release. The pedal has to be pressed again to let itself off.With a strong push-down on the pedal you can fight off any "creep" when stopped at traffic lights or whatever, better than with some modern handbrakes, but I wonder just how convenient this system is for a lightweight lady driver.Mitsubishi has given the Outlander neat conventional instruments with occasional red touches, and there's what looks like a dimpled-metal strip along the middle of the fascia. On prodding, it turns out to be purely a styling gimmick and soft to the touch.At the back, the load floor is wide but quite high, thanks to the proper axle and full-size spare wheel underneath, as well as some under-floor stowage. The 60/40 split rear seatbacks recline in three stages, and these seats can be folded forward to increase the load space, with the front passenger seat foldable too.Right now, there's only a 2.4-litre petrol engine, which is powerful enough to keep the Outlander going quite strongly, although with the standard automatic transmission the fuel consumption is pretty serious. A dual-fuel version is available at a £1000 premium. Second opinion: Yes, it's quiet, and within the usual off-roader on-road limits the Outlander rides pretty well. Interior space and the view over the surrounding countryside - both of them important to buyers in this sector - are also impressive. It wouldn't do to become too excited about the Evo VIII heritage though, since this is no machine for hurling along country roads. As mentioned in our launch report, luggage space is very poor, and the fact that there is no diesel option is bound to hurt sales. With all the political and financial problems going at the time of this test, however, Mitsubishi no doubt has other things on its mind. David Finlay. Engine 2378cc, 4 cylinders Power 158bhp Transmission 4-speed automatic Fuel/CO2 28.0mpg / 240g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 11.2 seconds Top speed 119mph Price £16,999 Release date 15/05/2010
Our Rating
