2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV revealed: With bigger battery, will it top 42-mile RAV4 Prime?2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV revealed: With bigger battery, will it top 42-mile RAV4 Prime?

The redesigned Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid was revealed Thursday in an online event. It goes on sale in Japan December 16, but won’t reach North America until the second half of 2022, as a 2023 model.
The 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid moves to the same platform gasoline Outlander models adopted for the 2022 model year. That platform is shared with the Nissan Rogue, as part of an alliance with Nissan.
In addition to the new body shell, the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid gets a number of powertrain upgrades, including a larger battery pack. The 20-kwh pack enables 54 miles of electric range on the WLTC testing cycle, Mitsubishi said in a press release. The fuel tank is larger as well, increasing overall range, the automaker noted.
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid
This will put the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid on much stronger footing versus the Toyota RAV4 Prime and its 42 miles from 18.1 kwh of battery capacity. The outgoing model gets just 24 all-electric miles, and while the vehicle itself feels very outdated, the system tends to outperform its rated numbers.
Mitsubishi didn’t provide full specifications, but the powertrain is expected to have the same configuration as the outgoing model. That means two traction motors, one each at the front and rear axles, a third motor in the front that primarily acts as a generator, and a hydraulic clutch to couple and uncouple the engine from the front wheels.
Output of the two traction motors has increased 40%, Mitsubishi said. The front motor also now has a “booster function” that can temporarily raise voltage to that motor while also increasing the efficiency of the generator, the automaker claims. The rear motor and control unit were also combined in one housing, making room for a third row of seats.
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid
In certain situations, “the accelerator pedal alone can exert proper braking force with no need to switch to the brake pedal when decelerating,” the Mitsubishi release said. That sounds like the one-pedal driving normally expected of all-electric cars.
The 2023 Outlander Plug-In Hybrid gets Mitsubishi’s Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) and Active Yaw Control (AYC) driver aids. Recycling names once associated with the defunct Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution rally homologation special, they enable seven terrain modes and brake-based torque vectoring.
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid
The torque-vectoring feature sounds a bit like the e-4orce system Nissan previously demonstrated for its upcoming all-electric Ariya crossover. The drive modes, which include settings for gravel and snow, should be competitive with the RAV4 Prime’s Trail mode and fully electric all-wheel-drive traction.
The 2023 Outlander Plug-In Hybrid will also get Mi-Pilot, which combines adaptive cruise control with lane-keep assist for highway driving. Adaptive cruise control will also have a stop-and-go function, allowing the vehicle to automatically set off if traffic is stopped for 30 seconds or less.
Pricing for the 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid will be revealed closer to launch.

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