Always striving to improve their eco-friendly vehicles, Mitsubishi continues to charge forward, displaying huge leaps in their green energy designs. The most recent model to receive an upgrade is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Bold improvements to the powertrain promise to make the Outlander even more formidable than the previous two renditions of the popular SUV. Information is limited as to what we can expect from the latest upgrades to the company's most popular crossover vehicle. But Mitsubishi stands strong behind its new flagship.

According to the President of Mitsubishi, the new Outlander has been setting sales records each month even in the current economy. It is expected that it will be the flagship of the Mitsubishi lineup when the model arrives in the US. Mitsubishi is hailing it as the most advanced and best-equipped vehicle ever sold by the brand. It is described as the perfect blend of clean and quiet with the range and convenience in fueling of a gasoline model. That's a lot of acclaim for a new model. So, how exactly does the new model compare to the first versions of the popular Outlander?

The first version of the Outlander was fitted with a 2.0L MIVEC engine for model years 2018-2019 that produced between 148-168 horsepower. That was upgraded to a 2.4L for 2020-2022, which gave modest increases in horsepower up to 221 hp max with the help of its more powerful front and rear 60 kW electric motors.

For 2023, the Outlander uses the same 2.4L gas-powered engine, but horsepower is dramatically increased by an estimated 40 percent thanks to an 85 kW motor in the front and a 100 kW motor on the rear. Overall horsepower can now reach 300 hp with 390Lb-ft torque. The size of the drive battery is also much bigger than earlier renditions.

Fuel Efficiency Although specs for the 2023 Outlander are incomplete at this time, the larger size 20kWh lithium-ion battery should show a substantial increase in range over the previous year's 13.8 kWh which could go 24 miles on battery alone before needing to fire up the gasoline engine. The 2018 - 2022 models all had fuel efficiency of around 74MPGe with a combined range of 310 to 320 miles. The 2023 should be able to outperform those numbers.

The first Outlander models had seating for five and a modest interior 2022 and 2023 added the optional 3rd-row seating, increasing passenger size to seven. Models for 2023 also come standard with Mitsubishis Super-All Wheel Control AWD System with enhanced Yaw Control for greater traction. Seven drive modes for different powertrain responses are an option not available on previous models.