Outlander Black Edition: Did we mention it’s black?

0 0 November 21, 2023 Edit this post

by Derek Ogden

What is it?

The auto industry continues to be awash with gizmos that are increasingly taking the ‘drive’ out of driver.

Sports utility vehicles, especially all-wheel drives, are particularly subject to systems that butt in.

Welcome to the no-nonsense world of the Outlander Black Edition.

While the mid-size Mitsubishi SUV has been given a leg-up in equipment standards for 2024, with accompanying price rises -- the LS Black Edition has been cut loose from the pack to stand on its own.

Not that there’s any shortage of tech in the Black Edition, just that it seems less intrusive than many of the ilk.

Even so, any of a stack of bells-and-whistle warnings and driver aids can be silenced simply by switches located on the steering wheel.

What’s it cost?

The entry-level ES 2WD five-seater now opens the line-up from $37,740, plus on-roads.

The five-seat plug-in hybrid is priced from $56,490, while the top-of-the range, seven-seat PHEV Exceed Tourer tops the range at $71,790.

Our test vehicle, the Black Edition seven-seater, sits in the middle of the mob at $42,990.

‘Black’ is the byword here, with a black grille, black-finish door mirrors and lower bumper treatments, B- and C-pillar garnishes, and 20-inch black alloy wheels.

The bold front, flared fenders and an aerodynamic rear spoiler combine to come up with a sporty stance, as well as adding to improved performance over its predecessor.

Automatic LED headlights are newly added.

Paint options are limited to Prestige Black, Prestige White, Prestige Red, and a new metallic Graphite Grey.

A 9.0-inch touchscreen presents information in sharp full-colour, while buttons and knobs allow for easy audio and satnav operation.

Apple CarPlay is wireless, Android Auto wired, which is de rigueur for vehicles of this standard.

Power outlets include USB-A, USB-C and 12V sockets, as well as a wireless charging pad, which doubles as storage when not servicing the phone.

The Outlander was awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating on 2022 testing.

With eight airbags, the suite of active safety systems is headed by autonomous emergency braking front and rear, including pedestrian and junction modes.

Forward collision warning leads in moving object detection, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist and emergency lane assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Adaptive cruise control is joined by driver attention alert and traffic sign recognition.

There are a rear-view camera and front and rear parking sensors, plus rear seat alert function.

A new rear seat alert function detects rear door use on entry and notifies the driver with either an instrument cluster message or horn note when getting out.

MY24 Outlander is covered by a 5-year, 100,000km warranty that can be extended to 10 years and 200,000km if serviced within Mitsubishi’s dealer network using its capped-price service program.

All vehicles are sold with 12 months of roadside assist, which can be extended for up to four years when the vehicle is serviced at an authorised Mitsubishi dealer.

What’s it go like?

Inside, one thing dominates – you guessed it -- black.

There’s a black headliner and pillar trims, plus Mi-Suede seat upholstery with synthetic leather bolsters.

While the Black Edition, like others in Outlander range, boasts three rows of seats capable of taking up to seven ‘bodies’ -- Mitsubishi eschews the term ‘seven-seater’ for the more realistic ‘5+2’ definition.

The rear seats are comfortable only for carrying a couple of kids, or for anyone else, on short journeys.

All seats can recline for added comfort, while the slide adjustable 40:20:40 split second row and 50:50 split rear third row can fold fully forward to create a multitude of versatile passenger and cargo configurations.

Seven-seat petrol models have a space saver spare wheel and a claimed 163 litres with all three rows of seats upright.

This goes up to 478 litres with the third-row seats folded, and 1461 litres with the second row also folded.

Powering the MY24 Outlander Black Edition is a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine producing 135kW of power and 244Nm of torque (nothing new here).

It's mated with a continuously-variable transmission with eight pre-programmed steps a la a conventional automatic.

Drive is sent to the front wheels only.

While the 2.5-litre motor doesn’t set the world on fire with its performance, it’s possible to spin the front-wheel drive system on gravel, especially when an incline is involved.

However, the Outlander took lumpy going in its stride.

Overtaking on bitumen needs some decisive work from the driver but engine and wind noise are all but absent, except when the engine is pushed.

Steering, while responsive, is on the weighty side but, generally, the Outlander stays firmly on the road, even on swiftly taken bends.

The whole driving experience is without fuss, which means it’s short on fun too.

Occupants were far from complaining, even in stop/start city traffic.

Fuel consumption is claimed at 7.7L/100km combined, with CO2 emissions of 185 g/km.

The test vehicle recorded 10.5L/100km in city and suburbs, and 5.0L/100km at motorway speeds.

Braked towing capacity across the range is 1600kg, with unbraked towing at 750kg.