Cheekiemonkies: Singapore Parenting & Lifestyle Blog: The New Mitsubishi Outlander: Getting to Know the Beast Cheekie Monkies

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"Yay, we are getting a new car!"

So exclaimed the monkies when they first heard that I will be reviewing the Mitsubishi Outlander. And even though we will only be 'owning' it for one month, the monkies wasted no time in trying to pick a name for the car. At the time of writing, they are still mulling over what to call it.

Me? I prefer to call it 'The Beast'.

Pleasingly, the new-look 7-seater and Made-in-Japan Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4L MIVEC receives a facelift that looks a lot different to its predecessors. In fact, it has been redesigned and re-engineered from nose to tail to deliver a dynamic new appearance and significantly improved performance on the road.

The new dynamic shield front design is a new Mitsubishi family look and it is very striking indeed. Throw in the mean-looking headlights with built in LED running lights and black-finish central section, and the car's imposing look is complete.

Under the skin, it gains improvements to interior NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) for a smoother and quieter ride, while a new CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) with 6-speed manual mode ensures the best mix of performance and fuel economy.

The new Outlander’s sharper rear styling features a new design bumper and silver skid plate too. Chrome tailgate garnish with new design LED rear combination lamps and rear fog lamp compliment the front design, giving the Outlander a much more upmarket appearance.

Interior-wise, the new Outlander gets fresh design updates that are embellished with soft touch features and premium grade materials at every contact point.

A new design steering wheel features gloss black bezel and new accent trim has been applied to the doors and dashboard. New material headlining, subtle stitching highlights on the instrument panel and a padded centre console enhance the sophisticated feel of the cabin. It is not quite a luxury car but it sports pretty upmarket fit and finish for car of this stature.

The infotainment system is nicely laid out and I found navigating it to be very easy. Connecting to Bluetooth via my smartphone was a breeze - a very important aspect for my work purposes.

And equally important is the bundled GPS navigation system, which I am sure it will come in useful when it comes to exploring the nooks and crannies of Singapore. Yes, the Outlander has been serving us very well as we became tourists in our own country for the past 2 weeks... but more on that in my subsequent posts!

Space is not an issue in the Outlander at all. The second row of seating is very comfortable and spacious, as the monkies will attest to.

And since it is a 7-seater vehicle, there are two extra stow-away seats in the third row. To get to the third row involves a 3-step process to fold each side of the 60/40-split seat. Nothing too complicated, just that it requires a little more practice for the boys to be able to do it by themselves. The good news is that nothing needs to be removed to fold the second row of seats downwards.

You know how the third row of some 7-seater cars are able to accommodate only kids or small-sized adults? Thankfully, the Outlander's third row seats do feel like proper chairs. It also helps that the second row can slide back and forth by 250mm and can be reclined or made more upright.

No rear vents for the rear passengers though, although I have to add that the air-con system is pretty powerful.

Need extra space? The back row seats can lay flat with a simple pull of a lever, and the boot comes with deep storage bins as well.

If needed, the second row of seats can collapse too to form a large and flat cargo area.

One nice touch that I found to be extremely useful is the inclusion of curtain roller which can be affixed to the top part of the boot space, to keep items in the boot out of sight.

And there is no need for it, all I had to do was to detach and store it away in a secret compartment in the boot. Extremely convenient and fuss-free!

For the monkies though, something else about the Outlander had them squealing in delight.

Always trust a sunroof to bring immense joy to them... as you can probably see for yourself.

I will cover my Outlander's driving experience in subsequent posts but safe to say, it exhibits competent body control through corners and delivers a comfortable ride.

It is worth noting that the car is equipped with a Intelligent 4-WheelDrive (4WD) system – it is able to select between 4WD Auto, 4WD Eco, 4WD Lock. If the car is in 4WD Eco mode (which is actually 2WD driving mode) and the car detects slippery conditions due to oil spill or rain, the 4WD will automatically kick in to maintain traction and prevents car from skidding.

And speaking of safety, the Outlander comes fully equipped with front driver and passenger airbags,
side, curtain and knee protection airbags. Its Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) body structure is further bolstered with active safety features including Traction Control and Active Stability Control (ASC), ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Hill Start Assist. So thanks to its combination of active and passive safety features, the all-new Outlander is given the five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Oh, and the icing on the cake? The Outlander 2.4L comes with an unsurpassed five-year unlimited mileage warranty and a ten-year engine warranty from Cycle & Carriage Automotive Pte Limited too!

So now all that is left for me and the monkies to do is to suss out the best family-friendly places that Singapore has to offer with the Mitsubishi Outlander!

Stay tuned for our adventures... and in the meantime, feel the power of the beast behind the wheels for yourself - Test drive the Mitsubishi Outlander at a Cycle and Carraige Showroom!

AND HERE'S AN EXCLUSIVE PROMOTION JUST FOR OUR READERS:
Receive $200 worth of service credits from Cycle & Carriage when you book a Mitsubishi and quote ‘Kelvin Outlander’. This promotion is ON TOP of all other prevailing promotions. Promotion ends 31st August 2016.

Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4L CVT SPECIFICATIONS

Engine

Engine Type DOHC MIVEC (4B12), 4 cylinder, in-line petrol

Capacity 2,360cc

Power 167 ps/ 6,000rpm

Torque 222 Nm/4,100rpm

Transmission Continuously Variable Transmission

Driven wheels Selectable 4 wheel drive

Performance

Top speed 198km/h

0 to 100km/h 10.2 seconds

Fuel consumption