Mitsubishi bumps the Outlander up to business class

Mitsubishi is having a pop at the lucrative executive SUV market by throwing the leather-wrapped kitchen sink at the Outlander plug-in hybrid. The epitome of this strategy is the £44,999 Outlander GX5hs, though there’s a lesser GX5h version for £42,899.

Both available now, they each qualify for the Government’s £5,000 electric vehicle grant, although the list prices will still prove prohibitive for private buyers. These Japanese eco-conscious 4x4s are aimed squarely at the business lease market, where the GX5hs costs just £75 per month in personal BIK tax.

Its electric car status means that the entire list price of the Outlander plug-in can be written off against business profits during the year it is purchased. And for day-to-day users, the fairly spectacular 148mpg average fuel economy and 44g/km CO2 ratings certainly trump anything that a BMW or Audi can offer. Or anything else in that segment, for that matter.  

Both versions come with Nappa leather upholstery (including the dash and door liners), a premium Alpine stereo, LED interior lighting, heated seats front and back, and USB charging ports at the rear.

On the exterior, a rear spoiler is added, the fog lamps are of the LED variety, there’s a pair of side steps to make clambering in easier, and the bonnet has ‘Outlander’ written across it – not unlike a Range Rover.