Following the world premiere of the gasoline- and diesel-powered versions of the all-new Outlander at the Geneva Motor Show this past March, Mitsubishi today announced that it will roll out a Plug-in Hybrid EV model of its crossover at the forthcoming 2012 Paris Motor Show this September.
The new Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV (or PHEV) will share its architecture with the soon-to-be-launched Outlander’s Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) versions.
Mitsubishi claims that it will be the first mainstream model from a major carmaker to be designed from the outset with built-in provisions for either ICE or PHEV power trains
The Outlander PHEV’s drivetrain, which was previewed by the Concept PX-MiEV at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, combines a front electric motor, a rear electric motor and a front-mounted 2.0-liter petrol engine.
The system provides three separate driving modes, named Pure, Series and Parallel.
In “Pure” mode, it uses the front and rear electric motors alone powered by a battery, while in “Series” mode, the two electric motors are assisted by the petrol engine that acts as a generator. Finally, in Parallel mode, the gasoline engine is supported by both electric motors.
Mitsubishi says that the Plug-in Hybrid system will allow for a driving range of more than 800km (500 miles) and a CO2 emissions target under 50 g/km.
The gasoline and diesel models of the new Outlander are slated to go on sale in Russia this summer followed by Europe this fall and the rest of the world in the coming months, while the PHEV will be retailed in Europe during 2013.
Mitsubishi has not yet provided specific details about the availability of the new Outlanders in North America.
2013 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER ICE 
