Although they look almost identical, the PHEV (left) and petrol (right) versions of the Mitsubishi Outlander deliver vastly different experiences. Photo: Mitsubishi Motors Australia (edited with AI).
Same age. Same income. Same starting balance. The difference? One Mitsubishi Outlander in this seemingly identical pair packs a perfectly conventional petrol engine, while the other is a thrifty plug-in hybrid.
But just how do these two fuel types compare? In the ACT, and indeed across Australia, plug-in hybrids are the least popular type of new vehicle sold.
However, PHEV sales have increased in recent months, while sales of internal combustion engine vehicles are going downhill.
Some will argue that opting for a PHEV is a bit like being a fence-sitter; it screams, “I wanted an EV but have too much range anxiety”.
It’s a solution I’ve long been a fan of, though – so long as you understand how to get the best out of a PHEV, which does require more thought.
To compare the pair and see whether it really makes sense for more buyers to switch from pure petrol to a PHEV, I spent time in two almost identical Mitsubishi Outlanders.
Why the Outlander? In 2014, the previous-generation model was the first plug-in hybrid SUV to be sold in Australia. It was also the first PHEV I ever drove, and the first to offer a glimpse of its genuine future viability.
That future, clearly, is now.
The petrol Outlander got a facelift in 2025, which carried over to the PHEV model in 2026. Photo: Patrick Jackson.
What is it?
The Mitsubishi Outlander doesn’t need much of an introduction. It’s consistently been one of the best-selling SUVs in the country, and among the top-sellers in any category.
It recently received a number of commendable changes to freshen it up, including a new suspension and steering setup honed on the roads of South Australia to better suit Aussie conditions.
For this comparison, we’ve got the one you really want: the top-spec Outlander Exceed Tourer, finished in Moonstone Grey with lavish brick brown semi-aniline leather.
Whatever on earth semi-aniline means, I can tell you it’s very lovely.
The Exceed Tourer scores the best upgrades. A set of baller 20-inch diamond-cut alloys complement the Outlander’s refreshed looks, with revised bumpers and smoked rear tail-lights.
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Inside, you’ll now find a bangin’ 12-speaker premium Yamaha audio system that’s among the best out there, which has been added to a cabin that already featured luxuries as extensive as massage seats. Yep, in a humble Mitsi!
Mind you, this Mitsubishi isn’t so humble when it comes to the price tag.
The conventional petrol model packs a 2.5-litre four-pot that serves up 135kW. With standard all-wheel drive in this spec, it asks for $57,990 before on-road costs.
In the top-spec Outlander Exceed Tourer on test here, you’ll find a gorgeous brick brown leather interior. Photo: Patrick Jackson.
By contrast, the PHEV offers over 63 per cent more power from its 221kW hybrid system, utilising a 2.4-litre engine and two electric motors. However, it commands a $74,490 price tag – a 28 per cent price jump.
The savings are promised through a drastic reduction in fuel consumption. The petrol’s 8.1L/100km claim falls to just 1.2L/100km for the PHEV. My testing revealed 8.6L/100km and 1.9L/100km in the real world, respectively.
At the average Canberra fuel price of 206.5 cents a litre, the dearest in the country during Q3 2026 according to FuelRadar, it will take over 115,000 km of driving to break even on the price difference between them – and that’s before factoring the additional cost of charging.
The upside is that the Outlander PHEV has an impressive 103 km of electric-only driving range – a claim which isn’t too far-fetched.
Despite their vastly different underpinnings, there aren’t many ways to tell the two apart, aside from the extra badging on the PHEV’s boot and front doors.
The only other change is there being a filler flap on both sides of the PHEV model. Weirdly, the petrol filler even moves from the right side to the left, while the flap on the right side is bigger. Producing four totally different rear quarter panels can’t be too cheap.
What’s it like to live with?
If there’s one thing that’s $16,500 better about the Outlander PHEV, it’s the way it drives.
The regular-degular petrol model has been vastly improved thanks to the new, localised suspension setup. It’s a pretty sweet thing to steer.
But the PHEV, thanks to its additional weight and lower centre of gravity, is even better. It simply feels more settled on the road, and even a bit more premium than the already impressive ‘normal’ model. There’s a reason our subconscious associates heavier things with being more luxurious.
The PHEV is also far punchier thanks to its instant electric power, and far smoother thanks to how those electric motors deliver it.
To really extract the most out of the PHEV, though, you’ll need to put your thinking cap on, rather than simply getting in and sliding the leather-clad shifter into D.
Between the shifter and drive mode dial, the PHEV has two extra buttons. The one on the left turns on one-pedal driving, which ramps up regenerative braking, so it should come to a stop without using the brake pedal.
The other button, marked ‘EV’, is the one you’ll really need to pay attention to. For most people, leaving it in Normal mode will be fine, especially in a place like Canberra. If you have a longer commute or plan on taking a road trip, however, you might want to play around with it.
Put it into Save when you’re on a freeway or long country road, and it will run the petrol engine (which operates more efficiently than an electric motor at high speeds) and preserve your battery charge for city streets.
When you get there, pop it into EV mode, and it will use the electric motors in their most efficient environment, instead of keeping a petrol engine idling pointlessly.
If you forget to do either and leave it in Normal, it will churn through a battery charge on the freeway; there’s even a Charge mode that uses the petrol engine like a generator to top the battery back up.
A little bit of thought goes a long way.
The verdict
There’s little question in my mind, at least, that the PHEV is the better Outlander of the two tested here. Smoother, more powerful, far more efficient. No qualms there.
Whether it’s worth the extra cost comes down not only to how you plan to use it, but how long you plan to keep it.
If you know you’ll keep this thing for a while – worth doing with Mitsubishi offering up to 10 years of warranty coverage if you service at an authorised dealership – then you’ll make back those savings by the time you come to upgrade.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that while novated leasing deals for PHEVs like the Outlander have been exempt from fringe benefits tax, there are increasing calls for this subsidy scheme to be scrapped at the time of writing.
However, if you’re the sort of person who upgrades your car regularly, you simply won’t see a return on those savings unless you’re on the open road all day, where the PHEV makes less sense anyway.
In a place like Canberra, though, going PHEV – regardless of what vehicle you’re looking at – makes an awful lot of sense. Thrifty around the roundabouts, yet (almost) thought-free on a drive up to Sydney.
While the petrol Outlander is significantly cheaper than the equivalent PHEV model, each version is clearly suited to a different type of buyer. Photo: Patrick Jackson.
2026 Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed Tourer Petrol
- $57,990 before on-road costs
- 2.5-litre four-cylinder, 135 kW/244 Nm
- CVT, all-wheel drive
- 8.1 litres per 100km, 55-litre fuel capacity
- 1695 kg kerb weight.
2026 Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed Tourer PHEV
- $74,990 before on-road costs
- 2.4-litre four-cylinder with two electric motors, 221 kW
- CVT, all-wheel drive
- 1.2 litres per 100km, 53-litre fuel capacity
- 103 km electric range, 22.7 kWh battery pack
- 2158 kg kerb weight.
Thanks to Mitsubishi Motors Australia for providing this vehicle for testing. Region has no commercial arrangement with Mitsubishi Motors Australia.
