Test drive Mitsubishi Outlander (Airtrek) 2003 - 2007 SUV

Strangers do not go here

It is difficult for strangers to adapt to our lives. Against them, everything is morals, lifestyle, roads and traditional Russian sloppiness. Welcome, Mitsubishi Outlander.
The elasticity of the Mitsubishi staff, associated with the launch of the new model, did not fit with the easy sadness of their Russian colleagues. Well, compatriots can be understood - they launch a fundamentally new model on the market, which, as luck would have it, is equipped with only a mechanical box. This is for us, to journalists, by and large, it is adequate that to distort - facts in a note or transmission on Mitsubishi Outlander. And the consumer today is capricious and requires his blood freedom of choice. In the case of Outlander, it is very limited.
Alien laconism. The traditional distribution of elephants at Seville Airport took place this time without ordinary excitement. The test mitsubishi were all as one, of course, with a mechanics, a 2.0 liter engine, silver, with the same roof rails and even with the same tinting of glasses. Only in the evening, having exchanged impressions, we realized that we were bought. The day before, they learned that tinting and rails are a distinctive feature of Sport configuration, which is more expensive than a standard Comfort by $ 1.8 thousand. So some were unpleasantly amazed, not finding the promised climate control in the cabin-one of the distinctive chips of the rich version of Sport. They nervously fidgeted all the way on the seats without lumbar support, sacredly observing the speed limit - the side pillows in the event of a brutal accident in comfort are also not provided. Here, in fact, are all the differences between the two versions available in our market. The color of the mirrors and chrome Fintiflies - do not count.

Inside Outlander looks pretty simple - the only original decorations can be considered an analog alarm clock in the center of the front console and round symmetrical ventilation deflectors. The beard generally looks unusually naked - it has a minimum of buttons and pens. From this point of view, Outlander is really a stranger (so you can translate its name from English) among modern cars.
Alien grief. Outlander can be attributed to the class of sports universals of increased cross -country ability, and in the Mitsubishi lineup, it takes the place between the full -size SUVs Pajero or Pajero Sport and Pinin Parn. Although even a more miniature Pinin looks near Outlander rude and jipasta. The new all -terrain vehicle should appeal to those who consider Moveton to travel around the city on an SUV. But on the weekend, going to nature, he looks at their owners with envy. In practice, they envy not so much patency (in the case of many SUVs - quite doubtful), but as the capacity of the bodies such as station wagons. Although in car dealerships, ordinary station wagons are shunned, like patients with atypical pneumonia.

Outwardly, Outlander differs from them with its pseudojipovo muscular view and a rather bright design, which finally embodied the ideas of many Mitsubishi concept products. He is a musculist for a reason - with the capacity of a stranger, he beats many classmates. At the same time, a pleasant surprise was for us that by landing and sensations at the wheel of Outlander - an ordinary passenger car. Even despite the juper clearance - 195 mm, only five, but more than other competitors in all -round parquet. But while we are not interested in this - we are going on asphalt. And we feel that a high clearance does not mean a high center of gravity - in the turns Outlander behaves calmly.
Alien organs. Calm - does not mean melancholy. The car accelerates quite aggressively, but this aggression hides confidence in its 136 hp. It is quite enough for a car weighing less than 1.5 tons. Especially in combination with a mechanical checkpoint equipped with a short -flowing switch lever and browned gear rates. Outlander from the first minute of acquaintance provokes active acceleration, and involuntarily recalls that its design feels the influence of the legendary Lancer Evo. A multi -link rear suspension, brake system and even a full -wheel drive system are created with a constant eye on Lancer, and this explains the sports ambitions of Outlander.
Unless the sound insulation pumped up a little. The motor, which works silently at idle speeds, is quite annoying about its existence, when the tachometer arrow is in the red zone between 7 and 8 thousand. It is logical for sports EVO, but not very correct for civilian station wagon.

Alien to doubts. Outlander has a permanent all -wheel drive with a distribution along the axes of 50:50. In addition, the transmission design includes an interdosseous differential with Wytheft. When slipping, it allows you to redistribute about 10 percent of the traction force between the front and rear wheels. Such a design is enough to feel calmly on what any city resident implies by off -road - on a primer or even a moderately with a sore lane with a smoky in the rain.
In Spain, Mitsubishi representatives prepared a special highway, first laid along the edge of the forest, then deep into the clearings. But the weather lifted: it rained for two days and the aligned European off -road turned into Russian freezes. By which Russian journalists rushed with enthusiasm, raising clouds of dirt and birds. From the outside it could be assumed that our main task was to kill test cars before the arrival of colleagues from France. We passed the fords and dirty deep puddles at speed, not taking care of whether the car would stuck or not. Grasps the hydraulicum or simply flood the high -voltage wires.
Murder did not happen - all Outlander coped with the test with dignity and crawled into the asphalt in full force, touching the sand in the brakes. So freedom of choice is limited, applicable to Mitsubishi Outlander, only when choosing a configuration. There are practically no restrictions in terms of movement. Only on a slippery dirty surface we recommend that it be careful - Outlander can break into a skid if the gas pedal is careless.
Other people's customs. Mitsubishi plans that Outlander will bite 27 percent of the total sales of SUVs of this company next year. For reference - the same market share is assigned to the leader, Mitsubishi Pajero. Obviously, the rate is made on the Outlander 2.4 version. Its attractiveness consists in the presence of an automatic adaptive gearbox InVecs-II Sport Mode with the possibility of manual gear shifts and a fundamentally new engine with variable phases of gas distribution with a capacity of 159 hp. Such cars will appear on sale by November 2003. Still, the main consumer of such station wagons prefers the machine gun. Even at a price exceeding $ 30 thousand.
Text Nikolay Kachurin, photo of the author and Mitsubishi
 
Model/Modification Mitsubishi Outlander
Manufacturer/country Mitsubishi Motors Co./yaponia
Bearing element of the body
Number of doors/places 5/5
ENGINE
Type/number/location of gasoline cylinders/4/in -line
Working volume (cubic meter) 1997
Power (kW (L.S.) at about./Min.) 100 (136) at 6000
Moment (nm at about./Min.) 176 at 4500
TRANSMISSION
The permanent drive is complete
The gearbox is mechanical, 5-speed
Brakes, safety
Front/rear circular ventilated/disk
ABS, assisting electronic systems 4-channel, electronic system distribution system (EBD)
Front airbags for the driver and front passenger (lateral - only in the Sport configuration)
Dimensions/mass
Length/width/height (mm) 4545/1750/1620 (1670 with relings)
Wheel base (mm)/clearance (mm) 2626/195
Tires 215/60 R16
The mass is equipped/complete (kg) 1435/1970
The volume of the fuel tank (L) 60
Maximum speed (km/h) 192
Acceleration to 100 km/h (sec.) 11.4
Fuel consumption (city/highway, l/100 km) 12.4/7.6
Price in Moscow $ 27 990 - Comfort, $ 29 790 - Sport

 

Source: "Autopilot"