Hybrid vehicles are a happy compromise between driving a car with an internal combustion engine (ICE) or driving an EV.

A hybrid vehicle – i.e. one with a traditional fuel source (petrol or diesel) and electric power – is a cheaper alternative to a full-blown EV and it yields better fuel economy and less environmental impact than a standard ICE vehicle (those powered only by a petrol or diesel engine). 

The Plug-in Hybrid EV (PHEV) version of the Outlander offers welcome fuel cost-savings over ICE vehicles and, in top-spec GSR guise, it has a premium look and feel and, on paper, packs plenty of standard features into a sub-$80,000 package.

So, is this hybrid SUV your next family car?

How much does the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR cost?

The seven-seat 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR is the top-shelf variant in a five-variant PHEV AWD range and has a price-tag of $73,790 (excluding on-road costs). 

What features do you get in the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR?

Standard features include a 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital driver display, wireless smartphone charging, a nine-speaker BOSE sound system, multi-zone climate control, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, head-up display, heated massage front seats, two-tone leather-appointed seat trim, panoramic sunroof, a powered tailgate, and 20-inch alloy wheels.

Exterior paint options for the GSR include white diamond, red diamond, black diamond, or graphite grey.

Note: the Outlander does not have a spare tyre – not even a space-saver.

In terms of exterior dimensions, this PHEV is 4710mm long (with a 2706mm wheelbase), 1862mm wide, and 1745mm high.

On the outside, this top-shelf GSR incorporates Mitsubishi’s Dynamic Shield design facade, which was divisive in its early years but has since attracted its fair share of fans.

On the inside, this Outlander has black leather-appointed upholstery with silver stitching – as well as on soft-touch arm-rests, centre console top, sections of the dash and elsewhere.

This Outlander has a family-friendly and functional interior with a premium feel, even if it does seem underdone for the price.

The GSR has comfortable leather seats, a (mostly) user-friendly multimedia system, plenty of charge points (USB-A and USB-C up front and two USBs for second-row passengers), lots of soft-touch surfaces, and a reasonable amount of storage space peppered throughout.

Nice touches, such as the heated steering wheel and the heated front seats, which also have the massage function, top off what is an impressive interior.

There is wired charging for smartphones with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, as well as a wireless charging pad. There are also 240v/1500W power outlets.

The 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen is too small for me (perhaps a case of Old Bloke Eyes?), but it’s better when engaged in Apple CarPlay mode. The 12.3-inch high-resolution digital driver display is simple enough to use, and the 10.8-inch head-up display is a handy feature.

The driver has an eight-way power adjustable seat, so they’re able to dial-in their favourite driving position.

As stated, this Outlander’s seats are comfortable with a reasonable amount of room for everyone, though the third row is a tight fit for anyone other than children.

The second row is a 40:20:40 split configuration, while the third row is 50:50.

In terms of packing space, there is 191 litres in the rear cargo area (when all seats are being used), 461 litres when the third row is folded flat, and 1387 litres when the second and third rows are stowed away.

What is the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR like to drive?

The Outlander PHEV has a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (producing 98kW at 5000rpm and 195Nm at 4300rpm), an electric motor on the front and rear axles, and a lithium-ion battery pack with a total capacity of 20kWh.

Combined output (engine and electric motors) is 185kW and 450Nm and this PHEV’s electric-only driving range is listed as 84km on a full charge.

It has a single-speed transmission and drive modes in this vehicle include Eco, Normal, Power, Tarmac, Gravel, Snow and Mud.

It has three power-use modes: EV Mode (“perfect for low to medium speeds in urban areas”, according to Mitsubishi), Series Hybrid Mode (“When accelerating or climbing hills, the hybrid petrol engine can be used to generate additional power while the vehicle runs on motor power”), and Parallel Hybrid Mode (“For high-speed driving such as overtaking vehicles on the highway, the vehicle runs on engine power while being assisted by the electric motor”).

The Outlander is actually quite nice to drive and it’s a handy light-duty off-roader as well.

It has a kerb weight of 2145kg with light but sharp steering and a tight turning circle of 11.2m so, it’s an easy vehicle to manoeuvre around busy city and suburban streets.

The teaming of a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors works seamlessly well, there is always plenty of power on tap and, no matter how energetic your driving becomes, this Outlander remains smooth and quiet.

Throttle response is sharp and there’s plenty of punch off the mark and zippiness around town when you need it.

The PHEV’s EV-only driving range is a listed 84km but our test vehicle used most of its battery power on a 110km highway trip through hilly territory. Regenerative braking regained very little of that used power and the Outlander switched to rely on petrol for the remaining 30km or so of that trip.

The driver is able to adjust the degree of regenerative braking via paddle shifters on the back of the steering wheel: use the left to add more, and the right to ease up.

It has a single-speed transmission and drive modes in this vehicle include Eco, Normal, Power, Tarmac, Gravel, Snow and Mud, which all tweak engine, electric motor, transmission and other factors to suit the selected mode.

Other than that, ride is quite firm, handling is civilised and, overall, this Outlander is pleasant on sealed surfaces.

The Outlander is surprisingly capable off-road – as long as you stick within the parameters of the kind of “off-road” terrain an AWD SUV is built to cope with: well-maintained gravel roads and dirt tracks with minor corrugations in dry conditions … or, at worst, rain-puddled blacktop.

The Outlander has satisfactory off-road measures for a city-focussed vehicle: of 18.3 (degrees approach angle), 22.2 degrees (departure), 18 degrees (ramp breakover), and 203mm of ground clearance (unladen). 

It feels nimble in the bush though because steering is light and precise, visibility is good all-round, and the vehicle itself settles well on gravel and dirt tracks at speed, only ever skipping around a bit on rougher sections, due to its firm suspension and road tyres.

You can switch drives modes to either Gravel, Snow or Mud to best suit the terrain on which you’re driving but with the Outlander’s lack of ground clearance, road-biased tyres and 20-inch wheels, this SUV is hamstrung by its city-biased physicality.

But, this is still a handy dirt-road tourer, yielding comfortable and controlled ride and handling, only ever becoming rattled when the road or track surface becomes very chopped up and bumpy.

The Outlander’s Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) system deserves a fair amount of credit. This traction control system manages torque application so it is instantaneous, and delivers drive with impressive levels of throttle control and an even-handed management of power.

Note: the Outlander did, of course, go through battery capacity at a faster pace off-road than it did when we were on sealed surfaces – off-roading, by its very nature, is more difficult and demands more of a vehicle than driving on smooth sealed surfaces does. And, for that reason – and the fact the Outlander is quite low – I’d avoid driving this SUV on terrain more challenging than well-maintained gravel roads and dirt tracks with minor corrugations in dry conditions*. I’ve driven an Outlander PHEV on sand before and it taxes the capacity even faster. (*Good advice is oft repeated, as I’ve done here.)

As mentioned earlier, this Outlander does not have a spare tyre. The absence of a spare – even a space-saver – is a disappointment, especially if you’re considering using your PHEV as a touring vehicle. A puncture repair kit is provided.

Payload is listed as 605kg, towing capacity is 750kg (unbraked) and 1600kg (braked). GVM is 2750kg and GCM is 4350kg.

The Mitsubishi Outlander GSR PHEV has a listed fuel consumption of 1.5L/100km on a combined cycle but, as with all official fuel figure from any carmaker, you can take it with a hefty grain of salt.

However, if your daily driving distances are within this PHEV’s electric driving range (84km, as listed) and you’re able to drive in EV Mode most of the time, then at the very least you will have chopped your fuel bill.

On this test, dash-indicated fuel consumption was 5.8L/100km; actual fuel consumption, as measured from pump to pump, was 7.7L/100km.

Our dash-indicated power usage was 20.8kWh/100km. This PHEV gobbled through most of its 20kWh battery capacity quite swiftly on the drive from the vehicle pick-up point in Sydney to our test start-point just over 100km away. It recouped 10km electric driving range via regenerative braking on a series of long downhills when set to ‘Charge’ driving mode (with the combustion engine generating power to the battery), but I had to cycle through regen modes to optimise that power regain.

The dash-indicated combined driving range (battery and engine) was 748km on a full charge and a full 56-litre tank.

Mitsubishi states that if you’re charging off a standard household power point it will take “approximately” 9.5 hours to fully charge your Outlander – or 6.5 hours if you’re using a home or public charging device.

Things speed up considerably if you use a public rapid recharging station – in that case, Mitsubishi claims that your Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV will reach 80 percent battery capacity in 38 minutes.

Note: off-roading places a heavier burden on any vehicle – combustion, hybrid, EV – so battery capacity will be depleted faster and more fuel will be used than on sealed surfaces.

The Mitsubishi Outlander has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2022.

It has eight airbags (driver and passenger front, driver and passenger front side, driver knees, centre, and curtain) , as well as a comprehensive suite of driver-assist tech including AEB with pedestrian/cyclist/junction assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, driver attention monitoring, emergency lane-change warning (with auto braking), traffic sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors, as well as an around-view monitor.

There are two ISOFIX child seat anchors and three top-tether points.

The Outlander range is covered by a 10-year/unlimited kilometre warranty – as long as servicing is completed on time by an authorised Mitsubishi dealership – and 10 years capped price servicing and 12 months roadside assist.

Outlander service intervals are scheduled at 12 months or 15,000km. Service costs can officially range from $299 through to $799.

The battery set-up has an eight-year/160,000km warranty. 

Is the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR any good?

A hybrid vehicle is a compromise move towards an EV future – and the Outlander PHEV is a big step in the right direction.

In GSR spec this SUV is a nifty daily driver, quietly appealing, and more than capable of heading off-road as long as you drive it well within its AWD limits.

If you reside in the city or suburbs and your daily driving doesn’t involve huge distances or lugging heavy loads, this PHEV makes a lot of sense.