Car Magazine reviews the Outlander PHEV

► Petrol-electric plug-in hybrid SUV
► Averages 148mpg – on paper…
► Tall car, low CO2 emissions, and low tax

Mitsubishi success stories have been a bit thin on the ground since the WRC glory days and Evo/Impreza wars heyday. But the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is actually doing rather well for itself, in the world of fleet sales at least.

That’s because PHEV, of course, stands for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, and the Outlander’s partial electrification means it’s allowed to declare improbably low CO2 emissions of 44g/km, which in turn mean a lower-than-low company car tax band.

Officially, it’s the best-selling plug-in car in the UK – and by an enormous margin. That alone makes it worthy of investigation. Is the PHEV’s appeal more than just BIK-band deep?

How much does the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV cost?

Were you to buy one outright, prices start at £28,249 for the entry-level GX3 trim, rising to around £40k for the most kit-laden examples at the time of writing (and with the current £5k government grant for plug-in cars factored in). Post-grant, the PHEV is priced to compete directly against the conventional diesel-engined Outlander. So there’s no hefty premium for plugging in here.

But the majority of Outlander buyers are likely to be spending their company’s money, not their own, because it’s in the fleet world that the PHEV makes the most sense. That 44g/km CO2 rating places the car in the lowest possible BIK banding of 5% (for 2015/16 – it’ll rise a little each year), which represents a temptingly huge potential saving over a similarly sized conventionally powered SUV. Plus the handy bonus of ducking under the London congestion charge.

Read more: Car Magazine