2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Black Edition Review: Good, Not Great

Exterior Design and Blackout Edition

• 🖤 The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Black Edition features unique black accents and 20-inch gloss black wheels.
• 💡 The front design includes a split lighting setup with LED turn signals up top and triple-stack LED headlights and fog lamps below.
• 🎨 All exterior trim is blacked out, except for the iconic Mitsubishi badge, with a gloss black perimeter and a large lower opening for air intake.
• 🌟 The Blackout Edition extends to gloss black mirror caps and blacked-out A-pillars, contributing to a sleek, modern look.
• ⚠️ A minor critique is the flat black around the fender openings, which the reviewer feels would look better painted red.

Powertrain and Performance

• ⚡ Under the hood, a 2.4L inline-4 engine is paired with electric motors, producing a combined 248 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque.
• 🚀 This powertrain offers a 0-60 mph time of 6.5 seconds, making it approximately 2 seconds faster than the standard internal combustion engine Outlander.
• 🔋 It utilizes a 16.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a direct-drive transmission, offering up to 38 miles of pure EV range.
• ⛽ Combined MPG is rated at 64, with 25 MPG city and 27 MPG highway when operating as a hybrid.

Interior Features and Comfort

• 🛋️ The interior boasts soft-touch materials, contrast stitching, and diamond-pleated stitching for an upscale feel.
• 📱 An 8-inch infotainment system includes navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, and wireless Android Auto; it shares multimedia software with Nissan vehicles.
• 💺 Front seats offer electric assist with a massage function, heated seats, and a heated steering wheel, though ventilated seats are notably absent for the price point.
• 🌌 A panoramic sunroof with a power sunshade is a highlight, complemented by a black headliner.

Practicality and Third-Row Seating

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Despite being a plug-in hybrid with a battery pack, the Outlander PHEV uniquely offers three rows of seating.
• 🎒 The cargo area provides good flexibility, with around 60 cubic feet of space when the small third row is folded down.
• 🔌 Charging cords and a home power source are included, emphasizing the vehicle's plug-in capabilities.
• ⚠️ The third-row seating is described as very tight, requiring significant contortion to access and occupy.

Driving Experience and Verdict

• 🕹️ The driving experience is characterized by a comfortable environment, smooth acceleration from the electric motors, and impressive instant torque.
• 🛣️ A lower center of gravity due to the PHEV setup contributes to better handling and reduced body roll.
• 🔊 The digital gauge cluster is a large 12.3 inches, but the infotainment screen is only 8 inches, which is noted as a drawback.
• 👍 Overall, the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Black Edition is considered a good SUV due to its unique features like three-row seating and EV range, but not a great one, with some compromises in features and interior screen size for its price.