Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV big dealer push – first UK cars being delivered

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – Mitsubishi’s plug-in hybrid Outlander – gets a big dealer push this weekend as Mitsubishi tries to educate buyers.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, the plug-in hybrid Outlander, has been the subject of a big marketing campaign by Mitsubishi in recent weeks, and this weekend sees a big dealer push to educate buyers.

But actually, it’s a very easy job for Mitsubishi because they seem to have hit the ground running with a car that could see the beginning of the end of the BEV electric car market.

That’s because the Outlander PHEV offers the best of both worlds, with its plug-in hybrid setup offering pure EV running for up to 30 miles or so – enough to get in and out of most cities – and the ability to run on carbon fuel even when the batteries run down.

So not only do you get pure EV running when you need it, you also lose the limited range downside of a BEV but still get BIK rates of just 5 per cent if it’s a company car and no congestion charge too.

Add to that the entry-level price of £28,249 (after the £5k taxpayer bribe) and it all starts to be a bit of a no-brainer for buyers.

With all the upsides of the Outlander PHEV, Mitsubishi are expecting big interest in their big dealer push this weekend when dealers will have the Outlander PHEV on hand, and available for test drive bookings, but with so much interest in the car will Mitsubishi be able to fulfil orders?

We spoke to Mitsubishi this morning and they tell us that although they originally expected to sell just 3,000 units in the rest of 2014, they now realise that figure is going to be much greater.

Despite that, the first customer Outlander PHEVs are arriving in the hands of customers in the UK this week, and if you order one now you will be able to get it delivered in the next two weeks.

Mitsubishi are also confident that they will be able to keep up with demand as there are no supply-line issues for components and sufficient production capacity to fulfil all orders in an acceptable time-frame.

Lance Bradley, Mitsubishi UK’s MD, said:

We’re all delighted to see the Outlander PHEV arrive in the showrooms. The Outlander PHEV is the first SUV plug-in hybrid in the UK market that boasts 4WD capability with an EV range of 32.5 miles and emissions as low as 44 g/km. It’s truly a game-changer.

The vehicle is extraordinary, it’s very different to other hybrids and we are sure our customers will love it. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV will appeal to a wide cross-section of private individuals and business users, with its exciting combination of innovation, style and technology. It truly is a car without compromise.

If the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV makes sense to you – and it should – you need to get down to your local Mitsubishi dealer this weekend for the workshops on how the PHEV works, grab a test drive booking and get your order in.

And at the same price as the diesel Outlander (on the entry-level spec, and just £1k more on the most popular GX4h spec) it’s hard to find an argument for not buying the PHEV.