2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR long-term review one: Jack-of-all-trades

Mitsubishi Australia might be operating with a scaled-back line-up this year, with the Pajero Sport, Eclipse Cross and ASX winding down with replacements to come later, but that just places more importance on existing models.

Arguably its most important model still available to buy new in showrooms is the Outlander mid-size SUV, designed to ferry families – both large and small – everywhere from the school run to weekend getaway.

We’ve secured a three-month loan of the most expensive Outlander plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) available, the GSR, to see how it handles the day-to-day commute and road trip when loaded with car seats, a pram, and more.

As an introduction, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR wears a $73,790 before on-road costs sticker price, which puts it up there as one of the most expensive mid-size SUVs available from a mainstream brand.

Of course, the cutting-edge powertrain plays a part in pushing that price up, as it features a 2.4-litre petrol engine, dual electric motors, and a 20kWh (19.6kWh usable) battery.

Combined, the outputs are 185kW/420Nm, which makes this family SUV feel spritely off the line, keeping pace with even battery electric vehicles (BEVs) as it prioritises electric power at slower speeds.

The Outlander PHEV GSR also rated with a driving range of up to 84km, but with a full charge, the dashboard tells me it is closer to 70km.

With my daily commute of dropping the kids to childcare, followed by a drive into the office, and then back again, it works out to be about a 60km round trip.

Luckily, with facilities to charge at work, as well as a garage spot to charge at home, it’s easy enough to keep the battery full at the start of a day.

Crucially, and what my wife loves, is the Outlander’s charging schedule, which means I can come home, plug in and it will not draw power until 9pm when the rates switch to off-peak.

In the Outlander PHEV, however, you will have to be diligent with charging.

Despite the relatively large battery and generous all-electric driving range, charging is slow, like 3.7kW slow. I’ve seen the readout display a 16-hour charge time for an empty battery, so you'll want to keep the Mitsubishi family car as full as possible.

And when that charge runs out, there is always the petrol engine to lean on to keep things going. However, there are options available to drivers to recoup some charge in the battery while things are still moving.

You can turn on the ‘Brake’ driving mode for more effective regenerative braking, which is really strong, and will help in stop-start traffic.

And even when the battery is drained, the system will still utilise what electricity is available to assist with take-off, a little like a plugless hybrid system that Toyota employs.

This means you still get some fuel-saving benefits, even if you do not charge, but of course, the most efficient way to drive is with the battery in play.

In my first month with the car, I averaged 0.9 litres per 100 kilometres after about 1200km of commuting.

Of course, with the Outlander PHEV GSR in my care for another two months, there will be more time to stretch its legs and see how it fares in longer, cross-country drives.

Powertrain aside, the Outlander is a well-equipped, well-sized model to handle family duties.

As a mid-size SUV, it competes against the top-selling Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5, but its dimensions are slightly larger, allowing a third row of seats to be included.

Keep in mind, the Outlander is no Hyundai Santa Fe, which enjoys much broader dimensions, so seats six and seven certainly are tight. In fact, my 185cm-tall frame struggles to fit comfortably, as my knees are basically touching my chin when seated in the third row.

However, it is nice that they are there in a worst-case scenario, say, for example, a parent asks for help with the school pick-up as they are stuck at work or relatives come over for an extended stay to visit the family.

And when the third row is not in use, the seats fold flat into the boot, creating a capacious cavity that will easily fit a pram, school bags, groceries, scooters, and more – and that’s even with the charging cable in tow.

For those playing at home, the Outlander PHEV GSR can swallow 191 litres of volume with all seats up, 461L with the third row down, and 1387L as a two-seater.

Sitting atop the Outlander tree, the PHEV GSR features plenty of desirable fruit, such as quilted leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, massaging front seats, front and rear heated seats, and nine-speaker Bose sound system.

Family buyers will also appreciate the three-zone climate control, powered tailgate, and surround-view monitor that make juggling kids that much easier.

Also appreciated is the larger 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with functionality for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as in-built satellite navigation.

However, while the Apple smartphone connection can be handled wirelessly, Android users like myself will need a cable. Not a deal-breaker, but technological parity would be nice.

This car also features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that can be customised with varying readouts, but I do find it a little busy with lots of data being thrown in your face regardless of which screen you have it on.

The GSR, however, distinguishes itself from the rest of the Outlander pack by way of blacked-out exterior equipment, namely the 20-inch alloy wheels, badging, grille surround, side mirror caps, and window trims.

The more aggressive appearance is appreciated, but there are no performance enhancements to go along with the new look.

Not that it needs it, because the hybrid powertrain makes the Outlander GSR feel peppy off the line. There is even a ‘Sport’ driving mode to firm up throttle response and continuously variable transmission (CVT) tuning.

It seems, then, that the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR has all the bases covered – it is well equipped, practical, comes with a 10-year conditional warranty, efficient when you want it to be, but also punchy enough to handle day-to-day activities.

So, what’s the downside?

Well, buyers need to fork out $73,790 before on-road costs for the top-spec Outlander, which isn’t an insignificant amount of change, especially for families that might be feeling cost-of-living pressures elsewhere.

This makes it more than $20,000 upstream of the BYD Sealion 6 in top-spec form, though the Chinese car only has seating for five.

In the coming months, I’ll delve into whether this Outlander PHEV GSR is a jack-of-all-trades but a master of none, or whether it is class-leading in any key consideration areas. But for now, it has proved itself a capable, comfortable and compliant family companion.

Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.

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