Mitsubishi Outlander 2.2 DI-D, car review: Significant updates add refinement to their 7-seat SUV

But it’s priced to compete with some tough opponents…

The Mitsubishi Outlander has been through a pretty extensive facelifting process this year. It’s been given a new look up front and in particular inside, where the cabin now features improved materials and better consumer electronics.

Also improved is the Outlander’s suspension, the aim being to sharpen up its ride and handling. Mitsubishi says it’s now quieter in the cabin, too.

It’s still as you were under the bonnet, though, with the same 2.2 DI-D engine doing the work. As tested, it’s mated to a six-speed auto box.

Our Outlander was supplied in range-topping GX4 trim with all the leather, sat-nav and so that this entails. A consequence of all this is that the vehicle we drove costs £32,899.

With the rivals it’s got at that sort of price, it’s going to need to be good.

On the road, it’s not a bad start. The engine pulls well enough, and the six-speed auto changes gear without you noticing. It’s not the quietest of diesels, but the other sources of noise that made their presence felt in the old Outlander are indeed now significantly quieter.

Dynamically, it’s eclipsed by the admittedly more upmarket Land Rover Discovery Sport. It steers and brakes as well as you could ever ask for, but its body leans in corners and fails to settle on pattery surfaces. And when you hit a big bump in the road, you feel as if it’s trying to tell you about it rather than pretending it never happened.

And what of the cabin? Far better is what. Hard plastics have given way to soft-touch materials that look and feel much nicer, the dash is classier and the driving position is as fuss-free and comfortable as ever.

The interface for the entertainment system remains a weak point, however. It’s simpler than the old one and boots up more quickly, but it continues to be beaten by its closest rivals in this sector.

Out back, the size of its cargo space is a definiete plus point. And with the second row of seats sliding back and forth as well as reclining, one six-footer can sit behind another without anyone getting cross. The third row is only really suitable for kids, though.

The problem this leaves us with is that while we didn’t have any objection to driving the Outlander, even finding it pleasingly enjoyable at times, in a car that costs £32,899 being merely ‘not bad’ is some way short of enough.

Thing is, for a few dollars more you’d be looking halfway up the Disco Sport range. And rightly or wrongly, that’s a vehicle with a presence the Outlander will always struggle to match.

We wouldn’t strike the Outlander from our list on this showing alone. But we’d be tempted to stay away from the highest-spec models. Choose more modestly, and don’t let the dealer have an easy ride on the price you’re willing to pay, and you’re much more likely to have struck on the right blend.

Mitsubishi Outlander 2.2 DI-D GX4 auto

Engine size 2.3-litre diesel

Price from £32,899

Power 147bhp

Torque 265lb ft

0-62mph 11.6 seconds

Top speed 118mph

Fuel economy 48.7mpg

CO2 154g/km