There are a hundred practical reasons to own and drive a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV); even if the toughest grounds you're going to conquer is a gravel carpark. Ignore the cynics and armchair critics, SUVs are a sensible choice for use on the open road and even in busy city centres.
Plus, you can drive them on nice roads, bad roads or in the absence of roads entirely - there isn't much, which fazes them. Like it or not; for utility alone, an SUV is fast becoming your only recourse.
Shines like a diamond
Revised mid last year, the Mitsubishi Outlander is one such SUV that comes to mind when we imagine space, comfort and style.
For the benefit of those who haven't heard of the Outlander before, it's a robust urbanite, which has got a distinctive 'Dynamic Shield' design concept, seats for seven, generous stowage capacity, exceptional cabin refinement and an extensive list of features like automatic head lights and wipers, cruise control and an intelligent four-wheel drive system.
At the heart of the Outlander is Mitsubishi's 2.4-litre four-cylinder MIVEC engine, paired to a new and improved INVECS-III CVT gearbox; the gearbox has undergone a few enhancements to provide more enthusiastic performance. This lets the car make 165bhp and 222Nm of torque, powering it from nought to 100km/h in 10.2 seconds before going on to reach a top speed of 198km/h.
Find out more about the Outlander in the complete review here.
We got a second opinion
As before, we invited a couple of our MyCarForum (MCF) members to spend some time driving the car, and find out just why it's such a great SUV for the family!
The first MCF participant Paul, who loves bringing his wife and two kids out on adventures found the Outlander to be the perfect family hauler because the car is quiet and composed, and the seven seats mean that extra space is easily available.
Compared to the mid-sized sedan he now owns, Paul also feels that the Outlander presents higher levels of comfort and because of the high driving position, you get a clearer, more confident view of the road ahead.
During activities such as cycling, which Paul's family regularly does, the Outlander's easily configurable seven seats mean there's enough space and comfort for five onboard and for the foldable bicycles, bags and ice boxes, which they bring along.
Speaking of which, Ivan found the foldable third row to be perfect for his daughter, who enjoys being there and takes naps on longer drives. His daughter's peaceful shut-eyes are also probable thanks to how comfortably the car rides and how quiet the powertrain is.
Compared to the multi-purpose vehicle he drives, Paul says that the Outlander is more spacious and more enjoyable in general. During their time with the car, Paul's family found grocery hunting to be an easier chore than usual.
Our last participant Eric, who at present owns a Mitsubishi Lancer EX 2.0M GT, gave the Outlander a shot because his car's Certificate of Entitlement is about to end and as family expansion plans are underway, finds that a larger car may be mandatory in due time.
Eric prefers his cars in sedan form and on the sportier side of the performance spectrum but was surprised by the performance of the Outlander. And should he want to perform overtaking manoeuvres, the large paddle shifters behind the steering allowed him to manually work the powertrain's six-speed Sports mode.
Experience the Outlander today!
As our MCF members have confirmed, the Mitsubishi Outlander makes a superb family proposition; and a stylish one at that!
Visit Mitsubishi's showrooms at 239 Alexandra Road, Singapore (159930) and 22 Ubi Road 4 Fulco Building, Singapore (408617) to experience the car yourself! Alternatively, you may ring the company up at 6473 9722 (Alexandra) or 6746 3000 (Ubi) for enquiries before heading down.
