In the automotive world, Mitsubishi was the company to watch, distinguishing itself by offering advanced technology that the masses can actually aspire to own.  Throughout its history, it introduced some amazing stuff whether it is for improved driving performance or passenger safety or environment friendliness.  Alas, like any pioneer there came a point when things weren’t looking too good for the brand of three diamonds (at least from the technological point of view).  Still, like any good engineering focused company, Mitsubishi invested heavily in advanced design and technology, incorporating them slowly into their production cars.  The first one that made everything gel together is the all-new Mitsubishi Outlander—a car that manages to outstrip much more expensive cars in both driving fun and technology.

From the outside, the Outlander is handsome and avant-garde.  There’s sporty lines throughout accented by the molded lighting.  The GLS Sport has a prominent silver skid plate that bisects the grille’s honeycombed top and bottom for a strong performance look.  The ubiquitous bulging wheel arches, a common design trait, are there, but on the Outlander, the arches are filled prominently by large 225/55 R 18 tires—a rarity in this class.  The wedge-like profile suggests a generous roofline for three rows, and in most countries it does, but in the Philippines the Outlander makes do with seating for five and a cavernous load space.

A 1.688 million peso price tag automatically suggests leather seats, but climbing aboard this sporty SUV, it’s a surprise instead to find fabric seats instead.  Aside from that, you can’t fault the Outlander’s interior.  Though not particularly luxurious, it feels right for the price you paid.  All the buttons are well integrated on the steering wheel and dash, with the ergonomics spot on for the enthusiast driver.  Two magnesium paddle shifters flank the small, chunky three-spoke steering wheel while the deeply recessed dials feature cool white and red graphics.  There’s a large swatch of silver running throughout the cabin, further highlight the Outlander’s sporty demeanor.  The non-drivers will still enjoy the Outlander for the welcoming two-tone cabin, ultra-comfy seats and the generous leg and knee room.  The loading bay is shopper friendly thanks to the easily accessible two-piece clamshell hatch.

Another big highlight of the Outlander GLS Sport has to be the standard 650-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo system.  Shared with the Eclipse and set to be seen in the upcoming Evolution X, this 8 speaker system offers some nice customization.  However, the stereo’s effectiveness is more of a blunt instrument than a surgical strike.  It does have booming power (a glance at the load bay reveals a 10-inch sub-woofer neatly integrated to the side), but not much clarity.  When the volume’s cranked up, the 650-watt amplifier has a tendency to overpower the front speakers, causing them to rattle in their enclosures.  The integrated head unit features a 6-disc MP3-compatible changer.  It’s fairly straightforward and easy to use, but finding the auxiliary audio input (consisting of two RCA jacks) maybe troublesome at first since it’s located at the bottom of the center console facing the rear seats—not exactly the most convenient arrangement.

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