First Drive: Mitsubishi Outlander diesel peeps out from the shadow of its electric brother

The glamorous-sibling problem is one that afflicts those poor unfortunates whose brother or sister is just that bit more talented or had a longer dip in the handsome/gorgeous end of the gene pool. The Mitsubishi Outlander feels their pain, or at least the diesel model does.

It has been comprehensively overshadowed by its brother, the plug-in electric hybrid Outlander PHEV, over the past year and a bit. The plugin has tiny emissions, a 50km electric range and looks more like the future of motoring than anything else around at the moment. It's one of the few properly practical ways of going electric, and it costs only fractionally more to buy than the top-spec diesel version.

Pity the poor diesel, then. It was trying its best, we can all agree. But the grannies and aunties were still giving the PHEV all the attention.

Perhaps now, diesel has its chance again.

Mitsubishi has introduced a major round of updates and improvements for the Outlander, and while the PHEV will get the same treatment, for now the diesel has the stage to itself.

You'll spot the new Outlander right away: the big, shovel- nosed new grille with lashings of extra chrome will see to that. It's certainly a dramatic departure from the snub-nosed styling that went before it, but can I be the awkward one who says they preferred the old look? And yes, I know I once criticised the old look for being too bland. Consistency is not a strong suit.

Inside, virtually nothing has changed, aside from a new steering wheel and, wait for it, some new ebony-look fake wood trim and, on the seats, and I quote here: “A new cloth design and in addition the driver and passenger seat sides now use accent stitching and the firmness of the seat cushioning has been optimised.”

So it’s basically the same then, but there’s little enough harm in that. It was never a cabin that was going to set hearts aflame with excitement, but it feels as it ever did: well-made and robust, and simple to use.

But the seats still aren’t great: if you’re tall, you’ll find the bottom cushion is too short to support the backs of your legs, and the whole driving position feels a little too upright and jacked-up.

Still, space in the back is pretty good, and unlike the PHEV (which uses the space under the boot to store its batteries) it has a pair of folding third row seats, which are roomy enough for small children and even tolerant adults, for a shorter journey at any rate. Cargo space is a reasonable 477 litres if you keep those seats folded flat, and they can be flipped up or down with one hand, which is helpful if you're struggling with children and/or shopping.

Under the new skin are some more significant changes. The suspension mounts are stiffer and the rear shock absorbers have been increased in diameter, both to improve ride quality and sharpen the steering a tad.

The whole body is stiffer, there’s more sound-deadening material and even the bottom of the door apertures have been changed so that there’s more “thunk” and less “clang”.

Again, these sound like little things, but the overall effect is surprisingly profound. The Outlander's refinement, in particular, has taken a big step up, with the previously overly vocal 2.2 DiD diesel engine now far more hushed and smoother sounding.

It has only 150hp but a healthy 380Nm of torque, so thanks to the Outlander’s reasonably trim 1,595kg kerb weight, it never feels less than brisk.

Claimed economy is just over 50mpg for the four-wheel drive model, while the most basic front-drive sneaks up closer to 60mpg. CO2 emissions of either 126g/km (for the front-drive) or 139g/km (for the 4WD) mean you will not have to pay more than €280 a year to tax an Outlander, which is at worst only €110 a year more than for the PHEV.

While the improvements have made the Outlander better to drive, you'd still never describe it as sharp. It lacks either the incisiveness of the Honda CR-V or the lovely softness of a Kia Sorento – it strikes a middle ground that's entirely adequate, never uncomfortable but equally not all that engaging. Blamelessly competent seems to just about cover it.

But it’s well equipped. The most basic Intense model (which starts at a hair more than €31,000 if you forego the seven seats) misses out only on leather seats, 18in alloys and keyless go. It has dual-zone climate, rear-view camera, cruise control and speed limiter, Bluetooth, lots of airbags, leather steering wheel and more.

The PHEV will get the same set of improvements (plus some performance and range improvements to the electric drive system), but for now, the diesel has at least a chance to peep out from the shadow of its more talented sibling.

It’s a much better car than it was before. Lacking, perhaps, the star quality of some of its rivals, but a solid and stolid family workhorse.

Lowdown: Mitsubishi Outlander 2.2 DID 7-seater Intense
Price: €38,450 as tested. Range starts at €31,450
Power: 150hp
Torque: 380Nm
0-100kmh: 10.2sec
Top speed: 200kmh
Claimed economy: 5.4l/100km (52mpg)
CO2 emissions: 139g/km
Motor tax: €280