Another year – another Mitsubishi special edition. Don’t yawn … they always represent good value.

Price: $39,990
Powertrain and economy: 2.4-litre inline four cylinder petrol engine, 126kW/224Nm, CVT automatic transmission with six-speed electronic sport mode, 4WD, combined economy 7.2 L/100km, CO2 167g/km.
Vital statistics: length 4695mm, width 1810mm, height 1710mm, wheelbase 2670mm. Luggage capacity up to 1608 litres. 18-inch black alloy wheels.
We like: Strong value, five-star ANCAP rating, seven seats
We don’t like: Powertrain, styling starting to age.

COVID lockdown level one: Back to the footie, shoulder-to-shoulder in the stands, packing seven people into an SUV ...sweet.

These days there are a decent number of seven-seater SUVs available in New Zealand, with the most popular being the Mitsubishi Outlander.

Despite this generation having been around for eight years already, it consistently features in the list of the top 10 biggest-selling new vehicles here. The reasons seem obvious: It’s an honest and safe SUV that in typical Mitsubishi fashion is offered at reasonable prices.

Little wonder then that the brand happily markets Outlander as the SUV you’d design for your family.

There’s sound reasoning behind that marketing strapline, too. As any parents of a young family will tell you, it can be difficult to safely and legally secure small children into a vehicle, especially if any of said children have any of their mates with them.

If the kids are aged six or less, they must be properly belted into approved child restraints. If they are seven or immediately older, they must use a child restraint if one is available. Up to and including the age of 12, they should be seated in a back seat. It’s only when a child reaches 148cm tall that they are officially considered to be ‘adult’ enough to be able to be seated right up front.

All that is why complications can arise, particularly with the so-called nuclear family. The parents take up the front seats, the kids are in the back – but what if said kids have a friend or two? And that explains why seven-seater vehicles can be so useful for any family.

The current Outlander is a third-generation model, and it has been in New Zealand since 2013, in build since slightly earlier. It has received regular updates, the most recent last year, so it now sports Mitsubishi’s latest family grille and a host of other refinements.

But underneath it all it is essentially old-school – it is built on the same GS platform as the smaller ASX and Eclipse Cross SUVs, as well as various Chryslers. Dodges, Fiats and even Citroens, a throwback to the time Mitsubishi held a Chrysler shareholding.

I’d argue the Outlander doesn’t feel old-school, though. That’s particularly the case with the electrified version, the PHEV, which can be plugged in and charged up overnight to give it a 55km range as a pure EV.

Trouble is, the PHEV has just five seats, and the XLS and VRX versions cost $52,490 and $57,990, which is a substantial amount of money. That explains why, excellent SUV that it is, the PHEV accounts for not much more than a fifth of all Outlander sales. Considerably more popular are various versions available with a choice of 2.4-litre petrol and 2.3-litre turbo diesel powertrains, with 2WD and 4WD – and the seven seats - and with prices as low as $34,490.

And then there are limited-edition special models that Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand regularly makes available in an effort to keep Outlander sales ticking over.

MMNZ is good at doing the special-edition thing – that’s a primary reason why most of its vehicles boast real longevity. Think ASX, for example. That SUV has been around for close to two decades and it is still highly popular because it offers such good value.

Same with the Outlander. This test is of the latest limited-edition special – a $39,990 Outlander Sport, which is essentially a $36,990 4WD 2.4-litre petrol LS model but with a bunch of added features normally reserved for the top $45,990 VRX.

Driving was a challenge, because the day the press Outlander Sport arrived was the day our world changed. New Zealand went into Level Four Lockdown. So the car was out of reach and, even if it had successfully transferred from the local dealership to my driveway, it really could barely be driven anyway.

But eventually the Covid crisis began to pass, and we were allowed to pick up the Mitsubishi – and beautifully sanitised it was too. It came with a note stating that we were the first to enter the vehicle since it was sanitised, which was comforting.

Also comforting was the knowledge that the Outlander Sport had been fitted with an array of premium features, but still carried a price tag of less than $40,000. Such features included a ‘black-out’ package that previously featured in another limited special, the Outlander Black Edition, comprising such things as a black grille outer, black skid plates front and rear, black roof rails, black door garnish, and black door mirrors.

The Sport also came with black 18-inch alloy wheels. Was it also available with black paintwork, we wondered? The answer was yes – but our vehicle was coloured silver, the hue matched by the colour of a specially installed rear spoiler.

The VRX treatment continued on the inside, naturally with a touch of black via piano black trim on the dash and centre console, and black headlining.

Another important feature was heated leather-appointed front seats with power lumber support. The vehicle also came with dual-zone air conditioning, a sunroof, and a new 8-inch smartphone link display audio system.

The Outlander Sport also had an electric tailgate, making it easy to open access to the rear load area. With all seven seats in use this cargo space is reasonably restricted, but it does open up to a massive 1608 litres when the second and third row of seats are folded down – perfect for a parent needing to chuck the bike in the back for a spell away from all those kids...

These days the Outlander isn’t the liveliest medium-sized SUV on the market, but with 126kW and 224Nm on hand it does the job well enough, and there’s a Sport button for a bit more oomph if required. But its doubtful that would be for sheer sportiness – rather, to carry a heavy load of up to seven bodies and potentially a trailer.

But, for a bit of more enthusiastic driving, the Outlander’s CVT auto can be turned into an electronically controlled six-speeder able to be operated using paddles on the steering wheel.

The vehicle’s 4WD system is also electronic, with 4WD Eco, Auto and Lock able to be selected at the touch of a button.

The thing is though, the Mitsubishi Outlander is intended more as a family vehicle than an enthusiast’s ride, and in that respect it does the job admirably. And that, perhaps, is why the special edition versions sell so well when they are released in limited numbers – they provide a little more pizzazz and comfort for the parents, allowing them to luxuriate just a little while travelling with all the kids in the back.