Launched two years ago, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has effectively defined the plug-in hybrid sector.

Launched on this day back in April 2014, the award-winning Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has effectively defined the emergence of the UK's plug-in hybrid sector. In 2013, the year before its arrival, the total plug-in hybrid market across all marques stood at just 989.

Two years on there are 21,053 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs on the UK's roads.

Lance Bradley, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Motors in the UK, said: ‘Introducing new technology is very challenging and to sell over 21,000 Outlander PHEVs in the first two years has been an incredible achievement.

‘People are being increasingly attracted to environmental vehicle performance and the economy it delivers. However they still want to have a car that is great to drive and doesn’t cost significantly more than an equivalent traditional petrol or diesel powered car.’

Continuing the success story, in the first three months of 2016 total market registrations of plug-in hybrid passenger cars are 7,468. Over half of which (52.3%) are Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs.

In two short years Outlander PHEV sales have overtaken every other plug-in hybrid and pure electric car, even passing vehicles that have been around since 2011 such as the Nissan Leaf.

The Outlander PHEV has become the UK's number one choice.

It’s not difficult to see why it is proving so popular. It boasts impressive fuel economy and ultra-low emissions – in a vehicle with the go-anywhere ability of four-wheel-drive. Combining electric and petrol power it has a range of 541 miles - 32 miles in electric mode alone, which is more than enough to accommodate the average daily commute.

As well as its official fuel consumption figure of 156 miles per gallon, the Outlander PHEV’s low emissions of just 42g of CO₂ per kilometre mean there’s no vehicle tax to pay. It is exempt from the congestion charge and it qualifies for the Government's £2,500 plug-in car grant. In addition, company car drivers can reap the reward of low Benefit in Kind tax (BIK), meaning a virtual pay rise of several thousand pounds per year.