Outlander from Mitsubishi takes another awards this time from the Scotsman National newspaper.

Mitsubishi’s best-selling game-changer the Outlander PHEV has been named Plug-In Vehicle of the Year by Scotland’s national newspaper.

The Scotsman, which has been testing one of the vehicles over the long term, said the world’s first 4x4 plug-in hybrid SUV had ‘lived up to its ecocredentials and impressed as a genuinely practical motor’.

The title’s Steven Chisholm called the Outlander PHEV ‘an exciting prospect for anyone looking for an SUV that’s easy on the wallet as well as the environment’.

He praised the vehicle’s material and build quality as well as the cabin’s planning and space plus ‘huge boot’. In addition, he highlighted how – thanks to the Outlander PHEV’s all-electric range of 32½ miles – staff would ‘relish the challenge of hyper-miling the battery’ on their 30-mile round trips from home to the office and back again without using any petrol at all.

And it was the Outlander PHEV’s great fuel consumption as well as its SUV practicality that combined to make it the newspaper’s winner.

The Outlander PHEV currently accounts for around half of all Plug-in Car Grant applications and is the UK’s favourite choice of plug-in vehicle, with Mitsubishi having sold more than 15,000 of them since it was launched last year.

The new Outlander PHEV, which was unveiled in Tokyo in October 2015, has seen the fuel economy improved – up from 148mpg to 156mpg – while the CO₂ emissions are down from 44g/km to 42g/km.

Those ultra-low emissions mean that no vehicle tax is payable, and its electric power combined with the efficient 2.0-litre petrol engine deliver an anxiety-free driving range of 541 miles.

What’s more, because the Benefit In Kind is just five per cent, it means a virtual pay rise of several thousand pounds a year for company car drivers, while for business owners there are savings on National Insurance contributions to be had, plus the Outlander PHEV qualifies for 100 per cent First Year Allowance against business profits.

This is the latest in a long line of awards for the Outlander PHEV. Last year, for example, it won Diesel Car’s Best Alternative Fuel Vehicle award as well as Business Car’s Best Green Development trophy in its Techie Awards, while in May this year it was named Best Ultra Low Emission Vehicle at the Fleet World Honours.

Mitsubishi celebrates selling the 10,000th Outlander PHEV in just it's first year.

Mitsubishi Motors (UK) has reached a significant milestone after selling its 10,000^thOutlander PHEV in the UK in its first year.

The landmark handover took place at the Humphries & Parks Mitsubishi dealership in West Malling, Kent, with Paul Aspin, of Sittingbourne, being handed the keys by Lance Bradley, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Motors (UK).

The award-winning Outlander PHEV is transforming the plug-in sector. Launched in April 2014, it has now overtaken every other plug-in hybrid and pure electric car, even passing vehicles that have been on sale since 2011, such as the Nissan Leaf, to become the UK’s favourite plug-in vehicle. 

Paul, a retired Director of Marketing for IBM Europe, said: ‘It’s  a  fantastic  vehicle  and  I’m happy  to  be  the 10,000^th customer. 

The Outlander PHEV ticks all the boxes for me. It’s great to drive, it’s comfortable, economical and it’s good for the environment. 

It’s got lots of clever technology but you don’t need to be a tech expert to use it.’

It’s not difficult to see why the Outlander PHEV is proving so popular. It boasts impressive fuel economy and ultra-low emissions – all in a vehicle with the go-anywhere ability of a four-wheel-drive. This makes it ideal for motorists keen on doing their bit for the environment as well as saving lots of money on running costs.

Combining electric and petrol power, it can travel 32½ miles in electric mode alone – more than enough to accommodate the average daily commute.

Lance said: ‘To sell 10,000 Outlander PHEVs between June and the end of March was a challenge set by our colleagues in Japan - given the market for plug-in hybrid vehicles in 2013 was 980 it seemed like a very big challenge. But the reaction to the vehicle has been fantastic and that is because it’s a car without compromise.

'People want to be environmentally responsible but they still want to have a car that is great to drive and doesn't cost significantly more than equivalent traditional petrol or diesel powered car. Paul’s car is the 10,000^th so we are absolutely delighted.’

Marcus Joy, Dealer Principal at the London Road showroom, said: ‘This is the 92^nd PHEV we have sold and we are delighted it’s the 10,000^th for Mitsubishi Motors (UK). The Outlander PHEV has been a fantastic success for us and it’s definitely created a halo around the brand, enabling us to sell more of the other products in the range, which can only be good for everyone in the network.’

As well as its official fuel consumption figure of 148 miles per gallon, the Outlander PHEV’s low emissions of just 44g of CO₂ per kilometre mean there’s no vehicle tax to pay plus it’s exempt from the London congestion charge and it qualifies for the government’s £5,000 Plug-in Car Grant too. 

In addition, company car drivers can reap the reward of a

fantastically low Benefit in Kind (BIK) of just five per cent, meaning a virtual pay rise of several thousand pounds per year.

What’s more, for business owners there are savings on National Insurance contributions to be had, and the Outlander PHEV plug-in hybrid qualifies for 100 per cent First Year Allowance against business profits.