The chances of Mitsubishi Motors breaking even in the Indian SUV segment have received a major boost with the introduction of the Outlander to the fray. Launched in India on the 3rd of October in New Delhi, the Outlander is a state-of-the-art crossover that can change colour from a sporty city slicker to that of a mountain raider in a jiffy. Already quite a rage in North America, Canada, Australia and Western Europe, it's sure to give the CR-V and the Captiva a run for their money.

The Outlander is a fine concoction of sporty yet rugged looks all packaged in a modern silhouette. The looks are very much in keeping with Mitsubishi's design philosophy and are bound to attract a lot of admiring gazes no the road.

The interior of the Outlander looks like an import from a luxury sedan! The spacious five-seater boasts full beige or black leather upholstery, climate control, a thumping 650W 9-speaker, 6-CD in-dash Rockford Fosgate sound system with controls on the steering wheel, powered driver seat, cruise control, a six-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifts, dual front SRS airbags, ABS with EBD and parking sensors make the Outlander a sheer delight to own and drive!

The powertrain is a 2.4-litre petrol unit, employing Mitsubishi's Innovative Valve Timing & Lift Electronic Control system or MIVEC. Mated to a 6-speed CVT transmission with paddle-shifts mounted on the steering wheel, the refined engine produces 170PS of power and a torque of 226Nm. Outlander's punchy engine also gives it the ability to attain speeds in the vicinity of 190kmph, which is a lot for an SUV and more akin to that of a powerful sedan.

Since the Outlander is a soft-roader, it makes use of car-like McPherson struts with coil springs and stabiliser bar at the front and a multi-link suspension with coil springs and stabiliser bar setup at the back. Therefore it comes as no surprise that it rides and drives well on the road but is pretty mediocre off-road. However with the aid of the "Drive-Mode Selector" dial, one can conveniently switch from 2WD to 4WD drive mode while on the move!

Hindustan Motor's Tiruvallur plant near Chennai is assembling the Outlander for the Indian market. Priced at an all-India ex-showroom price of Rs. 20,20,000, the Outlander is available in a delectable choice of seven colours.