For those looking for something a little different to Land Rover's class leading Freelander, then the Mitsubishi Outlander is a viable alternative at an attractive price. Although the current Outlander lags slightly behind its rival in overall refinement and driving pleasure, a revamped model is to be launched at the forthcoming Tokyo Motor Show, and although initially for the Japanese market, expect the striking new Outlander to be heading to the UK in the near future.

The current Outlander is one of the better-looking mid-sized SUVs on the market, with a more grown-up appearance than the likes of the Freelander and Toyota's RAV4 (itself due for replacement). At under £17,000 it is also competitively priced, returning good performance for an SUV, with a top speed of 119mph and 0-60mph in 10.8 seconds. However, the Outlander does have its flaws - the economy is poor, averaging around 28mpg in our hands, and there is no diesel alternative as yet. Insurance is also expensive, with the base model four groups higher than the entry-level Freelander, negating the saving made in list price. Although Mitsubishi claims that economy is improved in its latest guise, the new Outlander is both longer and wider, so a drastic change for the better is unlikely.

The new model continues with a similar 2.4-litre powerplant, while the four-speed automatic is replaced by Mitsubishi's new six-speed CVT gearbox, complete with a column mounted paddle shift system. If your priority is styling then you can't go far wrong with the Outlander, and although it may fall short of the overall performance of the Freelander, is definitely worth a look. We would be surprised if a diesel option was not in place by the time the new car reaches British shores.

Andrew Frampton - 7 Oct 2005