years, but decades of development. It provides stabil‑ ity and traction in all conditions. My colleague, (Kaoru) Sawase-san, led the team that developed it. He has a very high level of technical skill and is an excellent driver. His goal was to create a generation of S-AWC technology that provides for basic safety, but also the sharp responses that a rally driver would want. Mi: Consumers who are, shall we say, “in the know,” will recognize that the Outlander PHEV is built on an alliance platform, the Mitsubishi-Nissan-Renault Alliance. Honda-san: Yes, that is true. But we required seating for seven passengers. We worked with our partners to ensure there was room for seven passengers and rear motors for S-AWC. Mi: So, this is an example of where you take an alli‑ ance platform, and customize it for Mitsubishi? Honda-san: Yes, exactly. Mi: So, let’s summarize the 2023 Outlander PHEV. What would you tell your neighbor or a family mem ‑ ber interested in how you’ve spent the last 12 or so years? The main points. Honda-san: This is the culmination of Mitsubishi Motors’ technology; in that it allows to you drive with S-AWC while contributing to the environment with PHEV. The Outlander PHEV brings driving pleasure and comfortable EV use to daily life and for long-range driving, without worrying about running out of power – what some call “range anxiety.” Mi : The Outlander PHEV looks expensive, and the ma‑ terials look and feel expensive. Yet, it competes in the mainstream marketplace. What message are you sending to potential customers? Honda-san: The new Outlander was developed with the focus on making the vehicle appealing just by looking at it, before you even get in. The robust exter‑ ior design will motivate you to get going before you leave in the morning, and the high-quality interior will make you happy every time you get in. Mi: One complaint we often hear from customers is that the technology in today’s vehicles is too compli‑ cated. What has your team done to simplify the use of advanced technologies in the Outlander PHEV? Honda-san: One is the driver mode selector. The driv‑ er simply turns the dial to select the appropriate drive mode for the road conditions. The car automatically controls all the tires for optimum driving responses. A second is the display that shows the PHEV status in an easy-to-understand manner, so the driver can understand complex controls visually on the screen.
54
Powered by FlippingBook