DRIVE QUEST - Exploring the appeal of cars with guests.
Vol.06 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV

DRIVE QUEST - ゲストと探る、クルマの魅力。<br>Vol.06 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV

2025.2.28

Photo： Tatsuki Nakata

Edit： Naoya Tsuneshige

Places you can only go by car. Secret conversations you can only have in the car. Play your favorite music and go wherever your heart takes you. Cars always show us new sights. Maybe it's a little different when you've got your crush in the car. This is a series that explores those thrills and excitements with our guests. Passenger seat passenger of the month, what is the appeal of cars?

Profile

Nobuko Baba

After graduating from the Department of Photography at Osaka University of Arts, he gained experience as a freelance assistant and went independent in 2017. From February 2022 to March 2024, he studied abroad in London, where he spent every day facing photography and nature in an unfamiliar environment. Even after returning to Japan, he is a photographer who truly loves nature and living things and goes to the mountains whenever he has the chance.

Instagram: @nbk_613

Exploring the appeal of the OUTLANDER PHEV with Nobuko.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, or a car that runs on both gasoline and electricity, is called a PHEV. It's been a while since this term became commonplace, but in fact, the first company in the world to mass-produce its predecessor, the electric vehicle (EV), was none other than Japan's proud automobile manufacturer, Mitsubishi Motors. And the PHEV is a system that Mitsubishi Motors developed based on an EV, ahead of the rest of the world.

The car we are introducing today, the Outlander PHEV, is the world's first SUV-type "PHEV," which could only have been developed by such a pioneer.

Nobuko is usually the one taking the photos, but perhaps she was embarrassed to be photographed, as she suddenly put on some fake glasses.
A large 12.3-inch screen monitor. Easily connect to your smartphone and enjoy a variety of apps.
The interior is unified in brown, creating a sense of luxury. The sunroof also provides a sense of openness.
A Yamaha sound system comes as standard.
Comes with a maximum output of 1500W. It is a convenient specification that allows you to use electrical appliances that consume a large amount of power.

On this day, we invited Nobuko Baba, a photographer who works in a wide range of fields including magazines and advertising, to sit in the passenger seat. As a result, the conversation in the car was mainly about "recent work," but we decided to keep that in mind. Nobuko, who owns a car and drives it on a daily basis, first asked her about her rules for choosing a car.

"Because of the nature of my job, it's essential that I can carry a lot of luggage. I really wanted a small, inconspicuous car that was easy to maneuver, but then I couldn't fit my Century (a folding metal device used to hold lighting and other filming equipment) in. So I chose a car that was long to a certain extent, but not too big. The whole car has a blocky shape, and the lights are round and cute."

By the way, it's been a while since he moved to Tokyo, but he still speaks in Kansai dialect. I was taken aback by the contrast with his tone of voice.

The front face has a bold and imposing appearance with its "Dynamic Shield" identity.
Chiba is also famous for its strawberries, so we decided to stop by "BEE MY BERRY" that we came across along the way.
Nobuko managed to buy two packs of strawberries.
The spacious luggage space can hold four golf bags or three suitcases even when five people are riding.

The Outlander PHEV has an EV range of over 100km. Simply put, it can travel 100km without using gasoline. It's hardly a problem in daily life, and when driving long distances, it switches to hybrid driving, combining power generation or drive by the 2.4-liter engine depending on the driving conditions. In addition, the energy generated when going downhill or decelerating is converted into electricity and charged. This is what we often hear about these days, the so-called regenerative braking.

"I like going to the mountains, and I often go by car, so a four-wheel drive is best. In that sense, I have a strong desire for a car like the Outlander. Gasoline prices have been so high recently, haven't they? I'm always conscious of fuel efficiency, but the fact that this looks good, but is a PHEV, so it's fuel efficient is just amazing. It overturns common sense, doesn't it? I bet it charges a lot going downhill in the mountains (laughs)."

The genuine leather steering wheel has excellent grip and is heated, making driving comfortable even on cold days.
Of course, each seat is equipped with a heater. Using the seat heater instead of turning the heating on can also help save on power consumption.
Modes can be easily selected according to road conditions.
The 20-inch aluminum wheels have a two-tone machined shiny finish, giving off a unique shine when driving.

We were passing through the Aqua-Line on our way to Egawa Beach in Chiba Prefecture. While exchanging commonplace comments like "Umihotaru is huge," we noticed that we could hear each other more easily than usual.

"This car is so quiet. I had the impression that the Aqualine was noisy, but you can have a conversation in it. My car is also quite noisy, so I can't hear conversations or music very clearly. But look at this, it has Yamaha speakers. This is the first time I've seen them in a car."

The Outlander PHEV has been thoroughly soundproofed, soundproofed, and vibration-proofed to significantly reduce noise while driving. One drawback of EVs is that they are quiet, making it easy to hear ambient sounds, but the fact that this has been improved is quite revolutionary. And as Nobuko noticed, the Outlander PHEV comes standard with a Yamaha sound system. The sound is created using the Outlander's interior as a "box" to create the ideal "string" sound, just like making an instrument. It provides a special space that goes beyond the car, where you can even hear the artist's breathing.

Egawa Beach at dusk. Nobuko was holding her camera in a place where you could admire the rare sight of several electric poles standing on the tidal flats. I thought that her expression would change when she held the camera, but that wasn't the case. She looked just as natural as when she was relaxing in the car, and it was impressive to see her gently lifting the lens.

"I want to keep taking photographs without forgetting to keep a calm mind. Before I studied abroad, I was really busy, although I was grateful for that. I wanted to think about one thing a little more slowly, or take more time. Of course, I know that you can't make a living by saying nice things alone, but I want to continue being an artist. I take pictures when I want to, without being rushed by something. Rather than going somewhere to take pictures, my hand naturally reaches for the shutter. I would like to continue being that kind of photographer."

On the way back, the Aqua-Line was packed with passengers. In the quiet car, I asked him to reflect on the day's drive.

"It's amazing that it doesn't have any of the problems that are typical of large cars - the difficulty in turning, the noise, the poor fuel economy. I think I'd like to go to the mountains when I drive this. I'd like to go somewhere where I can fully enjoy the performance of a four-wheel drive. The place I most want to go right now is Mt. Tateyama in Toyama Prefecture. A small group would be fine, but since it's a big car, I'd like to go with a large group and have fun. If there are more people, the highway tolls will be cheaper (laughs)."