It’s practical and it’s stylish – the fresh-faced Mitsubishi Outlander range joins the ASX model in the mid-size SUV crossover segment.

The rugged and chunky Outlander bridges the gap between Mitsubishi’s conventional passenger cars and its beefy off-roaders, like the Shogun and L200.

Although the Outlander seats up to seven people, it has a footprint smaller than most family estates.

This is largely thanks to the new Direct Injection Diesel engine featuring MIVEC variable valve timing for the first time on a production diesel engine, improving both fuel consumption and power, while reducing emissions.

Standard equipment on all models includes multi link rear suspension with anti-roll bars, ‘on demand’ All Wheel Control, rear spoiler with LED stop lamp, colour- keyed bumpers, electric heated door mirrors, climate control air conditioning, cruise control, factory fitted alarm, keyless entry, height adjustable driver’s seat, 12-volt accessory sockets and iPod/MP3 AUX port and USB con-nection.

The GX4 model that I drove added steer-ing wheel gearshift paddles, 18-inch alloy wheels with premium finish, HID headlamps with washers and auto-levelling, Adaptive Front lighting System, electric sunroof, reversing camera, rear parking sensors, windscreen wiper rain sensor, chrome door entry guards, leather-faced seats (front and second row), heated front seats with powered driver’s seat, HDD satellite navigation system and Rockford Fosgate 710W audio system with nine speakers – perfect for music lovers.

Pricing is competitive, ranging from £19,790 to £30,399.

The Outlander also has excellent safety equipment, including Mitsubishi’s RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) energy dispersion crash safety structure, and it boasts a five-star rating in the Euro NCAP tests.

All Outlanders come with ‘girdle reinforcement occupant survival cages’ built into the body, whiplash reducing seats, six airbags, ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, an evolved version of the M-ASTC Active Stability and Traction Control system, Hill Start Assist, Emergency Stop Signal System and ISOFIX anchors for child seats.

Handling is sharp and steering precise, and the Outlander performed well both around town and on the motorway.

I spent most of the week driving the car in very wet weather and it felt reassuringly solid and safe, with plenty of grip.

Fact File:
Car: Mitsubishi Outlander 2.2 GX4
Price: £28,999
0-62mph: 9.8 seconds
Top speed: 124mph
Fuel: 43.5mpg
CO2 emissions: 169g/km