Interior
The interior layout, fit and finish
Not everybody will find it terribly easy to set a comfortable driving position in the Outlander PHEV. Although you get electrically adjustable seats and standard adjustable lumbar support for the driver, it’s frustrating that the seats don’t drop low enough for those over six feet tall. The steering wheel doesn’t adjust sufficiently for height or reach, either.
Most of the dashboard controls are simply laid out, but some of the buttons are tucked away out of sight. Also, the 8in touchscreen infotainment system (standard on Design trim and above) is plagued by complex menus and small, hard-to-hit icons. Compared with the better-integrated systems on rival cars, this system feels more like an aftermarket unit, and is rather fiddly and frustrating to use. Mercifully, as part of an update for 2020, models onwards equipped with the 8in touchscreen gain Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration as standard, so you can avoid using the native user interface.
