I continue to be impressed by Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV. It’s simply not possible to overlook the array of safety related equipment on-board and how it makes a journey across the country even more comfortable. The knowledge that this vehicle is equipped with autonomous emergency braking and electronic stability control is reassuring, even though I don’t expect or want to test these features over the next two weeks. What I have enjoyed though is the adaptive cruise control (using the same suite of sensors), this has activated on approach to slower moving vehicles throughout the journey. The system efficiently maintains the Outlander at a safe following distance without driver input (although it can be partially adjusted by the driver). Equally impressive is the lane departure feature that provides a clearly audible tone when I’ve approached either the centre or roadside white lines, which is inevitable on a long rural drive. Once at cruise speed, the PHEV is clearly monitoring both the driver and its surroundings, this is not a signal for the driver to switch off though, rather it is an additional layer of vigilance that delivers a satisfying and secure driving experience.