15 Boris Johnson about to unveil the facelifted Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in 2015

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has unveiled the new facelifted Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV SUV while on a trade tour of Japan.

Lance Bradley, Mitsubishi Motors in the UK managing director, said: "The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, along with forward-looking and consistent government policy on incentives, is creating a market for plug-ins that will ultimately set the UK apart in global terms by delivering the right balance of low-emission driving, value for money, economy and practicality.

"This new model is another bold step in that direction."

Mitsubishi said the success of the Outlander PHEV model has created 400 new job opportunities and this will grow to more than 1,000 during the next three years with the new model. The company is also investing in training to take account of the technical skills and knowledge required in the newly emerging vehicle sector.

Osamu Masuko, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation chairman and CEO, said: "We greatly appreciate the significant progress the Mayor's initiatives in London have made to encourage the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles. We are very proud that the Mayor has taken this opportunity to unveil our new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV here in Tokyo today".

The Government’s plug-in car grant enables Mitsubishi to offer the Outlander PHEV at the same price as the equivalent vehicle with a diesel engine. The Outlander PHEV accounts for half of all plug-in vehicle sales in the UK.