IT looks very much like most SUVs...boxy, chunky and eminently practical. But don't be fooled, the new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV can do something no other off-roader can - run on electricity.

The initials PHEV stand for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle which means that you shove in a lead with a three-pin plug on the end and charge it up from your home mains electricity supply.

That allows you to drive up to 32.5 miles and when the electric source runs out, a petrol engine takes over. The average commute in Britain is about 25 miles, so in theory the majority of us could get to work on the few pence it takes to charge up.

The other plus comes with the CO2 emissions figure of a mere 44 g/km which results in zero car tax and in the case of company car drivers, a vastly reduced Benefit In Kind rating - five per cent - which could save thousands each year for a 40 per cent taxpayer.

Most hybrids are much more expensive to buy than conventional models but the Outlander PHEV, from £28,249, is similarly priced to the relative diesel version, after the £5,000 plug-in grant from the Government is included.

It is powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine mated to an electric motor (total about 200bhp) which gives almost the same performance as its diesel brother, ie an 11 second sprint to 62mph and a top speed of 106mph via an automatic gearbox.

Official fuel consumption is an amazing 148mpg. It's worth knowing that after 106 miles the mpg of the PHEV drops below the diesel. A typical real-life economy figure is close to the 50mpg mark ... still very impressive.

The huge batteries are set below the floor so passenger and cargo space are largely unaffected with a reasonably sizeable rear boot of 463 litres. Other than being eerily silent in electric mode, the Mitsubishi merely feels extremely refined and unflustered to drive. And there's four wheel drive for when the going gets rough.

A simple home charge on a dedicated circuit via a three-pin plug takes about 10 hours, but a faster ‘refuel' can arranged if you take advantage of Mitsubishi's deal with British Gas who supply a free home-charging kit.

Despite the state-of-the-art technology beneath the skin, the PHEV looks remarkably ordinary from the outside - perhaps a little too ordinary for some those who have become used to more dramatic and individual styling in SUVs.

The cabin of the GX5h is well appointed with an accent on functionality rather than extrovert styling. Standard features include leather seating, climate control, top-notch 420W audio system, alloys and all-round electric windows.

As a driver's car, the Mitsubishi is less dynamically capable than models like the Evoque or Audi Q5 but it is perfectly at home achieving good average speeds on motorway or cross country. Push it harder, and you become aware of body roll and ultimately more limited adhesion. Road undulations and potholes are well suppressed.