The most interesting thing about the new Mitsubishi Outlander is that the launch of the new crossover was conducted via livestream on Amazon Prime Live. In fairness, that bit of information isn’t exactly interesting. Considering Mitsubishi calls this its “flagship” model, it seems like the company could have pushed the boundaries just a little more with this fourth generation.
First, the good. Mitsubishi says the new Outlander will be cheap, starting at $25,795 here in the U.S. with a decent array of standard features. As three-row CUVs go, that’s super inexpensive. It’s clear that Mitsu is gunning for the Kia Sorento, which starts at $29,390. The only thing that seats this many people even close to a similar price is Chrysler’s bare bones Voyager minivan.
“Based on the product concept ‘I-Fu-Do-Do,’ which means authentic and majestic in Japanese, the all-new OUTLANDER has been crafted into a reliable SUV with significantly upgraded styling, road performance, and a high-quality feel to satisfy the needs of customers who want to expand their horizons and take on challenges of every kind,” said Takao Kato, chief executive officer of MMC. “With the launch of the all-new OUTLANDER, we will first expand our sales in the North American market and then aim for global growth.”
This new Outlander is the start of a new generation of Mitsubishi styling with a “next generation Dynamic Shield front face”. I know I’m in the minority here, but I have an allergic reaction to chrome, so the front of this car makes me physically ill, but the rest of it is largely inoffensive. I don’t mind the headlight treatment and the grille is okay, but all of that chrome accent is going to make me hurl. It’s pretty clear Mitsubishi is going for an upscale look here with some design cribbed from Land Rover. Looks a lot like a car, if you ask me.
The cost leader of the segment looks like it can be kitted out pretty well. Mitsubishi has wares, if you have coin. An available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster used to be the kind of thing reserved for high-end German sedans, and a 9-inch center screen is pretty much the industry standard these days. Wireless Apple CarPlay? Yep. You can get that. Adaptive cruise? Lane-keep assist? Leather seating? Head-up display? BOSE audio? 20-inch wheels? Yeah, all optional.
Available in two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations, Mitsu is really playing up its “rally-derived Super All-Wheel Control” here. Who knows, maybe it works great. We’ll see. All models will come equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder.
Mitsubishi included this line in the press release: “The all-new 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander is set to break boundaries, reset expectations and demand attention.” Boy, I’m not sure this vehicle does any of that. It’s pretty much exactly what I expected from Mitsubishi. But I’m sure it’ll continue to be among the company’s best-sellers.
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