Mitsubishi previews 2021 Outlander with off-road teaser

UPDATE, February 17 - Mitsubishi has unveiled the fourth-generation Outlander medium SUV during an online event on Amazon Live stream - click here for full details.

UPDATE, February 9, 2021: Perhaps knowing there is little else left to tease, Mitsubishi has handed down a new preview that shows the upcoming 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander tucked away in a familiar Amazon box.

The preview is accompanied by an update to the news that the Japanese carmaker's new mid-sized SUV will be revealed on February 17: Now we also know it will be unveiled on Amazon Live – a new live video platform focused specifically on product reviews and unboxing videos. There's a platform for everything, it seems.

Amusingly, the preview image also includes some important legal language: Amazon does not deliver vehicles. Good tip.

Watch for more on the new Outlander to be revealed in the weeks ahead, and catch up on the story below.

The story to here

January 27, 2021: A new generation Mitsubishi Outlander is just around the corner, with a February 17 global reveal promising a car that’s larger on the inside, bolder on the outside and coming after the Toyota RAV4 in the technology stakes.

The new design is expected to closely mimic the extravagant styling of 2019's Engleberg Tourer concept, while it's likely to share much of its componentry with the new generation Nissan X-Trail.

But the aspects that made the Outlander a unique offering in the mid-size SUV segment are expected to remain, meaning we should see a seven-seat version and a hybrid powertrain option.

Mitsubishi is also attempting to leverage its rally roots with the new Outlander's drivetrain development if the Japanese manufacturer's latest video teaser is anything to go by.

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The footage touts an all-new version of the company's Super All-Wheel Control System (S-AWC), showing the Outlander sliding around on mud, snow and gravel surfaces.

The all-wheel-drive system's calibration is still being finalised. Mitsubishi says it will provide "driver confidence and security in all weather and road conditions."

"We took everything we know about on- and off-road driving from the rally experiences to apply the latest Super All-Wheel Control technology in our newly developed platform,” said Kentaro Honda, lead engineer for the Outlander.

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“We also specifically developed a new drive mode selector to provide confident driving at all times and in all weather conditions.”

The all-new Outlander will replace a car that’s more than a decade old, and originally based on a Mitsubishi Lancer.

Despite being strong value with a starting price around $30k, the old Outlander has been overtaken in recent years by newer rivals like the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson.

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As part of the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi Alliance, Mitsubishi will – as outlined in this plan – defer to Nissan when it comes to the underpinnings of the mid-sized Outlander.

These will reportedly mirror those of the next-generation Nissan X-Trail (below).

This means the Outlander will likely beat the Nissan X-Trail to the Australian market using its own technology, given that the new-gen X-Trail is not expected before early 2022.

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Engine technology for the 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander may mirror that of the incoming Nissan X-Trail. That means a 135kW/245Nm 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine mated to a continuously variable transmission.

We expect the Outlander PHEV plug-in hybrid to again be an important part of the new Outlander range. It should get the recently renewed 2.4-litre petrol engine combined with a rear-mounted electric motor, possibly with upgrades to the battery and motor to improve performance and range.

The Engelberg Tourer concept (below), which debuted at the 2019 Geneva show, is a good pointer to both the next Outlander’s hybrid intentions and to the continuation of the bold styling language that now adorns other Mitsubishi models such as the ASX, Triton and Pajero Sport.

Mitsubishi Australia told WhichCar that it's expecting the next-generation Mitsubishi Outlander to arrive in Australia in late 2021.

Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer previews next-gen Outlander PHEV