The incoming new-generation 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander has been previewed ahead of the crossover SUV’s launch in Australia early next year.

The new vehicle is said to have improved motor output and increased battery capacity over the current model, which combines a 94kW/199Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors – 60kW/137Nm upfront and 70kW/195Nm at the rear.

Technical specifications for the 2022 Outlander are yet to be released, but the Japanese carmaker has said it will include a new-generation PHEV system that will deliver “more powerful road performance and greater driving range.”

The vehicle will ride on a new platform, shared with the upcoming Nissan X-Trail, with a 36mm-longer (2706mm) wheelbase and, according to Mitsubishi, employs the “ultra-high tensile strength steel sheet with hot stamping around the cabin to create a high-strength cabin structure with little deformation while also achieving weight reduction.”

The company also confirmed that the vehicle will be offered in a seven-seat configuration for the first time, ensuring it will be among the first three-row plug-in hybrid SUVs from a mainstream brand in Australia.

“Based on the newly developed platform, integrated components and an optimised layout allow the new model to accommodate seven passengers in the three rows, offering a new level of comfort and utility in an SUV,” the company said.

Initially rolling out in Japan later this year, the Outlander PHEV is set to arrive in Australian showrooms from the first quarter of 2022.

The new plug-in hybrid Outlander will contribute to Mitsubishi’s growing electrified vehicle range, with the smaller Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV arriving next month.

Sources:

Mitsubishi Motors | Mitsubishi Motors to Launch the All-New Outlander PHEV Model with a New-Generation PHEV System This Fiscal Year

Motoring | New Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV locked in

11 August 2021