The Mitsubishi Outlander is a compact crossover SUV built since 2001, originally known in Japan as the Airtrek. It reached 1.5 million global sales in October 2016, fifteen years after its launch, and has been available as a plug-in hybrid since January 2013.
Mitsubishi Outlander at a glance
| Maker | Mitsubishi Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | since 2001 |
| First name | Airtrek, Japan, from 20 June 2001 |
| First generation codes | CU, ZE, ZF |
| First engines | 2.0-litre 4G63, 126 PS; 2.4-litre 4G64 GDI, 139 PS |
| Turbo-R (2002) | detuned Lancer Evolution 4G63T, 240 PS |
| Second generation | 2006, global Outlander name |
| Diesels | Volkswagen 2.0, PSA 2.2, Mitsubishi 2.3 4N14 |
| Plug-in hybrid | Outlander PHEV from January 2013 |
| Global sales | 1.5 million by October 2016 |
| Fourth generation | 2021, on the Renault-Nissan CMF-CD platform |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Mitsubishi Outlander. No free photos of the model were found in the material, so the article keeps the earlier picture.
History of the Mitsubishi Outlander
The Airtrek
The first-generation Outlander, known in Japan as the Airtrek, was based on the Mitsubishi ASX concept shown at the 2001 North American International Auto Show. The ASX, for Active Sports Crossover, represented Mitsubishi’s approach to the crossover trend: keeping the all-season and off-road ability of high ground clearance and four-wheel drive while offering car-like emissions, economy and size. The Airtrek reached Japan on 20 June 2001 through the Car Plaza chain with a 126 PS 2.0-litre 4G63 or a 139 PS 2.4-litre 4G64 GDI, a standard INVECS-II four-speed automatic and front- or four-wheel drive. The four-wheel-drive version used open differentials at both axles with a viscous coupling in the centre.
A performance model called the Turbo-R arrived in 2002 with a detuned version of the Lancer Evolution’s 4G63T turbo, producing 240 PS and 343 Nm in Japan, and 202 PS and 303 Nm in export markets. The Outlander reached North America in 2003, replacing the Montero Sport, with a modified grille and headlights that added about 130 mm to the length, and both versions were built in parallel afterwards. It shared its platform with the Grandis, also launched in 2003, and used first the 4G64, then a 163 PS 2.4-litre 4G69 MIVEC and from 2004 the turbocharged 4G63T, all with front- or four-wheel drive. In several South American markets it was called the Montero Outlander.
Second generation
On 17 October 2005 Mitsubishi launched the second generation, dropping the Airtrek name in Japan in favour of Outlander worldwide. It had a new 2.4-litre 16-valve MIVEC engine, an INVECS-III CVT, the electronically controlled AWC four-wheel-drive and stability system and a stretched GS platform. The North American version used a 3.0-litre 6B31 V6 shown in New York in April 2006. The availability of a V6 also brought back a shorter version of the car, reviving the RVR name on 17 February 2010. The second generation went on sale in Europe in February 2007 with a diesel, essential in that market: Mitsubishi bought Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre Pumpe Düse unit with 140 PS, as used in the Grandis. Before it even went on sale the company decided it needed more power, and from November 2007 higher models used PSA’s 2.2-litre DW12 common-rail diesel with 156 PS. Both were badged Di-D. In September 2010 Mitsubishi’s own 2.3-litre 4N14 diesel with 177 PS replaced the Volkswagen unit, while the PSA engine continued in some countries.
Hybrid and the fourth generation
Mitsubishi launched the Outlander PHEV, a plug-in hybrid, in January 2013 as part of the third-generation range; by January 2022 about 300,000 had been sold worldwide. The fourth generation arrived in 2021 as a 2022 model and, after Mitsubishi joined the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, was based on the Rogue and X-Trail, which use the CMF-CD platform.
Design and features
- Two names: Airtrek in Japan at first, Outlander everywhere from 2006.
- Turbo-R: a 240 PS version with the Lancer Evolution’s engine.
- Three diesels: Volkswagen, PSA and Mitsubishi units in Europe.
- PHEV: a plug-in hybrid from 2013, about 300,000 sold by 2022.
- Alliance platform: the fourth generation shares the CMF-CD base.
Mitsubishi Outlander versions
- Airtrek (2001): 2.0 and 2.4 petrol, front- or four-wheel drive.
- Turbo-R (2002): 240 PS turbocharged performance model.
- Second generation (2006): global name, CVT and 3.0 V6 for America.
- Diesel models: Volkswagen, PSA and Mitsubishi engines.
- Outlander PHEV (2013): plug-in hybrid.
- Fourth generation (2021): Alliance CMF-CD platform.
The Outlander shares its platform with the ASX and Lancer, and its smaller relative is the RVR. Its commercial ancestor in spirit is the Pajero, and more cars are in the Mitsubishi collection.
Sources
- Mitsubishi Outlander, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, diesels, PHEV, sales
