Mitsubishi Australia has announced that the new generation Outlander will launch locally next year.
Mitsubishi has announced fresh SUV metal will be arriving this year and next, with the next-gen Outlander to launch in Australia in 2021, following the Eclipse Cross facelift expected later this year.
Still testing, the new Outlander’s details remain under wraps, though as Practical Motoring reported last year, we were told it is growing even bigger.
“It’s certainly a big upgrade,” we were told. “Yes, it’s a big change.”
“Yeah [there will be more space], we’ll see what comes of it, [but] more space doesn’t necessarily mean it’s longer.”
The new Outlander is tipped to sit on the same platform as the next-gen Nissan X-Trail. Naturally, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is finding efficiencies from its group-sharing potential.
New drivetrain options might be the downsized 1.5-litre turbo engine form the Eclipse Cross, Nissan’s 2.0-litre variable-compression turbo motor and a revised electric hybrid for the PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle).
“We’ve always had a level of input with the parent company and performed some local evaluation, particularly with Triton, and even Outlander now. I think it’s because we’re a really important market with cars like Triton and I think some of the word might have got out to other development groups and we’ve had the Outlander here which is good for building a relationship with them.
“Our current car [Outlander] is fairly good but it’s really just tuning it to the customer preferences around space. If you look at what’s been happening with us lately it’s all about practicality, practical focus is a big focus on what we do.”
Timing for the model looks set to be around mid-2021 or a bit after, following the timeline set out for the model launch in North America.
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