New Mitsubishi Outlander, Eclipse Cross facelift in 2021, Outlander PHEV getting new powertrain this year

Mitsubishi has outlined its product pipeline for the North American market for the next 12 months, including some major updates for long-in-the-tooth models. The biggest news in this announcement is confirmation of a next-generation Outlander, which will go on sale in the second quarter of 2021.

The company says that the new three-row SUV will be bigger, bolder and better than its predecessor, as well as being the “quietest and best-equipped” Mitsubishi ever sold in the United States. It will also incorporate the latest Mitsubishi design language, along with new technologies and “significant interior refinements.”

We know that the Outlander will essentially be a production version of the Engelberg Tourer/e-Yi Concept, thanks to spyshots from earlier in the year. It will certainly have a more extroverted look, with Mitsubishi’s signature dual-tier headlights, a larger grille, a wraparound windscreen design and slim tail lights.

The show car also previewed the Outlander PHEV’s updated plug-in hybrid powertrain, consisting of a larger 2.4 litre petrol engine (the outgoing model features a 2.0 litre unit) and an electric motor on each axle. There’s also a larger 20 kWh lithium-ion battery (up from 12 kWh before) that provides a claimed all-electric range of more than 70 km and a total range of over 700 km.

Before the new Outlander debuts, the outgoing PHEV will receive a completely new powertrain at the end of this year. North America is the last market to utilise the original 2012 setup, with other regions having received the 2.4 litre engine, a more powerful rear motor and a slightly larger 13.8 kWh battery in 2018.

Elsewhere, the Eclipse Cross will also be given a significant facelift in the first quarter of next year, with considerable front and rear redesigns in line with the aforementioned new design language. There will also be a revised interior that includes a new infotainment system. The massively facelifted Mirage hatch and Mirage G4 (known to you and me as the Attrage) sedan will also make its Stateside debut around that time.

GALLERY: 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander spyshots