2022 Mitsubishi Outlander – first unit leaves factory

Mitsubishi is building excitement for the new fourth-generation Outlander, announcing that the first unit has rolled off the production line at the Okazaki Plant in Aichi, Japan. The SUV was shipped yesterday to the United States, where it will make its world premiere a week from now on February 17.

The company’s North American division has also announced a partnership with Amazon to host the virtual event, which would make the new Outlander the first vehicle to be revealed on Amazon Live. The car had already been teased in December, with the reveal date confirmed in a video last month.

Mitsubishi says that the Outlander was developed under the ideal of the Japanese term “I-Fu-Do-Do”, which means authentic and majestic. It adds that the car projects strength inside and out, with a “refined” exterior design and the extroverted front end that is set to preview the styling direction of future Mitsubishis.

We already know what the new car will look like, thanks to photos of an undisguised unit that surfaced late last year. A far more distinctive design than the last, it draws plenty of inspiration from the 2019 Engelberg Tourer/e-Yi Concept, sporting the latest Dynamic Shield front end that splits the headlights. This look has already been seen on the Xpander and the facelifted Eclipse Cross.

Making the Outlander look more modern are the wraparound windscreen design and the gloss black D-pillar trim that give the car a trendy “floating roof” look. Although the Engelberg’s door-mounted air vents have been removed, the character lines that emanate from it remain, drawing the eye towards the rear end. There, you’ll find slim L-shaped taillights with striking arrow-shaped light guides.

No word on the mechanicals, but expect the Outlander to continue to be offered with petrol engines and a plug-in hybrid variant. The Engelberg showcased an upgraded PHEV powertrain, incorporating a larger 2.4 litre engine, an electric motor on each axle and a bigger 20 kWh lithium-ion battery. Mitsubishi touted an all-electric range of more than 70 km and a total range of over 700 km.

Mitsubishi also confirmed that the the new Outlander will feature an updated version of its rally-derived Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) technology as part of its new platform. The car will first go on sale in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico before gradually being rolled out across international markets.

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