Mitsubishi shows off Outlander
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has revealed its newgeneration Outlander SUV, with the mid-sized family hauler riding on an all-new platform, brandishing a fresh look and powered by a new range of engines.
Due to arrive Down Under later this year, the fourth-gen Outlander is almost unrecognisable compared with its third-gen predecessor, taking on a much blockier exterior design under the ‘Bold Stride’ design concept.
A few signature Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, MMC, cues have remained however, among which is the dynamic shield front end, albeit the latest version.
To describe the new Outlander as looking like a scaled-down Pajero Sport from the front and side would be more than reasonable, however from the back it resembles a combination of the outgoing model and the lastgeneration Lancer hatchback.
Compared with its predecessor, the new Outlander is bigger in every dimension, measuring 4710mm long, 1862mm wide and 1748mm tall, with the body riding on a 2706mm wheelbase.
The result of this growth is an increase in interior space, however MMC is yet to confirm exactly how much other than a 35mm increase in shoulder room.
Under the skin, the new platform has been designed with ruggedness and occupant safety in mind, with bigger brakes in all four corners as well as a stiffer overall suspension set-up.
The ‘super all-wheel control’ allwheel-drive system has been upgraded too, with an expansion of the active yaw-control to the rear axle as well as the front.
Aiding the handling further is the new, faster electromechanical steering, which now turns from lock to lock in 2.6 turns as opposed to the current 3.3.
To get the most out of the vehicle both on and off-road, two-wheel-drive variants are fitted with five distinct drive modes – normal, eco, tarmac, gravel and snow – all selectable from a new rotary selector on the centre console.
All-wheel drives step things up with an extra ‘mud’ mode.
Under the bonnet of initial offerings is a new 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine set to be shared – along with the platform – with the nextgeneration Nissan X-trail, developing 135kw of power and 245Nm of torque, marking an 11kw-25nm improvement over the current 2.4-litre engine.
That power is sent to the wheels via a new shift-by-wire continuously variable transmission featuring an ‘eightspeed’ sport mode.
More than just a power increase, MMC says the new engine and transmission combination is 2.6 percent more fuel efficient than the current set-up on the WLTP cycle.
Inside the cabin, the interior layout has been changed, perhaps more drastically than the exterior, with a new 8.0- or 9.0-inch, variant dependant, infotainment touchscreen sitting prominently at the top of the dashboard.
Below the new screen is a thin row of air vents, underlined by a fullwidth trim piece and climate control switchgear.
In front of the driver will be either a semi-analogue instrument cluster split by a 7.0-inch digital display or a 12.3-inch all-digital set-up with full customisation, depending on the trim level.
The centre console is left almost exclusively for the gear lever, drive mode selector, park brake and autohold button, as well as a set of cupholders.
While Australian pricing and specification details are yet to be revealed, MMC has confirmed some of the standard equipment highlights of the North American Outlanders, the first market it will arrive in.
Three-zone climate control, Apple Carplay-android Auto, head-up display, Mitsubishi Connect, 10-speaker Bose sound system, wireless smartphone charging, 40:20:40 split-folding second row, rear door sunshade as well as the aforementioned driver and infotainment displays are all fitted as standard.
Seat upholstery with be made up of fabric, suede, semi-aniline leather and genuine leather.
Safety tech on the North American cars, meanwhile, includes adaptive cruise, lane keep assist and 11 airbags.
MMC chief executive Takao Kato said the new Outlander had been ‘crafted into a reliable SUV with significantly upgraded styling, road performance, and a high-quality feel to satisfy the needs of customers who want to expand their horizons and take on challenges of every kind’.
The brand sold 979 examples of the current Outlander last month, accounting for 7.7 percent of the crowded sub-$60,000 medium SUV segment, compared with the 1003 units it shifted in January 2020.
Toyota Motor Corporation Australia has revealed it is studying the possible introduction of a GR Sport Camry following the release of a series of model-specific GR body and suspension components in Japan.
Available either in sets or individually, the new ‘GR Parts’ centre first and foremost around beefing up the Camry’s appearance to make it more menacing through the addition of a new Gr-branded front splitter, redesigned grille garnish, more aggressive side skirts, redesigned and bigger lip spoiler, quad exhaust tips and a new rear diffuser.
All of these features combine to shed 28mm from the Camry’s ground clearance, making it look lower and sportier without actually touching the springs.
The Camry’s rolling stock can also be upgraded to Gr-spec 19-inch alloys shod with Goodyear EfficientGrip Comfort rubber, while a GR ‘performance damper’ – developed by Yamaha – promises to eliminate ‘the vibration and noise that you feel while driving’ and improve body rigidity.
While only available in Japan for the time being, a Toyota Motor Corporation Australia, TMCA, spokesperson confirmed to Goauto that while there were no current plans to bring GR
Parts to Australia, a GR Sport Camry was not something to be ruled out in the future.
“Our GR brand in general has been growing steadily as we have introduced more and more vehicles and products to this sub brand,” they said.
“However, at this stage we have not received any strong feedback from the market for a GR version of Camry, although a GR Sport version is a more likely proposition in this segment,
but is not something that we have received strong demand for either at this point in time.”
The emergence of a GR Sport Camry would likely bode well for TMCA in the current climate because while passenger vehicle sales as a whole are falling in favour of SUVS, the remaining segment players are all producing warmed versions of their low-riding four-doors.
Hyundai, Mazda and Skoda all have,
or will very soon have, sports-minded versions of their respective Sonata, Mazda6 and Superb on the market, not to mention Subaru with its Levorg wagon or even the more upmarket Kia Stinger.
With such a large number of brands and models vying for what is becoming an increasingly niche market, a GR Sport Camry would ultimately broaden TMCA’S model reach.
Given the Camry is presently available with a 224kw-362nm 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, Australian engineers would not have to change anything under the bonnet to remain competitive with the established players, even if the torque figure is down a bit on the force-fed four-bangers – the V6 fights back with a superior kilowatt count.
All that would be needed is a cosmetic makeover and some chassis tweaks to up the handling stakes.
The brand has form here too given it launched the C-HR GR Sport in December last year, which pinches the front fascia straight off the GR Yaris and comes with a sportier suspension set-up as well as a few other performance-minded touch ups.
“At this stage it is a bit too early to see what the ongoing percentage of sales is likely to be,” the spokesperson said in regards to the C-HR GR Sport.
“In the first two months GR Sport variants have been about five percent of sales and we expect this to grow with time.”
With a mid-life-cycle update for the Camry due to arrive in Australia in the middle of the year, only time will tell if TMCA genuinely plans to join the defiant performance-minded sedan market.