The is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors since 2001. It was originally known as the when it was introduced in Japan.
The original Airtrek name was chosen to "describe the vehicle's ability to transport its passengers on adventure-packed journeys in a 'free-as-a-bird' manner",Fact & Figures 2005 , p.33, Mitsubishi Motors website and was "coined from Air and Trek to express the idea of footloose, adventure-filled motoring pleasure.""MMC announces smart all-rounder AIRTREK model" , Mitsubishi-Motors.com press release, 20 June 2001 The Outlander nameplate which replaced it evoked a "feeling of journeying to distant, unexplored lands in search of adventure."
The second generation of the vehicle was introduced in 2006 and all markets including Japan adopted the Outlander name, although production of the older version continued in parallel. It was built on the company's GS platform, and used various engines developed by Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, and PSA Peugeot Citroën. PSA's Citroën C-Crosser and Peugeot 4007, which were manufactured by Mitsubishi in Japan, are badge engineered versions of the second generation Outlander."New Peugeot/Citroen off-roader", Motoring.co.za, 30 October 2006 Global sales achieved the 1.5 million unit milestone in October 2016, 15 years after its market launch.
As part of the third generation line-up, Mitsubishi launched in January 2013 a plug-in hybrid model called Outlander PHEV. , global sales totaled about 300,000 units. , about 300,000 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs have been sold worldwide.
The fourth-generation model was released in 2021 as a 2022 model. Following Mitsubishi's entry to Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance, the fourth-generation Outlander is based on the Rogue/X-Trail, which is built on the CMF-CD platform.
First generation (CU/ZE/ZF; 2001)
The first-generation Outlander/Airtrek was based on the Mitsubishi ASX concept vehicle exhibited at the 2001 North American International Auto Show. The ASX (Active Sports Crossover) represented Mitsubishi's approach to the industry wide crossover SUV trend for retaining the all-season and off-road abilities offered by a high ground clearance and four-wheel drive, while still offering car-like levels of emissions, economy, and size."Mitsubishi Motors' ASX Concept at Detroit Show gives sneak peak[sic] at the next generation Global Multi-Activity Vehicle" , Mitsubishi-Motors.com press release, 10 January 2001
The Airtrek was first introduced to the Japanese market on 20 June 2001, and was sold at Mitsubishi Japan dealership chain called Car Plaza. It offered a choice of either a 4G63 2.0 L or a 4G64 2.4 L GDI, mated to a standard INVECS-II 4-speed automatic transmission. Both front- and four-wheel drive were available. The four-wheel drive version uses open differentials for the front and rear axles, with a viscous coupling unit for the center differential. A performance-oriented model, called the Turbo-R, was introduced in 2002 and used a detuned version of the Lancer Evolution's 4G63T 2.0 L I4 turbo."Mitsubishi Motors exhibits at 37 th Tokyo Motor Show" , Mitsubishi Motors press release, 15 October 2003 The engine produced and , although in export markets the Outlander version's output was reduced to and . The availability of four-cylinder engines under 2.0 liters offered Japanese buyers a vehicle that was in compliance with Japanese regulations concerning exterior dimensions and engine displacement, however, the exterior dimensions exceed Japanese regulations for the "compact" designation.
The Outlander was arrived in 2003 in North America, replacing the Mitsubishi Montero Sport, with a modified front grille and headlights which increased the overall length by approximately , and the two models were manufactured in parallel thereafter. It shared its platform with the Mitsubishi Grandis, also introduced in 2003. A version of the 4G64 powerplant was offered first, while a 4G69 2.4 L SOHC MIVEC I4 producing and , and the turbocharged 4G63T appeared in 2004. All had the option of front- or four-wheel drive.
In several South American markets it was known as the Montero Outlander, to benefit from an association with the strong-selling Mitsubishi Montero Sport.
Mitsubishi Airtrek
Safety
Second generation (CW/ZG/ZH; 2006)
On 17 October 2005, Mitsubishi launched the second generation model, dropping the Airtrek in Japan in favour of adopting the global name."Mitsubishi Motors launches all-new Outlander" , Mitsubishi-Motors.com press release, 17 October 2005 It features a new DOHC 2.4 L 16-valve MIVEC engine; INVECS-III continuously variable transmission (CVT), Mitsubishi's AWC system which features electronically controlled four-wheel-drive and stability control, on a stretched Mitsubishi GS platform. The North American version, powered by a newly designed 6B31 3.0 L V6 SOHC MIVEC was shown in April 2006 at the New York International Auto Show prior to its release in October the same year. Due to the availability of a V6 engine, Mitsubishi returned to offering a shorter version of this vehicle and reintroduced the Mitsubishi RVR on 17 February 2010. The usage of a four-cylinder engine under 2.0 liters offers Japanese buyers a vehicle that was in compliance with Japanese regulations concerning exterior dimensions and engine displacement, which has tax advantages, giving buyers the ability to purchase a vehicle capable of seating seven people without paying the tax penalty of a larger engine.
The second generation Outlander went on sale in Europe in February 2007, and this time included a diesel engine – essential in the European market at the time. Mitsubishi chose to purchase Volkswagen's 2.0-litre Pumpe-Düse unit with , as also installed in the European market Grandis. Before this even went on sale, Mitsubishi had decided that there was a need for a more powerful diesel option and by November 2007 higher end diesel models received PSA's 2.2-liter DW12 common rail diesel with . Both diesels were labelled "Di-D" by Mitsubishi. In September 2010 Mitsubishi's own 2.3-liter 4N14 diesel engine with was introduced while the Volkswagen engine was discontinued. The PSA unit continued to be available in certain countries.
The Outlander, which features Mitsubishi's RISE safety body, received a four-star rating from the Euro NCAP car safety performance assessment programme. One of its unique features is something Mitsubishi calls a "Flap-Fold Tailgate"; it is a two-piece tailgate integrated into the rear bumper that folds down for easy loading, while serving as a bench when the tailgate is open, able to accommodate up to .Mitsubishi Sales Brochure printed January 2011
In the Philippines, the second generation Outlander was released in 2007. It was offered in 2 grades; the entry-level GLS and the top-spec GLS Sport. The GLS grade is powered by a 2.4L MIVEC inline-four engine, while the GLS Sport is powered by a 3.0L V6 engine both paired to an INVECS-III CVT with 6-speed sportronic mode and multi-select 4WD system.
In 2009, the GLX grade was added to the lineup, powered by the same 2.4L inline-four engine as the GLS.
In its home market of Japan it was the best-selling SUV from October 2006 to March 2007,"New Mitsubishi Outlander Japan's Best Selling SUV", WorldCarFans.com, 21 April 2006 while in the U.S. market it achieved 1,694 and 2,108 sales in November and December 2006, the first two full months it was available;"All-New Outlander Leads Mitsubishi To November Sales Increase" , Mitsubishi Motors North America press release, 1 December 2006"December Auto Sales: Mitsubishi", Associated Press/BusinessWeek, 3 January 2007 Mitsubishi hoped for at least 4,000 sales per month in the United States."New products need to be hits for Mitsubishi to stay in U.S. market", Kathy Jackson, Automotive News, 30 May 2006 In Chile, where both generations were on sale simultaneously, the new model was badged Outlander K2.
Increased demand for the Lancer, and the consequent effects on the capacity of the company's Mizushima production facility, have obliged Mitsubishi to reassess production of the Outlander. In September 2007, they announced that from 2008, production of European market Outlanders would be transferred from Nagoya to its NedCar plant in the Netherlands, while the Citroën C-Crosser and Peugeot 4007 would have their production transferred from Mizushima to Nagoya."Mitsubishi Motors transfers Outlander production for Europe", Mitsubishi Motors press release, 18 September 2007
The model was facelifted for the 2008 model year, although the 2007 grille carried over in the United States and Canada for 2008-09 until another facelift in the 2010 model year.
At the 2007 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the company displayed a Mitsubishi Evolander (now known as Mitsubishi Outlander Ralliart) concept, powered by a supercharged version of the vehicle's 6B31 V6 engine and equipped with suitably uprated suspension, brakes, wheels/tires, body kit and interior."Mitsubishi Evolander", Josh Jacquot, Inside Line: 2006 SEMA Show, Edmunds.com A second show car, an Outlander GT Prototype with a front grille based on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, was exhibited at the 2009 New York International Auto Show,New York: Mitsubishi Outlander GT Prototype gets a EVOplasty snarl, Autoblog, 8 April 2009 and formed the basis of the facelifted model introduced in late 2009."New Mitsubishi Outlander Reveals Aggressive Styling And Upgraded Features" , Voxy.co.nz, 10 November 2009
Along with a major facelift for the 2010 model year, the top end Outlander XLS (GT in the US) introduced a new colour multi-function display and the Mitsubishi S-AWC AWD system. The lower trims retain the previous MFD and the less advanced AWC AWD system. Likewise, the interior was also slightly revised to incorporate leather into the dashboard trim and doors.
Gallery First facelift
Second facelift
Second facelift (Taiwan)
Safety
Third generation (GF/GG/ZJ/ZK/ZL; 2012)
Mitsubishi unveiled the third-generation Outlander at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The production version of the Outlander was debuted in Russia in July 2012, and was introduced in other European markets in September 2012. While the new vehicle was introduced to North America at the November 2012 LA Auto Show it was not available for purchase until early 2014. North American Outlanders continued on the second-generation platform through model year 2013. However, the third generation Outlander are not sold in the Philippine market due to poor sales, in favor of the third-row Mitsubishi Montero Sport.
The redesigned model has a new lightweight body that weighs approximately less than the previous model due to extensive use of high tensile strength steel. With a lower drag coefficient of cd 0.33, fuel economy has been improved over the previous model. Inside, the dashboard and front doors are covered with soft touch material, the seats are redesigned, and there is good sound insulation.
The front suspension consists of MacPherson struts with a stabilizer bar, and the rear suspension is a multi-link design with a stabilizer bar. Electric Power Steering reduces load on the engine compared to a hydraulic system and helps to improve fuel economy. Disc brakes are installed on all four wheels, with vented rotors in front along with solid rotors in back.
Newly available safety features include a Forward Collision Mitigation system, a Lane departure warning system, a driver knee airbag to reduce leg injury in a crash, and adaptive cruise control. In addition, the Outlander has standard driver and passenger front airbags, front side torso airbags along with curtain airbags, ABS with EBD, Traction Control Logic, Active Stability Control, Hill Start Assist, and a brake pedal that recedes to prevent leg injury in a crash.