New Mitsubishi Outlander production begins

The 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander has entered production in Japan a week before its world debut and its Australian release later this year.

The news was announced overnight, alongside what appears to be an Amazon promotion – despite the fact the global e-commerce giant doesn’t deliver cars – in the form of a large box being delivered to the US.

The first shipment of 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander vehicles was shipped from the car-maker’s Okazaki Plant in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, yesterday (February 8).

North America will be the first market to receive the redesigned mid-size SUV, which makes its global online debut via Amazon Live next Wednesday (February 17) at 10:00am AEDT.

Following four years of development, the car’s global launch will be held in the US in March and Mitsubishi Motors Australia has previously said it will go on sale here in the second half of next year.

In this morning’s press release, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) quoted its former Australian chief John Signoriello as saying the new Outlander encompasses the latest Mitsubishi design, high-quality interior and rally-inspired driving performance.

“The all-new Outlander not only represents a new phase of Mitsubishi Motors design, but with its premium features the vehicle is set to be a game-changer,” said Signoriello, who is now the executive officer responsible for global marketing and sales at MMC.

“As its name suggests, the Outlander has brought drivers and their families across the world on great adventures. Going into its fourth generation, we believe the all-new Outlander will take our customers to even broader horizons.”

The fourth-generation Mitsubishi Outlander has already been officially teased, rendered and leaked, confirming it will be bigger and bolder than the aged model it replaces.

Known as the Airtrek in Japan, the Mitsubishi Outlander has found 2.6 million buyers since 2001, but the outgoing third-generation model – first launched in 2012 – ranks only sixth in Australia’s largest sales segment behind more popular medium SUVs like the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan X-TRAIL and Subaru Forester.

Featuring slim LED headlights, large front air intakes and a wraparound windscreen, the 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander will also bring new infotainment and safety technologies, plus an updated version of the car-maker’s Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel drive system

Potential powerplants include the 135kW/245Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine from sister brand Nissan’s latest X-TRAIL, which would be a step up from the current Outlander’s 124kW/220Nm 2.4-litre engine.

There’s a chance Australian versions could get the Japanese brand’s 110kW/250Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine from the facelifted Eclipse Cross released in December.

Ahead of an all-new Mitsubishi ASX due in 2022, the car-maker will also replace its existing Outlander PHEV, which pioneered plug-in powertrain tech in the mid-size SUV segment and currently offers at least 50km of EV driving range per charge.

However, it remains to be seen whether the 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander will get a new or upgraded hybrid system or maintain the current set-up comprising a 2.4-litre petrol engine paired with twin electric motors and a 13.8kWh lithium-ion battery.