About Outlander
The Outlander is the most important vehicle Mitsubishi makes. It arrived in 2001, sold as the Airtrek in Japan at first, as a car-based crossover, and over the years it grew into a three-row family SUV sold around the world. Its signature achievement came in 2013, when Mitsubishi launched the Outlander PHEV, one of the first plug-in hybrid SUVs and for years one of the best-selling plug-in vehicles in Europe, well before most rivals had anything comparable.
The fourth-generation Outlander, launched for 2022, shares its platform with the Nissan Rogue and X-Trail, bringing a far more modern cabin, a bolder face and a standard third row in many markets. The plug-in hybrid version, with twin electric motors and an all-wheel-drive system tuned by Mitsubishi's rally engineers, has been praised for smoothness, electric range and quiet running. Reviewers note its gasoline-only model is less refined, and some find its price high against the competition.
It competes with the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5 and its cousin the Nissan Rogue, whose short-lived plug-in version actually borrowed the Outlander's system. In markets like the United Kingdom the Outlander has returned after a break, and in Australia, Japan and North America it remains the brand's bread and butter. Mitsubishi is now pushing the Outlander toward adventure, with a rugged Diamond Trail Edition shown at SEMA that adds a rock mode, off-road styling and accessories. This page follows that edition and others, along with reviews, pricing, recalls, sales figures and the next generation's development, including what electrification Mitsubishi adds as the plug-in market evolves.