Update: A new report from Financial Times says that Mitsubishi is rethinking its exit from Europe and may decide to stay by having Renault manufacture its Euro-spec models in France. The current Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a successful model in Europe, and so, if Mitsubishi continues business in the region, it could launch the next-gen Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV there. The 2022 Renault Kadjar plug-in hybrid made in France will likely be based on the same CMF platform as the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid, although it wouldn’t be as big, and it’s unlikely to feature three-row seating either.
A recent report from Best Car said that the next-gen Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV will debut in fall 2022. The Japanese publication expects the 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV to deliver an all-electric range of 100 km/62 miles (WLTC) and beat the Toyota RAV4 PHEV/Toyota RAV4 Prime’s BEV range of 95 km/59 miles (WLTC).
Since the PHEV based on the new Outlander is a while away, a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, based on the older generation, has been launched in the United States to bridge the gap. The base price of the 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is the same as that of the 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – $36,295.
The Outlander PHEV on sale in the USA (MY2020) is quite old and for 2021 it has been upgraded with a 2.4-liter engine (from a 2.0-liter engine) and a 13.8 kWh battery pack (from a 12.0 kWh battery pack). The upgraded version silently launched in the USA for MY2021 along with the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander will be sold until the fourth-gen Outlander plug-in hybrid variant is ready for the market.
2020 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV vs. 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
| Aspect\Specification | 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Specification | 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Specification |
| Engine | 4B11 2.0-liter MIVEC | 4B12 2.4-liter MIVEC |
| Engine Power | 117 hp at 4,500 rpm | 126 hp at 4,500 rpm |
| Engine Torque | 137 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm | 148 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm |
| Front Motor | S61 | S61 |
| Front Motor Power | 60 kW | 60 kW |
| Front Motor Torque | 137 Nm | 137 Nm |
| Rear Motor | Y61 | Y61 |
| Rear Motor Power | 60 kW | 60 kW |
| Rear Motor Torque | 195 Nm | 195 Nm |
| Drive Battery | 12.0 kWh Lithium-ion | 13.8 kWh Lithium-ion |
| EV Range | 22 miles | 24 miles |
| Combined Fuel Economy (Gasoline + Electricity) | 74 MPGe | 74 MPGe |
On the all-new 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander
The CMF-C/D platform-based fourth-gen Outlander with the next-gen Mitsubishi Dynamic Shield front face, bold proportions, and sumptuous interior initially comes with only a 2.5-liter gas engine.
20-inch alloy wheels, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay, 10.8-inch full-color HUD, 10-speaker BOSE audio system, and MI-PILOT Assist (for semi-autonomous driving on single-lane highways) are some of the equipment highlights of the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander which one may expect to get with the incoming PHEV.
Production of the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander takes place at the company’s Okazaki plant in Japan. The first batch of cars should sail for the USA very soon, with the deliveries scheduled in April 2021. Mitsubishi has priced the 2022 Outlander from $25,795.
Featured Image Source: Mitsubishi
