A new Mitsubishi Outlander is coming, but it won't be ready until 2028

The fourth generation of the Mitsubishi Outlander has been on the market since 2021, but the brand is already preparing the fifth generation. It is expected to reach the market in 2028 and to have a radically different design, helping the brand position itself against buyers’ tastes.

This fifth generation of the Mitsubishi Outlander could have more than a different design, as it is said it could feature a improved plug-in hybrid propulsion system with a new design. This may allow interest in this model to grow and bring buyers closer to it.

According to information coming from Japan, this new Outlander will be based on the Mitsubishi Elevance, a concept model presented some time ago. This model has a similar size to the Outlander, but offers a very different look from the Outlander. This gives some hints about what the fifth generation of the Japanese SUV may offer.

The new Outlander is expected to inherit the newly designed headlights from the Elevance. The daytime running lights will be integrated into the front of the car, and the grille may be body-coloured, offering a more compact and attractive look. The large front windows of the Elevance will not be on the production model, as they are very striking but not practical in everyday use.

At the rear, it is expected to reproduce the LED light bar spanning the full width of the SUV. The rear light clusters extend to the D-pillar and along the sides of the car. This design could also appear on the definitive model, so the rear will also aim to impress potential buyers.

As for the plug-in hybrid drive system, the current Outlander has a 2.4-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder combustion engine, working together with two electric motors, and the battery is 22.7 kWh. It currently offers a combined output of 297 CV and a torque of 450 Nm. Electric-only range is 104 kilometres, which is not bad at all.

The new system will add two extra electric motors, allowing for greater power. In addition, these two extra motors will provide better control of the next-generation Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system of Mitsubishi. This improves manoeuvrability by distributing power to each wheel according to need.