The Japanese carparazzi from Minkara.Carview.co.jp managed to catch the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander facelift on camera prior to its official unveiling in April, at the New York Auto Show. The facelifted mid-size crossover SUV is slated to arrive in North America this fall as the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander.
Spotted at the Messe Nagoya port in Japan, which is just a few miles from the Mitsubishi Nagoya Plant in Okazaki, where the Outlander is built, what the Japanese publication's spy photographers captured in the gallery below is undoubtedly the long-awaited 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander mid-cycle facelift.
In terms of styling, we can see that quite a few design changes were operated front and rear, with all cars wearing new-style black-and-silver alloy wheels. To sum the facelift up nice and tidy, the third-gen Outlander swapped its Gundam robot-inspired looks for what we've been presented last year during the Paris Motor Show – the Outlander PHEV Concept S.
While the front fascia mirrors the concept vehicle's aesthetics almost entirely, the rear of the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander facelift borrows the tail lamp design of the off-road-oriented Pajero Sport. Just under the rear windshield wiper, the Japanese SUV adds a handlebar-shaped chrome trim, which gives a different visual identity compared to the outgoing model's horizontal chrome bar that connects the clear taillights.
The cabin design is, more than certainly, updated as well
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Concept S' dashboard will be mostly carried over by the facelifted Outlander. In terms of powertrain options, don't expect anything more than the engines and transmission options we already have on the Old Continent and in the U.S., albeit with small changes for better efficiency.
As such, Europe will see the same old 2.0 MIVEC gasoline-fed four-cylinder and 2.2-liter DI-D turbo diesel powerplant, mated to a five or six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. The US, on the other hand, will see the return of the 2.4 MIVEC and its more potent counterpart, the 3.0 MIVEC V6.
According to Mitsubishi North America Public Relations manager Alex Fedorak, the PHEV variant of the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander will feature a "more refined hybrid system," so don't hold your breath for more power than what the current Outlander Plug-In Hybrid boasts with – a 2-liter MIVEC gasoline engine producing 121 horsepower (89 kW) and 190 Nm (140 lb-ft), teamed with two electric motors propelling the front and rear axles with a cumulated 164 horsepower (120 kW) and 332 Nm of torque (245 lb-ft).
Regarding the all-new, fourth-generation Mitsubishi Outlander, expect it to be unveiled in late 2017.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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