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2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Facelift Spied Towing a Trailer

Since it was introduced back in 2012, the mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Mitsubishi has been met with good sales volumes and reviews from the motoring media. Although it still looks fresh, the Japanese manufacturer is currently hot weather testing the model's mid-cycle facelift.
2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Facelift 8 photos
Photo: SB-Medien
2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Facelift2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Facelift2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Facelift2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Facelift2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Facelift2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Facelift2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Facelift
It's known that the Outlander's product cycle is scheduled to last until 2017, translating to a five-year market presence for this generation. Therefore the facelifted Outlander will be sold for almost 3 years before an all-new model will be launched. There's a heck of a lot of time 'til then, so let's focus on the 2015 model year of the SUV in question.

Our spy photographers managed to capture a pre-production prototype undergoing hot weather testing and towing a trailer in a Western region of the United States. From the pictures we've been provided with, you can clearly see that the refreshed Outlander is heavily masked, but we noticed changes that might make it on the final product. First of all, the clear tail lights of the outgoing model are replaced by traditional red light clusters, which seem like they're benefiting from LED technology.

A small detail that's also different is the mudguard design, while the black camo on the rear quarter windows hint that the design has been changed in this part as well. Lower door trim pieces also look mildly redesigned, while the fog light bezels are finished in black, not silver. Although central and lower radiator grilles are missing on the prototype spotted, the upper horizontal plastic strip with the Mitsubishi logo and chrome bits appears to have been replaced by a slotted grille with the manufacturer's logo still placed in the middle.

It's very hard to tell what changes have been done to the headlights because of the heavy camouflage up front, but we don't expect too many changes round here except for an LED strip or two. As for the oily bits, we presume that the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander will be offered with the same choice of four and six-cylinder engines, while Europe will get the torquey 2.2-liter turbo diesel.

Don't hold your breath for increased horsepower, but expect mild improvements in fuel economy and CO2 emissions. Now let's keep them fingers crossed and hope that the CVT gearbox will be replaced by Mitsubishi's twin-clutch SST box that works wonders on the Lancer sedan.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

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.
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