Ten years is an eternity in terms of automotive product cycles, especially in a segment as hot and crowded as C/D sport utility. For Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA), waiting for an all-new Outlander to replace the incumbent model launched in 2012 must have been a supreme test of perseverance. But an all-new Outlander has finally arrived, one of the first fruits of the re-invigorated Renault-Nissan Alliance in which Mitsubishi now is a partner.

The 5-door/three-row SUV shares its basic architecture, 106.5-in. (2,705-mm) wheelbase, powertrain and some chassis components with the Nissan Rogue/X-Trail, saving millions in development time and cost while expanding manufacturing scale. Equally important, Mitsubishi designers and engineers have successfully differentiated their new flagship with a unique exterior style and elevated levels of interior refinement and ride comfort.

The vehicle brings some milestones to the brand: the 2022 Outlander is the first Mitsubishi with electronic shift-by wire; the first to use hot-stamped ultra-high tensile strength steel sheet; the first with a capless fuel filler; headlamp washers; full-color digital driver display; Bose audio, and all-LED lighting. It’s also the first Outlander with a panoramic roof. All should delight dealers, who until now have been armed mostly with knives in the SUV gunfight.

The “Alliance platform,” as MMNA’s director of product planning Cason Grover calls it, achieves a 33% improvement in overall torsional rigidity and 26% greater rigidity in its front structure, compared with the outgoing Outlander. With the aim to improve impact performance and vehicle dynamics, high-strength steel alloy content was expanded throughout the body-in-white. Grover noted that CAE analyses focused on strengthening the elements affected by cyclic load that connects the front shock towers, rails and cowl, as well as those in the rear tying together the C- and D-pillars, rear floor and roof.

As is typical of most vehicle programs, engineers battled the mass-creep tradeoffs that come  from greater feature content and occupant safety. Switching to an aluminum hood and composite-plastic front fenders for the new Outlander saves 13.2 lb (5.9 kg) and 4 lb (1.8 kg), respectively, versus steel. Still, curb weight of the base 2wd model is 3,593 lb (1,630 kg), compared with 3,329 lb (1,510 kg) of the 2020 Outlander. Propelling that mass – 3,803 lb. (1,727 kg) of it in a fully-optioned AWD model – is Nissan’s 2.5-L naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder gasoline engine also used in Rogue and Altima.

Rated at 181 hp (135 kW) and 181 lb-ft (245 Nm), the long-stroke (89 x 100mm) unit, coded PR25DD by both OEMs, has a 12:1 compression ratio and is mated to an 8-speed CVT. The JATCO-engineered transmission has six driving modes (for 4WD models) to suit a wide variety of road conditions and vehicle dynamic states. The CVT is calibrated to deliver “gearchange” sensations that convincingly replicate those of the silkiest-shifting planetary automatics. While the unboosted powertrain delivers adequate thrust, it forces the driver to push deep into the throttle pedal to achieve it. U.S. fuel economy is rated 24/31/27 (city/highway/combined) for 2WD and 24/30/26 for AWD models.

The model-year-2021 Outlander is only available with a plug-in-hybrid powertrain and is still based on the previous architecture. The PHEV’s battery pack location forces a two-row cabin seating configuration. A PHEV version of the Alliance-platform Outlander is in the pipeline, but Grover did not offer timing during a media briefing in early April.

Mitsubishi’s sophisticated Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) system is a $1,800 option on all 2022 Outlander trim levels. S-AWC, which includes yaw-rate feedback, is capable of regulating torque and braking force at each wheel. The system is controlled by two ECUs (from Mitsubishi Electric and Continental, according to supplier sources) communicating through a CAN bus. Outlander’s three chassis sensors – monitoring yaw rate, lateral and longitudinal acceleration – are packaged in a single module near the vehicle’s center of gravity.

Flexible, commodious cabin
A significant increase in occupant comfort was a key focus of the Outlander development team, Grover explained. The larger Alliance platform helps deliver more cabin space where it counts. Wheelbase is 1.4 in. (35.5 mm) longer than the predecessor and the 2022 model gains a full two inches (50.8 mm) in overall width and 1.5 in. (38 mm) in height. Driver and front passenger legroom increases by one inch (25.4 mm) and slightly more than that in the second row, which features 40-20-40-split flexibility.

Vehicle developers know that third-row seating in any vehicle smaller than the largest full-size SUVs is less than comfortable for all but the tiniest travelers and small pets. The Outlander’s way-back perch, rare in the segment, is split 50-50; used in combination with the split/fold second row it enables the cabin to be configured to optimize passengers (each seat now has an adjacent smartphone holder) and cargo. Max cargo volume is now 80 ft3, up from 66 ft3 on the outgoing vehicle.

Rear loading is made easier with a foot-operated/hands-free liftgate with actuation that is three times faster than the outgoing Outlander’s, Grover said. And driver visibility around the critical A-pillar/exterior mirror junction is improved.

Cabin noise levels are surprisingly low, as the author found on a recent drive combining highway, rural and suburban routes. The stiffer BiW is responsible, as is an isolated rear subframe, acoustic glazing for the windscreen and front side windows, upgraded door seals and additional mastics and body-cavity insulators. According to Grover, Mitsubishi engineers spent considerable time tuning Outlander’s suspension to deliver ride quality that, by the author’s seat-of-pants, feels near perfect for the American family’s duty cycle.

Upgraded MI-Pilot
The 2022 Outlander’s development budget clearly prioritized a significant step up in cockpit and cabin design and materials compared with the outgoing vehicle. The layout, human factors, and feature content are solidly competitive, including a 10.8-in. head-up display (HUD) and available 12.3-in. color LCD gauge cluster. There are 8.0- and 9.0-in. touchscreens; both are blessed with a simple array of knobs and buttons for tuning and volume control.

Outlander’s 2022 safety and driver-assist suite is made more capable with an upgraded MI-Pilot Assist. It integrates the lane-keeping and adaptive-cruise functions and, in highway driving, can decelerate for curves using navigation data.