The biggest news about the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander is that someone remembered to style it. And that’s actually really big news for the Mitsubishi Outlander.
So it’s kind of hilarious that all of the execs decided to stand right in front of it as soon as the press conference was over, blocking much of the view. But you’ve seen it in the press photos and it looks like that in person. It’s handsome and rugged and perfectly nice.
Actually, Mitsubishi says their new corporate face is inspired by the long-running Montero SUV. They explained it with visuals and I still don’t quite see it. Still, it’s a marked improvement over the outgoing Outlander, and Mitsubishi can cross off styling from the list of things it needed to do to get their crossover on the radar.
The interior is largely carryover, even if some of the color and material choices are more tasteful than before. It’s good for a $30,000 SUV, just OK for the $35,000 this loaded GT is likely to cost. But for the price, few SUVs give you a third-row seat for two of your least favorite kids on the carpool.
Much of the substantive changes are under the skin, however, so it’s going to take a drive to see if the 2016 Outlander can hold its own among compact/midsize crossovers like the Honda CR-V and Kia Sorento. There’s a bold statement about the Outlander being one of the quietest cars on the market, which is a pretty interesting change of pace from Mitsubishi.
I’m already thinking of ways to test this claim.
Photos copyright Carscoops.com / Zac Estrada
Twitter: @zacestrada
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