New Mitsubishi Outlander Coming Late Next Year, Will Ride On A Shared Platform

It’s been several months since we’ve seen the 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander, but new details are starting to emerge about the upcoming model.

In an interview with Automotive News, Mitsubishi Europe President Bernard Loire confirmed the redesigned crossover will be introduced in the second half of 2020. The executive was tight-lipped on specifics, but said the next-generation Outlander would ride on a platform sourced from the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance.

While Loire didn’t elaborate, previous reports have suggested the 2021 Outlander will ride on the same platform that underpins the Nissan Rogue. That makes sense as the two models are relatively the same size, although the Rogue is taller and wider. Nissan’s crossover also has a wheelbase that spans 106.5 inches (2705 mm) which makes it 1.4 inches (35.5 mm) longer than the Outlander.

Also Read: 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander Spied With A Bold New Design

Regardless of which platform the Outlander rides on, previous spy photos have shown the model will remain pretty faithful to the Engelberg Tourer concept. As a result, it features a Dynamic Shield grille, a relatively flat roof and prominent character lines.

Engine options remain unconfirmed, but Loire suggested we can expect another plug-in hybrid variant. That particular model will likely use an updated version of the current powertrain. As for the mainstream engines, they’ll likely be sourced from Nissan.

Besides talking about the Outlander, Loire said “another smaller SUV” would be introduced around the same time. There’s no word on which particular model that is, but the Outlander Sport would be logical guess as the current model is a nearly a decade old.

That remains unconfirmed, but Mitsubishi officials have previously said the next Outlander Sport will be smaller than the current model to help distance itself from the Eclipse Cross. At the time, it was suggested the Outlander Sport would be about the same size as the Nissan Kicks and speculation suggested the two vehicles could ride on the same platform.