NYIAS 2017: You Won't Believe What They've Done With the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Sit back and place a nitroglycerine pill under your tongue. It’s product announcement time.

As it revamps its utility vehicle lineup, Mitsubishi isn’t letting the looming introduction of the poorly named Eclipse Cross compact crossover stop it from foisting attention upon its existing products. To keep things fresh, the automaker plans to revamp its very own Eclipse Cross competitor — the Outlander Sport — for 2018.

So, say goodbye to the aging model you see above. Wait — hold on. That is the 2018 model.

Yes, there are very evolutionary changes coming to Mitsubishi’s stalwart Outlander Sport, which bowed in the U.S. for the 2011 model year (and 2010 elsewhere). With the planned downsizing of the model tentatively pushed back to 2021, this will be the model’s second refresh in the same generation.

Nissan-Renault’s acquisition of Mitsubishi has thrown the struggling automaker into a state of pleasant turmoil. Not surprisingly, its product timelines have become question marks as shared architectures and components become the new reality. Supplier sources claim the flagship Outlander will also see a delay. A new model could appear in 2020, a year later than first promised.

But back to the brand’s best-selling U.S. model. What changes can you expect going forward? Well, here’s a photo of the 2017 model for comparison:

Mitsubishi has added trendy, near-vertical LED running lights in the lower fascia, adjacent to the carryover foglights. The lower air opening now sees a tightly spaced mesh instead of horizontal slats, while the upper grille gains a thin chrome accent strip to frame the badge. Again, plastic slats are replaced with mesh. The rear bumper sees similarly minor tweaks.

Phew. Did you get all that?

As for content, the Outlander Sport gains a Touring Model for 2018, bringing the option of a panoramic sunroof, a longer list of safety aids (such as Forward Collision Mitigation) and unspecified measures to improve NVH issues.

Inside, you’ll find a redesigned console, new shift lever (best take another pill) and a 7-inch Smartphone Link display audio system. To woo millennials, that system features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

It looks like the drivetrain remains exactly the same, so don’t expect to see much movement in pricing. The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport arrives at dealers with helpful window stickers denoting its model year this fall.

[Images: Mitsubishi Motors]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • MLS MLS on Apr 05, 2017

    Though the Outlander Sport is old, its relatively clean and restrained styling has aged pretty well. Compare the 2011 Outlander Sport to, say, a Nissan Rogue of similar vintage.

  • CincyDavid CincyDavid on Apr 08, 2017

    We had an Uber driver pick us up in Mesa AZ last week in a late model Outlander Sport...felt pretty well put together but it was SMALL inside, very limited rear leg room. First Mitsubishi I've been in since the 80s?!? This restyle is bold perhaps, but I don't find it attractive.

  • Jpolicke In a communist dictatorship, there isn't much export activity that the government isn't aware of. That being the case, if the PRC wanted to, they could cut the flow of fentanyl down to a trickle. Since that isn't happening, I therefore assume Xi Jinping doesn't want it cut. China needs to feel the consequences for knowingly poisoning other countries' citizens.
  • El scotto Oh, ye nattering nabobs of negativism! Think of countries like restaurants. Our neighbors to the north and south are almost as good and the service is fantastic. They're awfully close to being as good as the US. Oh the Europeans are interesting and quaint but you really only go there a few times a year. Gents, the US is simply the hottest restaurant in town. Have to stand in line to get in? Of course. Can you hand out bribes to get in quicker? Of course. Suppliers and employees? Only the best on a constant basis.Did I mention there is a dress code? We strictly enforce it. Don't like it? Suck it.
  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
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