There’s a new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV on the horizon.
Mitsubishi is gearing up to reveal its second-generation Outlander plug-in hybrid SUV, ahead of its arrival in Australia during the first quarter of 2022.
A spokesperson for Mitsubishi Australia has confirmed the petrol Outlander is still on track to touch down in September or October 2021, with the Outlander PHEV to follow “a quarter later”.
MORE: 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander reviewed in the USA
2022 Mitsubishi Outlander petrol
Mitsubishi hasn’t yet revealed details about what will power the new Outlander PHEV.
Battery-only range is likely to grow from the current 54km claim, and a more sophisticated take on the current all-wheel drive setup is expected to feature.
Mitsubishi said in 2018 it’s targeting between 80km and 100km of pure-electric range from its plug-in hybrid system. Bi-directional charging will also feature.
The new Outlander PHEV will be joined by a plug-in hybrid version of the smaller Eclipse Cross SUV in the middle of this year.
It will touch down during the third quarter of 2021. Combined, the plug-in hybrid Outlander and Eclipse Cross are part of a new Mitsubishi plan to hit the sales podium in Australia.
Unveiled in 2012 and updated in 2019, the outgoing Outlander PHEV was a trailblazer for Mitsubishi.
It became the world’s best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle in December 2018, and in 2019 ticked past more than 200,000 global sales.
Rivals in Australia remain thin on the ground, especially around the $50,000 mark.
Peugeot has locked in the 3008 PHEV for Australia, and Ford is still planning to bring the Escape PHEV ST-Line to local showrooms, but the Outlander PHEV was unrivalled for much of its life.
The current Outlander PHEV pairs a 2.4-litre petrol engine with a 13.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack, good for 54km of claimed range.
The engine makes 94kW and 199Nm, and there are motors on both axles adding a combined 130kW and 332Nm.
