A tougher, off-road focused version of the popular Mitsubishi Outlander will go into production in late 2026, targeting buyers in the US – but it could also join the Australian lineup.
The Outlander is the Japanese auto brand’s best-selling model in both North America and Australia, where it outsells rivals such as the Nissan X-Trail and Hyundai Tucson in the mid-size SUV segment led by the Toyota RAV4.
Mitsubishi confirmed the more rugged Outlander variant in a statement accompanied by a single image of its future US model lineup, including two vehicles kept under wraps – one of which is the new Outlander off-roader.
Mitsubishi Australia has not confirmed the model for local showrooms.
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According to previous Automotive News reports, Mitsubishi pitched the new model to its US dealers as “Subaru Outback-like”.
The Outback – introduced in 1994 and now a core model in Subaru’s range – was originally based on the Subaru Liberty station wagon, featuring extra ride height and exterior body cladding including wider wheel-arches, among other changes.
The Outback has since morphed into a more conventional ‘large’ SYV, but the original established a genre which was joined by similar crossover wagon models including the Volvo V70 XC (1997) and Audi Allroad (2000).
This suggests the more rugged Outlander will at least bring off-road themed styling elements including tougher bumpers, plus increased ground clearance, off-road wheels and tyres, and perhaps roof racks.
Mitsubishi has not confirmed any details such as powertrains – the Outlander is currently available with petrol and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power – nor what kind of price premium it may charge.
The turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine used in the Eclipse Cross has been confirmed for the 2026 Outlander in the US, replacing the naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre petrol engine also offered here.
According to CarandDriver, Mitsubishi said the new Outlander off-roader will take a step further than the Trail Edition version it offered in the US earlier this year.
The existing Trail Edition offers mostly cosmetic changes, but the 2026 version will reportedly come with unique upgrades which will enable, for instance, increased approach and departure angels.
It will be one of potentially four new Mitsubishi models set to be introduced in the US by 2030, as the auto brand looks to recover from a sales slump and falling profits in North America.
Earlier this year, CarScoops reported that US dealers wrote to the company urging changes as they struggled to sell vehicles from an ageing lineup alongside fresher rivals – further hampered by a lack of hybrid models.
The Outlander is the only hybrid model in Mitsubishi’s US showrooms, where the current generation arrived in 2021 – the same year it was launched in Australia.