It looks like the all-new 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander mid-sized SUV is already a hit with customers.
Since going on sale in Australia on November 1, 2021, Mitsubishi Australia says many of the expressions of interest for its Outlander have been translating into sales.
The automaker indicated it attracted 10,379 enquires for the Outlander through its website until the end of October.
In its first 20 days on sale, Mitsubishi said its dealers have reported over 4000 orders of the Outlander.
For reference, Mitsubishi sold a total of 12,004 Outlanders in 2020.
Mitsubishi reports initial interest for the Outlander is split across the entire model range, with demand for its top-of-the-range Exceed and Exceed Tourer variants “far greater than expected”.
To compensate for this, the Japanese automaker is aiming to secure additional production slots to meet this higher-than-expected demand, although it hasn’t given an exact figure on how many additional slots.
“Despite healthy stock levels at launch, interest in new Outlander out of the gate has been unprecedented,” said Shaun Westcott, Mitsubishi Motors Australia’s CEO.
“We’re doing everything we can to prioritise the delivery of sold orders, and keep our customers informed with the latest delivery information.”
Mitsubishi dealers have reported that over half of customers are selecting ‘White’ or ‘White Diamond’ paint as their colour preference for their Outlander.
Mitsubishi Outlander 
Nissan X-Trail
The dealers also indicated that customers are cross-shopping the Outlander with the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5, currently the two top sellers in the mid-sized SUV segment.
This fourth-generation Outlander has grown in every dimension over the previous generation and shares its bones with the redesigned Nissan X-Trail, which won’t arrive Down Under until 2022.
Pricing starts at $34,490 before on-road costs for the front-wheel drive ES five-seater, and extends to $49,990 before on-road costs for the Exceed Tourer all-wheel drive seven-seater.
Exceed AWD
Powering the entire range is a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine producing 135kW of power and 245Nm of torque.
The standard transmission is a continuously-variable transmission (CVT) with eight pre-programmed steps to mimic a conventional automatic.
All-wheel drive models have a new version of the ‘Super-All Wheel Control’ (S-AWC) system, capable of pinching the brakes on individual wheels to pull the Outlander into line when you’re cornering in a hurry.
Outlander PHEV
Mitsubishi has also detailed its upcoming Outlander plug-in hybrid (PHEV), with the company saying it delivers more performance and range than the outgoing model.
Scheduled for an Australian arrival in the first half of 2022, this new Outlander PHEV boasts a larger 20kWh battery, up from 13.8kWh, and a WLTP claimed all-electric range of 87km, which is up from the NEDC claimed 54km of the outgoing model.
Local pricing and specifications for the Outlander PHEV will be revealed closer to its launch.
