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2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport gets modest styling, powertrain enhancements

Mitsubishi sales continue to show progress in 2014. In fact, sales were up 54.17 percent in the US in May compared to last year. In hopes of keeping those numbers in the black, the Japanese automaker is introducing some mechanical upgrades to the Outlander Sport, its best-selling model, for the 2015 model year.
The biggest change for the 2015 Outlander Sport is its improved CVT that offers better fuel economy. Front-wheel-drive models with the upgraded CVT get an estimated improvement of 1 mile per gallon across the board to 25 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined; all-wheel drive models get an estimated 1 mpg better on the highway and in the combined rating, bringing the numbers up to 24/30/27 mpg. Mitsubishi claims the new transmission is the equivalent of fitting the Outlander Sport with a seven-speed automatic. The five-speed manual is still also available on the front-wheel drive ES trim, rated at 24 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. All models also get electric power steering, and the company reports that the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is enhanced as well, but still makes the same 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque from last year.
The 2015 Outlander Sport also sees some very minor aesthetic improvements. The audio panel inside now has piano black and silver trim, and the SE trim comes with LED running lights. Also, the interior gets thicker glass in the side windows and more noise insulation for a quieter ride.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV's US debut pushed back yet again [UPDATE]

UPDATE: The story's been updated to include a response from Mitsubishi. Better late than never, the saying goes, and when it comes to the US debut of the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid, the key words are "better" and "late." The crossover's debut in the US has already been the subject of a number of delays, and it is will once again having its stateside debut pushed back by a few months, according to Green Car Reports. Instead of a springtime arrival, we're now looking at late summer. We already know that the first US Outlander is an updated model compared to the one currently sold in Europe and Japan, but the Japanese automaker is apparently still tweaking the model to make it better suited for US driving. That means an improved interior and better sound insulation for what will be the 2017 model-year Outlander PHEV, and will likely involve better performance for both drivetrain power and fuel efficiency. "We decided to bring in the Outlander PHEV along with the 2017 Outlander launch," Mitsubishi spokesman Alex Fedorak wrote in an e-mail to Autoblog. "Doing so will allow us to better equip the vehicle for the US market." We doubt major changes are in store, so it still looks like the plug-in Outlander will pair a 2.0-liter gas engine with two electric motors. The crossover PHEV can go about 32 miles on electricity alone, at least, it can on the more lenient European driving cycle. The Outlander PHEV was first slated for a 2014 US debut, but that was pushed back to 2015 because of a battery shortage. More recently, Mitsubishi said this past January that the US debut would take place in April 2016. Overseas, the model continues to make headway when it comes to global market share of plug-in vehicles. Through November, Mitsubishi moved more than 36,000 units of the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid worldwide. That puts it third among plug-in vehicles, trailing only the sales of the Tesla Model S and the Nissan Leaf electric vehicles, according to EV Sales. Featured Gallery Plug In 2014: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV View 12 Photos News Source: Green Car ReportsImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Green Mitsubishi Hybrid

Mitsubishi to add new crossover to US lineup

With crossovers of all sizes enjoying immense popularity with consumers, Mitsubishi is making a grab for some of the action with a third CUV offering. The as-of-yet unnamed vehicle is set to slot in between the baby Outlander Sport and the full-size Outlander, CEO Osamu Masuko told Automotive News ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show. Aimed squarely at the crossover-crazy US and European markets, this new vehicle will likely enter production two years from now. That should mean an auto show debut at Paris or Los Angeles in 2016, or at some point in early 2017. The new vehicle would duke it out with the redesigned Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tuscon. If it sounds like this new CUV would cannibalize some of its little brother's sales, you'd be right. To prevent this, Mitsu will tweak the sizes of the vehicles it currently offers. "The Outlander is growing in size, while the Outlander Sport is getting smaller, so it opens a space for the new SUV," Masuko told AN. "We need something to fit in between." Having a three-tiered CUV lineup might help Mitsubishi, which has enjoyed 26 percent sales growth through September this year. According to AN, over half of Mitsu's current sales come from the Outlander and Outlander Sport. Adding a third CUV would capitalize on a US market that's clamoring for light trucks and crossovers. Before the third model debuts, the next step for the brand will be the arrival of a plug-in hybrid Outlander. You can look for our review on that next year. Featured Gallery Mitsubishi eX Concept View 34 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Crossover Economy Cars osamu masuko