Mitsubishi Developing Off-Road Outlander SUV
Key Points
- The Mitsubishi Outlander compact SUV will get a new variant late next year.
- The new version will be more off-road-focused than the 2025 Trail Edition trim.
- Further details will be available closer to launch.
The current onslaught of off-road trim levels for compact and mid-size SUVs covers a broad spectrum, from cynical styling exercises to genuine capability upgrades. Launched for the 2025 model year, the Mitsubishi Outlander Trail Edition might well define the conservative end of the scale, with not even all-terrain tires included. But Mitsubishi promises the next variant of the Outlander, set to launch late 2026, will be a more comprehensive effort.
Related: 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander Review: Affordable Utility
The automaker says it is working on a derivative that will feature “off-road bodywork, off-road-focused drive modes and performance upgrades.” The latter category is said to include a further development of the brand’s all-wheel-drive system that will “take [Super-All Wheel Control] to the next level.” Mitsubishi also says the upcoming SUV will have unique interior styling and materials.
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Shop the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander near you
Plumbing a Deep History
Mitsubishi has a long and proud history of genuine off-road accomplishments, but mostly in races and series that Americans pay little attention to — and none in the last decade. The brand claimed a record 12 overall wins — with a remarkable seven consecutive — in the grueling Dakar Rally, the last being in 2007. And while the Lancer Evolution garnered a huge following in the World Rally Championship, it notched just a single Manufacturers’ Championship in 1998.
Whatever form the new Outlander takes, it’s unlikely to rise to the level of the specialized racing machines that forged Mitsubishi’s off-road reputation. But even some modest suspension work and all-terrain tires would easily clear the bar set by the Trail Edition. We’ll learn more as the SUV’s late-2026 launch date nears.
Read More About the Mitsubishi Outlander:
- Mitsubishi Drops Pricing and Equipment Details for Face-Lifted 2025 Outlander
- Mitsubishi Announces Updates to 2026 Lineup
- Here Are the 10 Cheapest New SUVs You Can Buy Right Now
- Study: These Small SUVs Do Great Job of Keeping You From Backing Into Stuff
- Research the Mitsubishi Outlander
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