What’s New for 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander Sport Models?
Now that the 2018 model year has started, many automotive brands are starting to publish and release details about their new 2018 models. We talked about all the good stuff that has happened for Mitsubishi Motors in the past year, and recently they published all details about their 2018 model and lineup. Today, we’re going to look at the new 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander Sport. Most of the changes are small, but consumers will find a couple or surprises that will surely be welcomed.
Performance
The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander and 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport are available with the same engine options as 2017 models. The 2018 Outlander is available in four trims, originally known as ES, SE, SEL, and GT; the trim names are the same, except “2.4” has been added to the name of the trims (3.0 on the GT). Outlander models are also available with a front-wheel drivetrain or Mitsubishi’s (super) all-wheel control (AWC) drivetrain. The first three trims are powered by a 2.4-liter MIVEC SOHC I4 engine that generates 166 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. The GT 3.0 AWC is powered by a 3.0-liter MIVEC SOHC V6 that generates 224 horsepower and 215 lb-ft of torque.
For 2018, the Outlander Sport has been reduced to three trims, and they also come with the option of front-wheel-drive or AWC. The base trim, the Outlander Sport ES 2.0, is powered by a 2.0-liter DOHC I4 engine that generates 148 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. The SE 2.4 and SEL 2.4 are powered by a DOHC (double overhead camshaft) variant of the 2.4-liter engine in the Outlander. DOHC engines have less stress on the engine cylinders, and thus this version generates a little more horsepower (168) and torque (167 lb-ft).
Style
Pretty much all the same features on the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander can be found on 2018 models. LED headlights are available on the SEL 2.4 and GT 3.0 trims, the headlights automatically turn off on the Outlander ES 2.4 and SE 2.4 trims whereas the SEL 2.4 and GT 3.0 have auto on/off headlights, heated exterior mirrors, rear privacy glass, and automatic dual-zone climate control are a lineup standard, and a power sunroof is available on the Outlander SE 2.4 and SEL 2.4 trims, standard on the Outlander GT 3.0. Small changes have happened to the interior, such as a leather wrapped steering wheel is no longer available for the base trim; heated front seats are still standard for all trims following the base, all trims have a 60/40 split second row and 50/50 flat-fold third row, and 7-passenger seating is standard.
With the 2018 Outlander Sport lineup reduced to three trims, some features have changed a bit. For one, the Outlander Sport SEL 2.4 takes over many of the features the Outlander Sport GT has standard (except the sunroof), now for about $2000 less. These include high intensity discharge (HID) headlights, auto on/off headlights, and black roof rails. Heated exterior mirrors, rear privacy glass, and automatic dual-zone climate control are also still a lineup standard for the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. Due to the reduced lineup, standard features such as a leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob are now no longer available on the base trim; heated front seats following the base trim are still standard for the other two trims, a 60/40 split-fold second row is the lineup standard, and the seating capacity is still five passengers.
Technology
Here is where many consumers will see some changes between 2017 and 2018 models. A Rockford-Fosgate 9-speaker system is available on the Outlander SEL 2.4 and GT 3.0 (standard) trims, but now all trims come with a 7-inch display screen with a rearview camera (multi-view on Outlander GT 3.0), and a 6-speaker system is standard for the two bottom-tier trims. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto has returned for the Outlander SE 2.4, SEL 2.4, and GT 3.0 trims, and so is Bluetooth wireless technology and steering wheel mounted audio and phone controls. Automatic high beam headlights have been added as optional safety features for the Outlander SEL 2.4 and GT 3.0 trims; all other safety features remain from the 2017 model year.
For the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, there have been a few more changes this round. All trims get a 7-inch display screen with a rearview camera, Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto come standard on the Outlander Sport SE 2.4 and SEL 2.4, and Bluetooth wireless technology and steering wheel mounted phone, audio, and voice controls are a lineup standard. The base trim, ES 2.0 has a 4-speaker system, the Outlander Sport SE 2.4 and SEL 2.4 have a 6-speaker system, but the Rockford-Fosgate 9-speaker system is an optional add-on for the Outlander Sport SEL 2.4. For the 2018 model year, three automatic safety features have been added as an option for the Outlander Sport SEL 2.4 – automatic high beam headlights, forward collision mitigation, and lane departure warning. All other safety features remain.
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander Sport models will be arriving in dealerships soon, so be sure to check out our inventory for yours.