Mitsubishi will reveal redesigned versions of the 2016 Outlander Sport crossover and 2017 Mirage subcompact at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show next week, the automaker announced Wednesday.
Both models will be mid-cycle refreshes, though the Mirage is expected to get more attention beyond a simple skin-deep rework.
The latest news means Mitsubishi’s rumored future crossover, expected to sit between the Outlander Sport and larger, three-row Outlander, won’t be making its debut in Los Angeles this year.
For Mitsubishi’s subcompact, performance and interior enhancements will be introduced for the 2017 model year, but the automaker wouldn’t provide further details.
(We’re guessing those changes go beyond a subwoofer and badging this time around.)
For its smaller crossover, exterior changes will bring it in line with its corporate siblings.
“It features the new Dynamic Shield front design concept that was first introduced on the 2016 Outlander,” said Mitsubishi representative Alex Fedorak.
The refreshes come after Mitsubishi announced the final production run of the Evo, the company’s only performance model, and the end of domestic Outlander Sport production in Normal, Ill.
After catastrophic losses during the 2008 recession, Mitsubishi sales have been on a slow climb, though volume is still less than a third of what it was in 2002 when the automaker sold 345,000 vehicles. Mitsubishi has sold 80,683 vehicles in the United States for 2015, year-to-date.
Despite all-around lackluster products, at least Mitsu is constantly working to improve what it has. The Outlander Sport has received little tweaks each year since it was released.
Give it six or more years, and it’ll be competitive with other releases from 2010.
Can’t wait to see what Saab and Suzuki will be coming out with.
Just for you GiddyHitch- new enough for you
2009 LA Auto Show
2010 Suzuki Kizashi
2011 Saab 9-5
Rumor mill sez the Mirage gets more sound deadening, better rear suspension, the nose from the Attrage, and a 2-liter GT trim.
2.0L GT? That’s double the hp!
I saw that the Attrage’s trunk is also coming stateside.
Yeah, there aren’t many cars where the “upgrade” engine is 2x power. I would speculate that we’ll get the 150ish-hp 4B11 from the Lancer, which would result in the equivalent of a Fiesta ST with a quarter-ton of weight reduction.
The betrunked Attrage is coming to the US, though I haven’t seen a definite name for it here (Attrage, G4, or Mirage).
It’s very bad that I had to look up via Google what a regular Outlander looked like. I know the Mirage, I know the Outlander Sport – but what the regular looked like escaped my mind entirely.
I don’t think there’s a single other vehicle on sale today where this issue would occur.
Don’t call it a comeback.
I thought Mitsubishi should have cut a deal with Suzuki and rebadged Kizashis as the new Galant.
If I did not know anything about the auto industry, I’d think Mitsu just started in the car business, trying to catch up to the competition. They lost out in the electronic market and almost died in the auto one.
That is a fine idea. Kizashi is now out of production for most markets. Mitsubishi would be well served to license the design and purchase the tooling from Suzuki.
Mirage supply has dried up around here – the biggest Mitsu dealer in the city had around 80 new Mirages in stock last spring. As of today, they have 2 in stock. Sales of the Mirage have softened (down 15% from Oct 2014) – I’m guessing due to supply limitations as the new model production has started.
Cars.com has 25 new ones, and 1 used one within 50 miles.
It must be related to the Mitsu easy financing plan and not on the fact that gas is down that subcompact sales have stymied.
In a related story, Studebaker updated the styling on the 1965 Lark.
Mitsubishi does not rely on the American market to survive. They’ll be fine.