Usually, when an automaker releases a brand-new version of one of its cars, dealers work to get the old model off their lots as fast as they can. Smart shoppers typically find deals on the old models parked next to the new-and-improved ones. But Mitsubishi dealers will offer new and old models of the Outlander SUV, side-by-side, for a year or more.
Why? Because, though the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander looks like a dramatic improvement over the 2020 model it replaces, it doesn’t (yet) have a hybrid option. Mitsubishi says one is coming, but the automaker doesn’t yet know when it will be available.
So the 2021 Outlander makes its debuts as a plug-in hybrid. It’s quite a good one, with an option to use pure electric power for up to 22 miles.
With Americans buying more hybrids than ever, Mitsubishi doesn’t want to leave dealers with none to offer. So the company will make the old Outlander hybrid alongside the new one until a hybrid version of the redesigned vehicle is available.
How will the older Outlander hybrid perform against the new one? We’ll keep track of the issue as sales begin. The plug-in hybrid Outlander, for now, starts at $36,295.
