Pricing released for new ‘Alliance-flavoured’ model but availability date still not clear.

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ORDERS are being taken by Mitsubishi locally for the new-generation Outlander, but only in respect to petrol editions – the replacement for the plug-in hybrid that is captivating most sales traffic at present is not expected until 2022.

Porirua-based Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand says its customers can pre-order on line, on receipt of a $500 down payment, for the new car in six editions.

Three are in front-drive and the others are all-wheel-drives, with prices spanning from $41,990 to $49,990 in front-drive and $44,990 to $54,990 in all-paw. Trim levels maintain at LS, XLS and VRX in either drive format.

It has yet to give a firm launch timing for the car, saying only that it expects to see stock later this year.

The new model is the first 'all-new' Outlander in nine years and the fourth generation.

It delivers a fresh new exterior design, an overhauled cabin, new technology and a revised engine line-up.

Drawn from the Engelberg Tourer, a concept that was revealed at the 2019 Geneva motor show, the exterior design is all Mitsubishi but the same cannot be said of the interior, the underpinnings and at least one incoming powertrain.

This being first Mitsubishi to benefit from platform-sharing with the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi Alliance means it picks up a (CMF-C/D) platform, at least one engine and a lot of technology shared with the upcoming Nissan X-Trail. Much interior hardware is also familiar.

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However the AWD system is claimed to employ Mitsubishi's latest Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel-drive system, upgraded for the new Outlander with improved torque vectoring and a new clutch-based centre coupling.

It also adopts Nissan’s 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol developing 135kW of power and 245Nm of torque, to usurp the outgoing car’s 2.4-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine. This mates to a CVT automatic transmission with eight stepped 'ratios' and a shift-by-wire set-up.

It is not clear whether the PHEV models will continue with a version of the current Outlander petrol-electric powertrain though that seems possible; Nissan and Renault have nothing like it and Mitsubishi’s homegrown set-up has now spread to the smaller Eclipse Cross PHEV.

This uses a 2.4-litre petrol four-cylinder mated to two electric motors mounted on each axle, with 60kW at the front and 70kW at the rear, and powered by a 13.8kWh battery pack.

Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand says it has decided to start promoting the new car now because of “a mountain of customer enquiries” and also because it has enjoyed strong recent demand for the current car, and other products.

This hit a high last month, when MMNZ enjoyed 2116 sales; a count it considers unprecedented.

“We are on a unprecedented winning streak right now and interest in the next generation Outlander, which was teased to the market late last year, has resulted in even greater demand than we expected,” said marketing and corporate affairs boss Reece Congdon.

“We have received a mountain of customer enquiries and requests to pre-order … with interest so high, and early shipments limited, we hope this helps avoid disappointment for those eager to be the first to experience the next generation of this iconic SUV.”

Congdon described the new generation Outlander as “our best yet by a country mile – and we fully expect the first shipment to sell out quickly”.

The five-seat entry-level 2WD LS includes a full ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) safety suite, wireless smartphone connectivity and embedded sat nav.

The seven-seat XLS has suede and synthetic leather upholstery, 20 inch alloy wheels, and larger front and rear disc brakes and includes wireless smartphone charging, triple zone climate control and rain-sensing front wipers.

The flagship VRX grade has black leather (or grey, for an additional $1000) upholstery, the front chairs taking eight-way power adjustment and memory function. It has a panoramic sunroof, hands-free power tailgate, 12.3 inch digital driver display and Bose sound system, alongside additional safety features such as a Multi-Around Monitor with Moving Object Detection.

The tablet-style 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, the configurable digital instrument cluster and 10.8-inch head-up display – the latter pair both firsts for the Mitsubishi brand – are Nissan hardware.

Measuring 4709mm long, 1862mm wide and 1748mm high, with a 2705mm wheelbase, the new family SUV is 15mm longer in overall length, 51mm wider, 38mm taller and 36mm longer in overall wheelbase – translating into 25mm of additional front and 28mm of rear legroom, and 35mm of additional shoulder room.

Eco, Normal, Tarmac, Snow and Gravel modes feature across the range – controlled via a drive mode select dial in the centre console – with all-wheel-drive variants picking up a Mud mode.

Available active safety technologies include adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-keep assist, lane-centering assist, traffic-sign recognition, auto high-beam, forward and reverse autonomous emergency braking, hill descent control and driver attention alert.

There's also blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert – both capable of detecting and braking for obstacles – plus a 360-degree camera on higher grades.