SPYSHOTS: 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander spotted testing

The next-generation Mitsubishi Outlander has been spotted running road tests, eight years since the debut of the current-generation model in 2012. Here, the forthcoming SUV appears to wear a front end that is derivative of that on the Engelberg Tourer concept (which has since been renamed the e-Yi), itself a version of the Dynamic Shield face, from the Triton pick-up truck and Xpander MPV to the eK kei car.

This, therefore uses the slim LED lights atop larger units at each corner of the front end, while beneath the camouflage foil is likely to also be X-shaped grille. Viewed in profile, the character line starts from below the side mirrors, runs through the door handles as it carries on rearwards, much like on the Xpander. The tail lamps bridge the bodywork and the tailgate, offering the closest visual link with the current-generation model.

The Outlander could also be underpinned by the same Common Module Family (CMF) platform that forms the basis of the next-generation Nissan X-Trail and Qashqai, which could also make the forthcoming model larger than the current SUV, our spy photographer sources say.

Internal combustion engines will still feature in the forthcoming model, though the top variant of the Outlander will likely be a plug-in hybrid model that offers an EV range of 50 km to 70 km. The electrified version could likely continue to use the 2.4 litre Atkinson-cycle engine with an electric motor on each axle, while in terms of internal combustion options, a turbocharged 1.5 litre four-cylinder petrol could also be offered.