Mitsubishi has brought an end to the long drawn suspense pertaining to its latest 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander by unveiling the vehicle at the Tokyo Motor Show. The car manufacturer from Japan has showcased its latest hybrid concept car PX MiEV II at the auto show. Though people might not be interested about what this concept car has, the fact that needs to be highlighted is that this new concept vehicle might closely resemble the latest Outlander. However, it seems that these speculations have began way too early as the latest Mitsubishi Outlander is not expected to make its journey to the Indian shores any time before 2013.
Out of all the vehicles that Mitsubishi has lined up for the Indian market, it has been the Outlander that has been able to make a very strong impact. Sales of this vehicle might not be termed to be sky-high but it cannot be maligned as a slow-selling vehicle either. The only factor that might be preventing the Outlander from achieving sales in huge numbers is its petrol engine. It has been launched as a vehicle in the segment of premium SUVs commanding a price of Rs.20 lacs. However, while most SUVs operating in this segment have been equipped with diesel engines, the Mitsubishi Outlander comes with a petrol engine. Experts feel that this is the sole reason why sales are not picking up to the expected mark. However, strong rumors seem to indicate that the new model is expected to come with a hybrid engine, with another combo engine of diesel and electric being scheduled to appear in the very near future. These speculations have gained momentum from the fact that the auto maker is also considering providing a hybrid engine for their latest variant of the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO.
Other than this option of hybrid engine, the car manufacturer is also considering a power-packed diesel engine for its revamped Outlander in India. The present Outlander gets its power from a petrol engine, the 2.4L MIVEC. This vehicle can generate a maximum power 170BHp with peak torque 226Nm. The SUV has been provided with option of both manual and automatic gearbox in its six-speed transmission. The same platform provided at the Tokyo Motor Show has been used by Mitsubishi to showcase another budget segment hatchback, the Mitsubishi Mirage. This vehicle is expected to offer excellent fuel economy. However, the prospective launch of this hatchback in India has not yet been disclosed by Mitsubishi.