A few days ago, some media exposed a set of spy photos of a new generation of domestic Orlander. From the appearance and interior, it is basically a perfect "reproduction" of the overseas version, and it seems that the global version of the model was directly introduced.
According to previous news, the new car will focus on the power configuration of the 1.5T four-cylinder turbocharged engine, and will be equipped with the latest generation of S-AWC super all-wheel drive system and the latest MI-PILOT Assist driver assistance system. Needless to say, this will definitely be a major model replacement for GAC Mitsubishi.
As a classic Japanese SUV, Outlander has always been known for its high cost performance, excellent quality stability and good practicality, after all, it is the only 200,000-class 7-seat SUV in the joint venture car, and it inherits the consistent high quality of Japanese SUV. But in recent years, there have been growing calls for it to be replaced, as opponents have long since exchanged shotguns for cannons.
Judging from the information exposed, the new Outlander is finally coming. What's the point of a new car? Let the kung fu car take everyone to see it together.
New interior plus MI-PILOT, embark on the wind of science and technology?
In the past, Outlander was most impressed by the hard-core mechanical properties, such as inheriting Mitsubishi's traditional off-road technology, which perfectly combined flexibility and sports. But when it comes to its design and technology configuration, it is really not prominent.
Starting with the new Outlander, that changed.
From the outside, the new Outlander inherits a number of classic design elements from the collection, such as the integrated headlights, the lower bracket in the shape of a ladder, and multiple chrome trims in the middle. But also the introduction of a lot of new elements, large area grille for layered design, headlights are also more narrow and long, the front bumper also added silver trim, through the double waist line also makes its body look more slender, the whole sense of fashion is more sufficient than the old model.
In terms of size, the new car has been upgraded to 4710*1862*1748mm, which is more conducive to achieving a classic 7-seat layout than the current one. One of the most noteworthy is that the width has been increased from 1810mm to 1862mm, which makes its rear lateral space more advantageous.
From the perspective of internal design, the new car can be described as a "rebirth", and the sense of technology in the entire interior has been greatly improved. LCD instruments, suspension central control screens, electronic barriers and other popular elements have been added to the new car, coupled with a four-panel multi-functional steering wheel and personalized air outlet, giving people a strong sense of technology. The new car's central control area layering is also well done, and the overall layout is slightly biased towards the driver's seat, which is also more ergonomic.
The new Outlander is equipped with Mitsubishi's latest MI-PILOT Assist driver assistance system, which not only has the conventional functions of adaptive near and far lights, lane keeping, adaptive cruise, traffic sign recognition, collision warning, etc., but also realizes the low-speed traffic jam assist that starts within 30 seconds of parking, which has been well received in overseas markets, known as the car sharpshooter, which is also the first time it has been brought into China.
In short, after this update, the new Outlander interior and exterior decoration and technology configuration have reached the leading level of the joint venture. The most worrying thing is, I'm afraid, is whether it will come for another few years without changing?
Value for money
The old Outlander has two power configurations of 2.0L naturally aspirated engine and 2.4L naturally aspirated engine, which is turboturized by peers today, whether it is absolute performance, or energy saving and emission reduction, it is indeed not much of an advantage. Therefore, the new Outlander is also actively seeking changes, equipped with the latest 1.5T four-cylinder turbocharged engine.
The biggest feature of this engine is its powerful performance, with a maximum horsepower of 190 horses and a maximum torque of 260 Nm. For comparison, the Honda CR-V is equipped with an L15BL 1.5T engine with a maximum horsepower of 193 hp and a maximum torque of 243 Nm. That is to say, the 1.5T engine equipped with the new Outlander is more "powerful" than the classic Honda 1.5T.
In addition to an excellent power reserve, the new engine uses all-aluminium alloy and integrated exhaust manifolds, which further reduce its weight. The new engine also features an electronic exhaust gas bypass valve, which allows it to precisely control the operation of the supercharger, allowing a better balance of economy and power. In addition, it has also achieved first-class NVH performance through the improvement of bearings and impellers.
As an engine manufacturer that is very familiar to the Chinese people, Mitsubishi does have its own unique features in terms of technology. It is expected that the new 1.5T engine will be equipped with a significant increase in competitiveness.
Another highlight of the new car is that it will be equipped with the latest generation of S-AWC super all-wheel drive system, which is based on the classic sports car LANCER EVO, which has two different structural forms to meet the needs of different users.
Both structures use a multi-slice clutch combination and both support manual lock-up four-wheel drive mode. The difference is that the ordinary four-wheel drive version only has a better ability to get out of trouble, similar to the general urban SUV, and the high-end version is more inclined to outdoor control performance, more equipped with a set of central differential locks, as well as a special SNOW mode, in rain and snow weather can actively intervene in the drive wheel (front wheel) to avoid slippage and loss of control.
For Mitsubishi's system, people who understand it understand it, which is basically the ceiling of the urban SUV four-wheel drive system.
160,000 cases to kill indiscriminately?
Finally, and most critically, of course, it is the price. The starting price of the current Outlander is 159,800 yuan, but the entry is only a 2.0L naturally aspirated version, and the starting price of the 2.4L version is 194,800 yuan, but with a four-wheel drive system, so how to price the new Outlander will be a big problem.
From its appearance, configuration and performance, the benchmark 2.4L version is naturally quite "polite", because the upgrade is still relatively obvious, that is, the two-wheel drive version is about 180,000. But we also have to take into account that the cash Outlander has a lot of terminal discounts. The 2.4L four-wheel drive version seems to have a starting price of more than 190,000, but in fact, the price after the discount is only around 170,000.
Judging from the recent pricing performance of major car companies, most of them are moving forward and one-step in place, and will not leave too much preferential space for the later stage. The reason is simple, the competition is too fierce, once the high price is set in the early stage, the heat has passed, even if the later discount comes up, many users do not consider it. The most typical is the general system, in the past, Encore, Weilang these car discounts are very large, now the new car pricing is basically very pragmatic. As a result, prices are more transparent and the overall price system is healthier.
Therefore, it is very likely that the new Outlander will also choose to be in place in one step, such as pricing from 159,800 and landing at about 180,000. In this way, at the level of 180,000, you can have a high-value, high-tech, strong performance, and a joint venture SUV with 7 seats. This is not only a threat to CR-V and Rongfang, but even directly suppresses self-owned brand SUVs such as Haval Divine Beast and UNI-K.
If it can kill this price, the new Outlander is bound to cause a lot of market repercussions.
Kung Fu shoots
In the blink of an eye, the last time Orlander changed was 9 years ago. Fortunately, this replacement is indeed sincere enough, and the wait of car fans is still worth it. Whether it is mechanical quality, or design and technology configuration, the new car has considerable competitiveness, it can be said that it has the potential of explosive models, and now the biggest suspense is only the price.
According to previous news, the new car will open pre-sale in the first half of the year. Anyway, I hope that car companies will hurry up and roll it up.