Despite being pretty quiet last year product-wise, Mitsubishi actually enjoyed a return to strong sales, led by its new Outlander compact sport crossover. This is the cross-over larger cousin, the Outlander has remained largely under the radar for most consumers, with a modest 2010 earning a bit ‘of life for a sales model that has been around since 2006 This facelift will change in 2013 with the introduction of this new Outlander, which moves away from single-frame grille in favor of a more horizontally oriented eyes.

It is not immediately clear to what extent the Outlander is all new, as the vehicle appears to have some unusually large overhang that suggests a revision of an old frame, but we realize that it is under a new architecture. Offering a size that is similar to the outgoing model, the Outlander will continue to offer both five and seven seat configurations, with the third row reserved for small children. In addition to a wide range of gas and diesel models available in the various markets in tandem with a new six-speed automatic or manual, a plug-in hybrid variant is in the cards, as already by the end of the year.