Months after launching a facelifted Outlander, Mitsubishi will replace its 2.5-litre engine with a downsized turbo mild-hybrid in the US, though Australia could skip the new model in favour of a full-hybrid system.
The 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander family SUV has gained fuel-saving mild-hybrid technology in the US – but it is no guarantee for Australia, with a full-hybrid model similar to a Toyota RAV4 under development.
Due in Mitsubishi showrooms in the US later this year, the mild-hybrid powertrain replaces its current 135kW and 245Nm 2.5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine – shared with Australian models and its Nissan X-Trail twin – with a 1.5-litre turbo similar to the smaller Eclipse Cross.
It will be paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, and is likely to share much in common with a short-lived Outlander launched in China in 2022, which developed 120kW and 280Nm – 15kW less but 35Nm more, with maximum power and torque available from a lower rev range.
"The new powertrain will deliver increased confidence and drivability thanks to electrified torque aiding off-the-line acceleration," Mitsubishi's US division said in a media release.
There are no styling changes for the 2026 Outlander in the US following the launch of an updated model for 2025 with revisions to its exterior and interior, which is now on sale in Australia.
It heralds the first major departure from the related Nissan X-Trail – sold as the Rogue in the US – with rumours the next-generation Outlander, expected closer to the end of the decade, will switch to a Mitsubishi-developed platform.
The Rogue switched to a Nissan-developed 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine in the US in 2022, but the Mitsubishi and Nissan share their base 2.5-litre four-cylinder non-turbo engine in other markets, including Australia.
Mitsubishi Australia is yet to announce if it will switch to the new mild-hybrid system, confirming it is "busy launching the updated ICE [petrol-only Outlander]" and "supporting that with the new PHEV that has more [battery] capacity, range and performance."
"We will monitor other options and consider if they work for our market when they are available," the Mitsubishi Motors Australia spokesperson added.
As Drive exclusively reported last week, Mitsubishi is developing a full-hybrid version of the Outlander that doesn't require plugging in but can drive on electric power alone – and it is on the wish list for Australia.
Mitsubishi Outlander segment chief engineer Kentaro Honda told Drive the hybrid version was under development, primarily for the South-East Asian market where there is limited charging infrastructure.
"We are developing the hybrid version, especially about the ASEAN [south-east Asian] market," Honda-san said, "but based on that we'll consider to release globally."
"We always think about not only full base PHEV, and also hybrid version – we'll release those systems based on the country conditions," he added.
"If electricity price [is low] or availability is high, we'll consider the PHEV systems. But for example, like the ASEAN market, it is still not good for electricity price or charging infrastructure, [so] we'll consider the hybrid version.
"So it's very dependent on the destination, we'll consider which system is the best for the destination."
The full-hybrid Outlander is likely to use similar components as the plug-in hybrid model, combining a Mitsubishi-developed 98kW/155Nm 2.4-litre petrol engine with one or more electric motors and a far smaller battery – rather than adopting a version of Nissan's e-Power hybrid system.
Mitsubishi Motors Australia CEO Shaun Westcott told Drive "we are confident that we'll get the right technology at the right time" and "we also have input into that, when we think the market is ready for the product".
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
