Mitsubishi Motors North America hasn't received much media coverage in the last several years. And for good reason, not much is going on with the brand globally, let alone locally, where the Mirage, Outlander, Outlander Sport, and Eclipse are all below-par entrants in their respective segments.
But the company's latest release for 2023 plans got us interested. Mitsubishi has outlined a number of changes to its product line, but the big news is the 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and the revival of the fabled Ralliart tuning arm of the company for America.
Now, if you are a younger car fan, the legendary performance of Ralliart rally cars in the 1990s may be lost on you. Heck, exciting Mitsubishi cars from the glory days starting 30 years ago will seem very foreign too. But trust us, Mitsubishi made incredible sports cars, and maybe the Ralliart name will spark interest with mid-lifers.
Mitsubishi made a number of AWD legends like the Eclipse here in America, the Galant VR-4 turbo AWD, and then the twin-turbo V6-powered AWD 3000GT VR-4. The Mitsubishi Lancer sedan was a solid seller for commuting, but the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo I-through-X were insanely fast AWD track cars. The Evo was closely tied with the Ralliart brand as they won many WRC rallies, but Mitsubishi SUVs also dominated by winning 12 Dakar Rally events since the very first entry in 1983.
The Ralliart name was slapped on weaker models to sell cars, and Mitsubishi killed the arm off in the US in 2010. Perhaps reintroducing it will gain attention for a brand that has lost its identity since the last 1,600 Mitsubishi Evo X Final Editions made it stateside.
The disappointing news is that it seems like the Ralliart will be only an appearance package. The trim will arrive in early 2023 and it's applied to the Outlander, Eclipse Cross, Outlander Sport, and the Mirage. The vehicles will feature aero effects, Ralliart graphics, and further rally touches to pay homage to the efforts in the torturous Dakar Rally. All Ralliart trims will feature White Diamond paint with high contrast black roofs to set them apart.
But as mediocre as the Ralliart news is, Mitsubishi has more coming down the pipe. The big news is the arrival of the 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV equipped with "motorsport-derived standard Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel drive systems and an array of advanced technologies" from a twin-motor 4WD PHEV system. The seven-passenger SUV has more powerful electric motors, a larger battery, and a better range. US-specific figures have not been declared, but overseas, the 2.4-liter engine produces 131 horsepower, augmented by front and rear electric motors producing 114 and 134 hp, respectively. It has 54 miles of all-electric range on the WLTP cycle.
The Outlander PHEV will have seven-selectable drive modes and now has an extended overall driving range with a larger gas tank. Mitsubishi Connect comes standard for two years on all Outlander models starting in 2023 and brings features like remote start with the ability to cool down or warm up the SUV remotely. Pricing will be released closer to launch later this year.
There are a few more 2023 model year tweaks to the modest Mitsubishi lineup. The Outlander Sport and the Eclipse Cross now have standard AWD, and the Eclipse Cross gets a slight price increase to $25,795 along with restyled 18-inch wheels on the SEL trim and LED headlights on all trims.
The manual transmission is now gone from the Mirage, leaving only a CVT. The price hikes a bit to $16,245 for the Mirage and $17,245 for the Mirage G4 sedan.
The final change for 2023 is that LED headlights are now standard on all SUV models.