Outlander

Make
Mitsubishi
Segment
SUV

Regardless of whether they're based on car-style unibody construction or more truck-like ladder frames, some SUVs are geared more for driving on the road than venturing off of it. The Mitsubishi Outlander would fall more in the former category, but this show truck takes it more into the latter.

Unveiled at the Commercial Vehicle Show now underway in the UK, the Mitsubishi Outlander Shogun Sport SVP Concept packs the off-road chops to take it far off the beaten path. And the upgrades start, as you might expect, with the suspension and rolling stock.

Mitsubishi worked with Koni and Walkinshaw Performance to develop the suspension package, widening the track by 40 millimeters and fitting it to 18-inch alloys with knobby BF Goodrich all-terrain tires. The wheel arches have been extended to accommodate, bridged by black side steps.

The SVP concept is also fitted with an array of extra lights, from the PIAA driving lamps on the nose to the LED light bar on the roof. The existing head- and tail-lamp surrounds have also been blacked out to match the rear spoiler, front grille, badges, and decals.

Inside it's all done up in special upholstery, with red trim and lighting to match the exterior accents. Motivation comes from a 2.4-liter turbodiesel four, sending 181 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. It's the same with which Mitsubishi equips the standard Outlander (in markets aside from our own), but that's precisely the point. Though billed as a concept, the SVP previews an off-road package the automaker will offer on the Outlander, and seeks to gauge public opinion on what features it should include. Ask nicely and maybe they'll even offer one similar in the US.