2004 Outlander

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/07/2003 (8305 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LOS ANGELES — Shortly after Mitsubishi began selling cars in Canada last year, they rolled out their entire lineup for a press event in Montebello, Que.

To say the Canadian media were underwhelmed is an understatement: the Lancer was quite competent but dowdy, the Montero Sport oh-so-10-years-ago and the Galant was not dowdy, arguably the most attractive on offer, but short on motivation.

But the most damning comments were reserved for the performance of the Outlander, Mitsubishi’s baby-ute. “Dangerously slow,” was the verdict of one scribe who couldn’t once squeeze an 80-120 km-h time less than 15 seconds out of the four-banger-equipped utility.

Great way to become the hood ornament on a Freightliner.

Well, it’s clear that Mitsubishi was listening.

For 2004 the Outlander went on a high-protein diet with the introduction of a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing that Mits calls MIVEC. Power grows to 160 horsepower at 5,750 rpm from 140 at 5,000 rpm and torque (the specification that means the difference between being chased by a Freightliner and becoming part of its grille) grows to 162 lb-ft. at 4,000 rpm from 157 lb-ft. at 2,500 rpm.

It’s exactly the adrenaline infusion the smartly styled crossover needed.

Outlander has grown from a plodding highway cruiser to something that’s snappy enough that it’s actually fun to drive.

It’s by far not a screamer, but it now inspires confidence, not fear. We didn’t have an accelerometer, but an approximate count of the 80-120 km-h times suggests the new engine gets that number into the 10- to-11-second range, which is adequate.

It’s a good thing, too, since it is an attractive small SUV that may be the best-looking one in its category, shared by Honda’s CRV, Toyota’s RAV4 and the Mazda Tribute/Ford Escape duo, among others.

Though it’s large enough and available with all-wheel drive, it doesn’t try to convince you that it’s a trail-buster, which is a refreshing bit of design honesty in a segment where few vehicles go off-road but too many try to look like they could.

Even so, look for the odd Outlander buyer to try to butch it up with such accessories as brush guards and driving lights, bought mostly for psychological effect.

The new engine is mated to the four-speed manumatic held over from last year. A standard transmission is not available.

The automatic works surprisingly well given the price class of the Outlander. As the manumatic moniker suggests, it allows for driver-controlled shifting and it may be the best such transmission this side of an Audi A4 CVT. Shifts happen as soon as you call for them, as opposed to some manumatics that take a message and get back to you.

You can force a second-gear start, to lessen odds of wheel slippage in winter and you can downshift in advance of a corner rather than waiting for kickdown on exit. It works very well.

The interior is a little on the plain side, but tastefully devoid of fake wood trim and overall pleasing. The tall seating position and low dash offer excellent forward visibility.

Four-wheel independent suspension, MacStruts with coil springs up front and multilink in rear, keep the Outlander well planted on the highway and provide a decent compromise between ride and handling.

Seats are comfortable with good support. Legroom in the rear is just OK.

Brakes are the usual front-disc, rear-drum arrangement and are adequate for the task.

One area where the Outlander falls down is anti-lock brakes. The feature is only available on top-line all-wheel-drive XLS models and then only as an option. For a vehicle that starts at $25K and tops out at $35K, ABS is conspicuous by its absence.

If you do spring for ABS, you also get electronic brake-force distribution.

The new Outlander will be on sale later in July.

As much as the new Outlander is a big improvement over the old one, which was barely a year old before the new engine came along, I don’t envy the folks answering the phones at Mitsubishi. I can imagine owners of the 2003 models becoming quite upset to learn that less than seven months after Mits launched Outlander in Canada they are bringing out a new one.

The resale value of 2003 Outlanders will take a huge hit when the ’04 comes out, but the changes make Outlander now a worthy contender in the small-SUV/crossover segment.

2004 Mitsubishi Outlander

Vehicle type: compact crossover SUV.

Layout: front engine, front- or all-wheel drive.

Seats: 5.

Engine: 2.4-litre single overhead cam four-cylinder with variable valve timing (MIVEC), aluminum head, cast iron block.

Power: 160 horsepower at 5,750 rpm.

Torque: 162 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm.

Transmission: four-speed automatic with manumatic mode.

Suspension:

Front: MacStruts with coil springs, 26-mm stabilizer bar.

Rear: Multi-link with 15-mm (FWD) or 16-mm (AWD) stabilizer bar.

Length: 4,550 mm (179 in.).

Width: 1,750 mm (68.9 in.).

Height: 1,685 mm (66.3 in.).

Wheelbase: 2,625 mm (103.3 in.).

Track, front: 1,495 mm (58.9 in.).

Track, rear: 1,505 mm (59.3 in.).

Passenger volume: 2,721 litres (96.1 cu. ft.).

Cargo area: 1,707 litres (60.3 cu. ft.).

Head room, without sunroof: front: 988 mm (38.9 in); rear: 970.3 mm (38.2 in.).

Head room, with sunroof: front: 960 mm (37.8 in.); rear: 955 mm (37.6 in.).

Towing capacity: maximum gross trailer weight: xxx kg. (1,550 lbs.); maximum tongue load: xx kg. (150 lbs.).

Wheel type: (LS) 16-inch steel, (XLS) 16-inch alloy.

Tire size: 225/60R16.

Fuel capacity: 59.4 litres (15.7 US gal.).