To merely glance at the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander you might pass off the changes as simply cosmetic. After all, while the face is

Stylishly updated, the Outlander now sports the Lancer's shark-like front end design. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

completely new, pulling its overall design from the very popular Lancer, from the front clip rearward it looks pretty much like last year’s Outlander. Certainly it includes revisions to the mirror housings, headlamps, hood, fenders, and rear fascia, but likely only owners of the second-generation Outlander will notice these subtle changes. To everyone else, it’ll look totally new up front and just as attractive as it’s always been from the rear. Under that eye-catching bodywork, however, is a significantly updated compact crossover.

The first thing I noticed was a revised interior of the XLS model I was driving. The styling is mostly the same as last year’s Outlander, other than a new instrument cluster, upgraded to full colour in the XLS, plus new sun visors and new seat fabric, but Mitsubishi really upped the ante in an area that is near and dear to me, plastics quality. The softer touch door panels of the XLS, plus its leather-like dash with contrasting stitching

The 2010 Outlander looks almost identical to the 2009 from the rear... no bad thing. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

and other cushy surfaces not only look more upscale and feel more appealing, but they also absorb sound and therefore give the updated truck a more refined ambiance.

One thing Mitsubishi didn’t change is the rear access, a clamshell-like tailgate/liftgate combination that’s a best of both worlds design. Flip up the liftgate and you can drop in smaller, lighter items over the raised tailgate, which incidentally isn’t very tall when upright. If you’ve got something heavier, larger or awkward, or just feel like taking a seat to watch the sunset, drop the little tailgate and do what you need to do. It opens up to 422 litres (14.9 cubic feet) behind the third row if so fitted, which is about the volume of an average midsize car’s trunk, or 1,025 litres (36.2 cubic feet) behind the second row. Drop both rear rows and a very spacious 2,056

The Outlander features a little tailgate that really comes in handy when loading. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

litres (72.6 cubic feet) is at your disposal. While we’re talking about seats and capacity I’ve got to mention my least favourite feature of the Outlander, and that’s the third row. It’s simply not up to the standard set by others in its class, and while useful if absolutely necessary it isn’t somewhere I’d want to leave someone for very long.

Mechanically, the 2010 model carries forward its base 2. 4-litre, DOHC, 16-valve four-cylinder that puts out a maximum of 168 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 167 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm through the front wheels (FWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD) via a smooth-as-silk Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). It’s a nice package that delivers plenty of get-up-and-go and good fuel economy at an estimated 9.5 L/100km in the city and 7.2 L/100km on the highway in FWD trim or 9.9 L/100km in the city and 7.8 L/100km on the highway with AWD, and that on regular fuel.

The Outlander sports a nice interior with top-tier features and upscale soft-touch trim in XLS guise. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

It’s a great choice for those who place fuel economy at a higher priority than performance and don’t tow more than its recommended 681 kilos (1,500 lbs).

The optional SOHC, 24-valve, 3.0-litre V6 can tow up to 1,588 kg (3,500 lbs) and boosts 10 additional horsepower and 11 more lb-ft of torque than last year’s V6 with output now reaching a maximum of 230 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 215 lb-ft of torque at 3,750 rpm, making acceleration from standstill or passing on the highway an invigorating experience. Estimated fuel economy is quite good at 11.2 L/100km in the city and 8.2 L/100km on the highway, and like the smaller engine it also takes cheaper regular fuel. Unlike the four-cylinder the V6 is mated to a six-speed automatic, which is another reason, over and above the additional torque, it’s capable of towing a lot more. What’s more, my top-of-the-line XLS spiced up

Supportive leather seats are a luxurious touch in a compact SUV. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

the driving experience with magnesium paddle-shifters fixed to each side of the steering column, and these are the best in the business in my opinion.

One of my favourite Mitsubishi technologies is Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel drive that employs a first-in-class Active Front Differential (AFD) and an electronically controlled centre differential system to distribute torque between front and rear wheels as well as left and right at the front axle. The system lets you switch between “Tarmac, Snow, or Lock” depending on road conditions, enhancing traction of its meaty 225/55R18 all-seasons tires to levels you may have never before experienced in this type of vehicle. In fact, the Outlander XLS’ handling is so impressive you might not have ever experienced such agility from your imported sport sedan! I should mention that the Outlander isn’t designed for serious off-road duty,

Rear seating area is accommodating for the compact class. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

although with 215 mm (8.5 inches) of ground clearance and a lot of electronic helpers it’s still quite capable for lighter duty roads and trails, so tread lightly and you’ll probably be ok. Lastly, all-wheel drive models also get Hill Start Assist, which holds the Outlander in place for a moment to make taking off from an incline easier.

Base ES FWD Outlanders are well equipped too, with air conditioning, power windows, keyless remote entry, heated mirrors, auto-off headlamps, variable intermittent wipers, an intermittent rear wiper, a trip computer, heated cloth seats, 60/40 split fold-and-tumble second-row seats, dual gloveboxes, a cargo cover, floor mats, roof rails, 16-inch alloy wheels wrapped with 215/70R16 all-season tires, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls for the CD/MP3 stereo that also features an auxiliary input. Standard safety equipment includes ABS-enhanced four-wheel disc

Move up to the XLS and the Rockford-Fosgate infotainment system with a navigation system. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

brakes with electronic brake force distribution, traction and stability control, plus active front head restraints, a tire pressure monitoring system, and an anti-theft alarm. Airbags include dual front, side-thorax for front occupants and side-curtain bags front and rear.

Move up to the LS and your Outlander will feature a security alarm with motion sensor, proximity sensing remote access with keyless start, integrated turn signals in the side mirror housings, fog lights, fore and aft slide adjusters for the second row, and the aforementioned third-row seat.

Over and above the steering column-mounted shifter paddles, active front differential and 18-inch alloy wheels already mentioned, the XLS adds heated leather seats, a powered driver’s seat, a floor console box with a leather armrest, soft-touch instrument panel pad, double-stitch door trim accents, high-contrast gauge meters with full colour display, automatic climate control, automatic xenon headlamps, rain-sensing wipers with flat aero wiper

The XLS adds leather-like soft-touch surfaces with contrasting stitching for a really upscale look. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

blades, a power sunroof, a mesh grille with chrome surround, a silver skid plate extension, side sill extensions with chrome accents, silver-painted roof rails instead of black, and an absolutely amazing sounding 710-watt 6-CD Rockford Fosgate audio system with nine speakers including a ten-inch sub, plus Sirius satellite radio.

That audio system also comes as part of the optional Sun & Sound Package available on all models except the base ES 2WD, which additionally includes a large glass sunroof and a security alarm. The Navigation & Entertainment Package, a $4,000 option only available on the XLS, features a 40-gig hard drive for the navigation system and music storage, a lane guidance system, a reverse rear camera that works very well, a rear DVD entertainment system with a 9-inch monitor, wireless remote and one set of headphones, plus an auxiliary video input jack for games, and the navigation system now includes Real-Time Traffic. Even if you move up to a premium brand you’ll be hard pressed to find a better infotainment system, and it’s ultimately easy to use, too. For music you don’t even need an iPod or

The 2010 Outlander XLS is an impressive crossover with great performance, nice luxury touches and good value. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

any other type of player. Simply download your songs onto a USB stick, pop that into the Outlander’s USB slot, and they’ll automatically load up onto the hard drive where you can scroll through them all by category, artist, album or song. Truly, in my experience it doesn’t get any easier or better than this.

And that’s how I felt about the Outlander overall. There are a lot of compact crossovers available now from almost every automaker, and some are very, very good. I consider the Outlander amongst those very, very good ones, especially in XLS trim, and give it a few extra marks for styling, performance, efficiency, interior refinement and features. The base ES 2WD is great value at $25,498 plus $1,450 for freight, while the XLS I was driving started at $34,498, which is less than some of its similarly equipped competitors, and those don’t come with a standard 5-year or 100,000 km basic warranty and 10-year or 160,000 km powertrain warranty, the longest in the industry.

In summary, the Outlander XLS is an extremely livable machine. It’s fun to drive and filled with premium-like features, while it’s also particularly practical. Overall the Outlander truly raises the bar in the compact crossover segment.

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