2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: Vehicle Profile

The Mitsubishi Outlander is back for 2013, and as some of you might know it is now built in the U.S.A!

Since last July, the 2013 Outlander Sport has been built at Mitsubishi’s advanced automobile manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois. The updated Outlander Sport models produced here will be shipped to the U.S and its foreign markets.

The 2013 Outlander Sport received many design and feature improvements for the new model year:

Exterior and Interior

Just by taking one look at the 2013 Outlander Sport, you will notice that it is different. That is because for the 2013 model year, the entire front-end of the Outlander Sport has been completely redone. It features a redesigned front bumper section, new grille styling and a new fog lamp design.

To complement the front redesign, the rear bumper has also been refreshed to match the Outlanders new front look.

Also for 2013, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport will be equipped with new black-colored side sills to match the lower sections of the front and rear bumpers. The 2013 Outlander Sport will feature standard 18-in. alloy wheels on all on all trim levels.

Inside the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport you will find new interior fabrics, new chrome accent molding on the front doors and an all new All Wheel Control push button switch.

Mitsubishi also decided to add some zing to their paint selection. The Outlander Sport’s selection previously featured Laguna Blue, Labrador Black Pearl, Mercury Gray and Rally Red. It now adds White Pearl and Quick Silver to their color selection

Trims and Features

The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is available in 2 trims: ES and SE

Standard features for the ES include 16-inch steel wheels, cruise control, heated mirrors, keyless entry, cloth upholstery, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, 60/40-split-folding rear seats, Mitsubishi's Fuse voice-activated electronics interface and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player, an auxiliary audio jack and an a USB/iPod interface.

The SE adds 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic super-wide beam xenon head lights, foglights, rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control, heated front seats, keyless ignition/entry, a sliding armrest between the front seats, a second-row armrest with center pass-through, and upgraded upholstery. Those who get the SE trim also get a dynamic 6 speaker premium audio system with SiriusXM satellite radio and a free 3 month subscription

Under the Hood

Under the hood the 2013 Outlander Sport stays mostly the same. It is equipped with a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine that produces 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. The standard transmission offered in the ES is a five-speed manual.

For 2013, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport received an Enhanced Continuously-Variable Transmission (CVT) calibration for improved acceleration performance and a smoother shift feeling. The CVT is available as an option for the ES and is standard on the SE.

Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive available for either of the Sport's trim levels. As with the regular Outlander, AWD models feature three driver-selectable modes to optimize traction.

The 2013 Outlander Sport gets an EPA estimates fuel economy of 25 city/31 highway mpg and 27 mpg combined for a CVT front-wheel-drive model. The manual earns 24/30/26 mpg, while automatic AWD Outlander Sports come in at 24/29/26 mpg.

Safety Features

Among the included safety features are driver knee airbag; anti-lock brakes(ABS) along with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, Active Stability Control, Hill Start Assist (HSA) and an advanced front air bag SRS with passenger weight and driver's seat position sensors, front seat-mounted side-impact air bags, and curtain side air bags with roll-over sensors.

Conclusion

The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport looks better than ever! This one is definitely worth a shot. It is sporty, fun, and loaded with features, yet it is a vehicle that maintains its elegance for those of you looking to take a night out on the town. The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is now in my list of favorites!

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What's Under Your Tree? Our Wish List

Every year during Christmas season I spend half my bank account on my family and friends wish list. However this year I started thinking, what if I could get half of all my friends’ bank accounts for my own presents? What would I buy? And suddenly a light bulb went off: A brand new car.

So, under the assumption that I have a free pass at any vehicle I want, here are the cars I would love to find under my Christmas tree. And yes, I am going to need a pretty big tree!

2013 Chevrolet Avalanche Black Diamond Edition

Since this is the last year of the Avalanche, I would love nothing more than to take advantage of this bad boy while I can.

So what makes the Avalanche so great? First it’s a SUV, but in a few simple moves you are able to turn it into a pickup truck. Yes you read that right, the Chevy Avalanche is able to go from a large SUV to a powerful pickup truck, making this the perfect car to take the family in, while also perfect for those heavy hauls.

Since this is the last year for the Avalanche, Chevrolet decided to make every single one a Black Diamond Edition, which adds special equipment, a refined exterior, and the Black Diamond badge on the 2013.

We might be saying goodbye to the Avalanche, but I would love to say hello to it below my Christmas tree!

For more info on the 2013 Avalanche check out: http://jerryschevynews.blogspot.com/2012/07/2013-chevrolet-avalanche.html

2013 Scion FR-S

We said it, and we meant it. The 2013 Scion FR-S brings pure balance to drivers.

This bad boy is not only a sleek and sporty vehicle that would make any sports fan blush, but it is also a refined ride with front-engine, rear-wheel-drive that is both well balanced and lightweight. While the FR-S doesn’t have the type of horsepower that a beast like a Camaro or Corvette has, its lightweight design and compact size allows the car to be speedy, yet agile around corners, offering impressive maneuverability and confident handling.

To top it all off, the 2013 Scion FR-S offers plenty of connectivity features that we have learned to love from all Scion vehicles, as well as great fuel economy.

Not bad Scion, I am definitely in love.

2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Limited Edition

While the limited edition model of the 2013 Outlander Sport has not come out yet, the regular 2013 Outlander did, and since this is technically a wish list I went ahead and added it on here anyways.

The 2013 Outlander Sport Limited Edition adds blackout side mirrors, center bumper, wheel arch trim and roof rails, dark-chrome alloy wheels and a special "Limited Edition" badge.

The 2013 Outlander Sport Limited Edition will also see quicker and smoother acceleration thanks to a new engine balancer shaft that gives the model an increase in performance while maintaining the vehicle's outstanding 31 mpg highway fuel rating.

To top it off, the 2013 Sport Limited edition package offers great connectivity features and it is very comfortable to ride in. While I usually would have picked a Mitsu for its performance vehicles (The EVO is one of my all time favorites), the 2013 Outlander Sport Limited Edition definitely caught my eye. Making it to my Christmas list!

2013 Toyota Avalon

Toyota made us a little crazy with anticipation when it announced a mystery vehicle earlier this year (Toyota Debuts New Sedan http://newtoyotanews.blogspot.com/2012/03/toyota-to-debut-new-sedan.html) , I have to admit I was a little disappointed to hear that they were bringing back the Avalon….until I actually saw what the redesigned Avalon looked like!

Simply put, this bad boy blows all previous Avalon’s out of the water. The exterior and interior received great redesigns making this the best Avalon to date.

One great addition to the 2013 Avalon is that it added three driver-selectable powertrain modes: “ECO,” “NORMAL” and “SPORT”.

In SPORT mode, the new Avalon sees an increase in its acceleration response, as well as enhanced steering feel. ECO mode maximizes the Avalon’s fuel efficiency by altering its throttle response and reducing the energy used by the air-condition system, allowing the Avalon to achieve an impressive 31 mpg highway estimate from the EPA. The 2013 Toyota Avalon has a city fuel efficiency rating of 21 mpg.

The Toyota Avalon left me speechless, and it definitely made its way to the top of my Christmas list.

While there are many other vehicles that I would love to get, these stood out to me for various reasons. Whether it was affordability, performance, features or its different capabilities, these bad boys were able to strike my eye, and put themselves at the top of my list.

Mitsubishi Announces Details on Hybrid Outlander

Mitsubishi Announces Hybrid Outlander as Entrant to the Paris Motor Show

Last week Mitsubishi revealed another entrant in the Paris Motor Show, when it announced that it will unveil a plug-in hybrid version of its updated Outlander SUV.

The Outlander plug-in will be one of the first SUV’s capable of running in electric mode-only or different hybrid modes, depending on operating conditions. The Hybrid Outlander will join an impressive roster that features the updated Outlander Sport, and the i-MiEV Evolution electric racecar.

Mitsubishi describes the Hybrid Outlander as "The best of three worlds: The environmental performance of an electric vehicle (EV), the cursing range of a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) and the on- and off-road performance of an SUV."

The Hybrid version of the Outlander is expected to get a combined 143 MPGE (miles per gallon equivalent) under Japanese testing cycles.

According to Mitsubishi, the powertrain can run in three different driving modes: full EV mode, series hybrid mode or parallel hybrid mode.

According to Mitsubishi, the Outlander plug-in can run 35 miles solely on electric power. That's close to the Chevrolet Volt's 38 miles and above the Ford Fusion and C-Max plug-ins that bring in 20 miles each.

The Hybrid version of the Mitsubishi Outlander will be equipped with a four-wheel drive system powered by two electric motors, one for the front wheels and one for the rear wheels.

There is no mention of pricing yet, but expect the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in hybrid to arrive in the U.S. early next year.

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