2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport subcompact SUV has a new look

Published 7:00 am Monday, May 4, 2020

Mitsubishi’s Outlander Sport subcompact SUV is updated for 2020 with interior and exterior design changes, infotainment system updates, new standard safety equipment, trim level modifications, and some extra paint color choices.

A new front bumper, hood, and fenders are the dominant styling revisions, along with new LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, and LED taillights. The rear bumper fascia has a new look, and there’s a new 18-inch wheel design.

Interior refinements include new high-quality fabric for the seats, gloss black and silver-painted controls for the climate system, and an 8-inch screen for the infotainment system on select models.

A new Convenience package for the Outlander Sport ES model includes Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, two USB ports, steering wheel voice recognition control, heated front seats, and SiriusXM satellite radio with a three-month all-access trial.

The three new exterior colors for 2020 are Sunshine Orange, Red Diamond, and Oak Brown.

For 2020 the Outlander Sport lineup has ES, SE, SP, and GT trims, with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive available on all versions. Pricing starts at $23,790 (including destination charge) for a front-drive ES. All-wheel-drive is an extra $1,500 across the board.

A 148-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 145 lb-ft of torque provides power for the ES, SE, and SP models. The GT gets a more powerful 168-horsepower 2.4-liter engine with a torque rating of 167 lb-ft.

A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) is standard on every 2020 Outlander Sport model.

Fuel economy ratings for the 2.0-liter engine with front-wheel drive are 24 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined. With all-wheel drive, the numbers are 23/29/26 mpg.

Ratings for the 2.4-liter engine with front-wheel drive are 23 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined. All-wheel drive drops the highway rating to 28 mpg.

For 2020, forward collision mitigation with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, and automatic high beams are added to the SE trim as standard features.

My test vehicle was an Outlander Sport GT with all-wheel drive. This is the top-of-the-line model, coming in at a base price of $27,990. With $930 in options including a premium paint color and a cargo area cover, the total cost is $28,920. That’s too high to be described as affordable, but if the GT were well equipped with standard features, it could be considered a good value. It misses the boat, though. For example: no power seat operation, premium audio system, sunroof, or power liftgate. Not even a push button on the dash for remote opening of the liftgate.

Small SUVs are popular, the market is crowded with impressive contenders, and it’s no secret that the Outlander Sport is struggling against those SUV superstars.

In its favor, the Outlander Sport has one of the best powertrain and new vehicle warranties in the industry: a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty; 5-year/60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty; 7-year/100,000-mile anti-corrosion/perforation limited warranty; and a 5-year/unlimited mileage roadside assistance program.

And there’s another thing: The 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport’s new exterior design is enticing.

2020 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SPORT GT AWD

Base price, including destination charge: $27,990

Price as driven: $28,920

Mary Lowry is an independent automotive writer who lives in Snohomish County. She is a member of the Motor Press Guild, and a member and past president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. Vehicles are provided by the manufacturers as a one-week loan for review purposes only. In no way do the manufacturers control the content of the reviews.