New Mitsubishi Outlander Sport to Land in New York

Despite the fact that a number of its individual vehicles—like the Mitsubishi Eclipse and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution—have had their turns in the spotlight, Mitsubishi remains on shaky ground in the U.S. The company’s sales were down about 10 percent in February, and this was in comparison to February 2009, which was a thoroughly disastrous month for the entire industry. This also represented all of 4,019 sales for Mitsubishi, or 26 fewer than the Buick LaCrosse rang up all by itself.

But that doesn’t mean the automaker is about to give up on the U.S. market. In fact, it will soon be offering an impressive-looking product that just might win the company significant sales in one of the industry’s key segments.

The 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport made its world premiere at the recent Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, and the entry-level crossover will be introduced in the U.S. at the New York Auto Show at the end of March. Don’t let the vehicle’s name fool you, though; the Sport model will be a size smaller than the Mitsubishi Outlander proper, with a more aggressive appearance that’s highlighted by strong character lines on its side and door panels. But there’s also some substance to go with this high style, as indicated by the Outlander Sport’s optional all-wheel-drive system.

The small new Mitsubishi should come up big at the gas pumps, too, as it’s expected to get an estimated EPA highway rating of about 30 mpg, courtesy of the 2-liter, four-cylinder engine parked under its hood.

Although there’s no shortage of compact crossovers to choose from, the segment is hotter than ever. A Nissan dealer Washington DC continues to see strong demand for compact Nissan Rogue, which will compete directly with the Outlander Sport when it arrives. Nissan, for example, is seeing such growth in the segment that the automaker will be adding another compact to the lineup, the Nissan Juke, later this year.

Targeted at a segment that has plenty of room for growth, look for the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport to hit a bull’s-eye when it goes on sale here this fall.