2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Has Fresh Design and a Bump in Refinement

The company seems oddly emphatic in pointing out that the SUV is "not just a cosmetic 'refreshing'" at the top of its press release; we thinks you doth protest too much, Mitsu.

The real freshness starts with the exterior styling, which is said to break ground on a new design language for the brand. The half-chrome, half-blacked out front fascia is certainly the most eye-catching part of the SUV, though taut, conservative details make up the rest. We don't expect a lot of love-it / hate-it comments based on this Mitsubishi (though you guys do surprise us sometimes).

But however the company may draw attention to the "over 100 engineering and design improvements" made to the SUV, what's under the hood feels familiar. No mention is made of the 2016 engine lineup, so we expect the 2.4-liter four and 3.0-liter V6 to carryover unchanged from last year. There is a new CVT, however, said to come with improvements to acceleration and "shift feel."

Other updates include a more composed chassis, rigid body structure and improved levels of NVH thanks to sound insolation and noise-deadening glass.