Mitsubishi dealers look to Outlander to ‘gain a lot of traction'

Mitsubishi and its dealer network are preparing for the unveiling of the redesigned 2022 Outlander crossover this week, along with the March arrival of the freshened 2022 Eclipse Cross, both major updates to the brand's aging lineup.

Retailers and brand executives discussed the final details of the Outlander debut at the brand's NADA make meeting.

The Outlander world premiere will be Tuesday, Feb. 16, on the Amazon Live streaming platform.

"I think we're going to gain a lot of traction," said Greg Sloan, Mitsubishi National Advisory Board chairman and dealer principal-president of Five Star Mitsubishi – Altoona in Pennsylvania. "It's going to put us in front of a lot more people than we would generally get with a launch."

Dealers and the automaker have also worked to amplify the launch in retailers' local communities, Sloan told Automotive News.

"They've come up with some really incredible Tier 3 offerings that are going to help us tie our local advertising into the launch," he said.

Mitsubishi dealerships have been waiting for the new generation of the flagship Outlander midsize crossover for several years. The Eclipse Cross compact crossover has been heavily updated, and Mitsubishi said this week it would start at $24,590 with shipping.

"We're going to see a different customer coming through our showrooms that we haven't seen in a long time," Sloan said.

Initial inventory of the 2022 Eclipse Cross is expected in March and the Outlander in April. Mitsubishi has not announced pricing for the new-gen Outlander.

Sloan said dealers discussed inventory concerns with the factory, and it appeared Mitsubishi was in good shape in terms of semiconductor supply. A global chip shortage has caused production slowdowns at other automakers. Sloan said.