Jill Ciminillo

SONOMA, Calif.—With the launch of the all-new 2011 Outlander Sport, Mitsubishi is chasing the holy grail of the auto world: a younger demographic.

And they just might have hit their mark. Especially considering the excellent fit and finish combined with a starting price around $19K.

I was able to take a brief first look at the Outlander Sport a couple weeks ago, and if first impressions mean anything, I think this new compact crossover has some serious potential.

According to Bryan Arnett, senior manager of product strategy at Mitsubishi Motors North America, the Outlander Sport is entering an emerging segment he calls the “lower crossover” segment—the compact, entry-level sort of crossover. So far you have cars like the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage playing at this level, but he expects it to grow 480 percent by 2013.

So, as far as Mitsubishi is concerned, this is the right vehicle at the right time for a right-sizing population.

I have to agree.

From the interior to the exterior to the overall ride, the Outlander Sport just works.

As far as I’m concerned, the interior is the most impressive thing about the new crossover. It manages to be compact yet roomy at the same time. There’s plenty of rear-seat passenger space, but sitting in the driver’s seat, all the gauges and controls are within easy reach. The center stack is plain and simple—the way a center stack should be—and all the buttons are easily identifiable.

The seating surfaces are black whether you opt for base or up-level models. But the pattern on the sturdy cloth seats changes depending on the model you choose. Both are nice. At this time, leather is not an option.

The driving position was quite comfortable. And as a petite driver, I was able to get just the right amount of seat height, and the long track accommodates a wide range of leg length for various drivers. A huge bonus: the side mirror is just the right size for optimal visibility, yet it sits lower on the exterior so you can see over it easily.

One interesting thing to note, however, is that if you opt for the base, base model, there aren’t any cup holders in the back seat. Up-level models include them in the rear-seat fold-down arm rest.

The exterior is punctuated by the large Mitsubishi trapezoidal grille. But the rest of the exterior is what you’d expect from a compact SUV: slightly egg-shaped with round and swoopy edges.

We did a nice loop on roads surrounding the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., including straightaways and nice curvy turns. I drove an up-level SE with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), while my partner drove the base ES with the 5-speed manual transmission.

From my seat in the back, the manual transmission sounded a little loud. Though my partner assured me that it shifted pretty well. The automatic was definitely quieter and smoother through the acceleration.

The Outlander Sport comes equipped with a 2.0-liter I-4 engine that delivers 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. This was plenty of power considering the compact size of this crossover, and I never felt like the vehicle was underpowered. But wouldn’t it be something if the 2.0-liter turbocharged MIVEC I-4 engine in the EVO ended up in the Outlander Sport?

Arnett took a turn in the car with me, and while he didn’t say a definitive “yes,” he didn’t say “no” either.

The compact size lends itself to a tight little ride that was fun to blip around in. It handled well on the curves and corners, and acceleration was better than what you’d expect from a 4-cylinder engine. Though, I do have to admit the roads in California are much better than the roads in the Midwest, so I’m not quite sure how the Outlander Sport would handle over potholes.

And, of course, I’m inferring all this from a 30-minute drive and a 30-minute ride along.

The Outlander Sport will be available as ES and SE models with both 2WD and 4WD options. The base transmission on the ES is the 5-speed manual, but the CVT  is available as an option. The SE comes exclusively with the CVT, complete with paddle shifters that work really well.

The ES comes well equipped with standard features like steering-wheel mounted audio controls, 6-way manual adjustable driver’s seat, side-curtain airbags, driver knee airbag, FUSE hands-free Link System with USB input jack (think Ford Sync) and heated outside mirrors. SE adds the push-button start, HID headlamps with auto-leveling and heated front seats (4WD only).

Options on the Outlander Sport will include: the Premium Package, Exterior Sport Package, Interior Package, Illumination LED Package, Protection Package, Cargo Package and navigation with rear camera and free real-time traffic.

Since Outlander Sport isn’t scheduled to be out until October, official pricing hasn’t been announced, but Arnett estimates that the base price for the ES with the manual transmission would be around $19K, the base SE model would be around $22K, and a fully loaded model would be around $25K.

Mitsubishi is small automaker by all accounts, and the monthly sales target of 1,500 to 2,000 for the Outlander Sport proves that point. But after some time in several of their products while visiting Sonoma, I have to say Mitsubishi is somewhat overlooked and underestimated. The core products—the Lancer and Outlander families—are solid, and definitely worth a look.

So, expect good things from Mitsubishi in general and Outlander Sport specifically.

This week’s test car is an Audi R8. For more automotive coverage and up-to-date raves and rants on Jill’s car du jour, be sure to visit her car blog, Drive, She Said. And if you’d like to see more pictures of the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, be sure to check out Jill’s photo gallery.

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