2013 Outlander - full pics Finally
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 492
Hyundai gets it right... only if they make a plugin version...
2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Photo Gallery - Autoblog
2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Photo Gallery - Autoblog
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 22
Somewhere along the line the wrong guy got involved. The sketch looks great, very similar to the Range Rover Evoque styling, but Range Rover managed to pull their car off and somewhere along the line the proportions of the original Outlander design got all messed up....... 
Features wise no doubt it will be nice.
Features wise no doubt it will be nice.
Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 73
From: Washington, DC
Oh my god, what have they done?! It's got the styling cues of a soap bar. And those taillights! Here I thought the current tails were fugly and dated - Those belong on a pimped out '91 Civic.I'm torn though; on the one hand I'm beyond relieved that I bought a '12, on the other hand, I'm now SERIOUSLY worried for the brand's future. Mitsu has responded to Hyundai/Kia's successful styling boldness with defeatism.
Last edited by Phatty McPatty; Mar 15, 2012 at 01:46 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 175
From: Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA
Ack. Points for interior styling, but the outside is not exactly an improvement. It looks more like a smooth-over of the 07-09 design than a complete redesign. Big fail on deleting the flap-fold tailgate. That's one of the few things that gave the Outlander an advantage over all the other crossovers.
Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 63
I don't like it. It's very bland and uninspired, where the previous generation (especially pre-facelift) was very svelte and upscale looking. The facelift was a step in the wrong direction (seriously, just slap a Lancer front end on it? Whoever came up with that idea should be shot.)
This one just looks boring, with a hideous front end. And for the love of all that's holy, don't puss out on engines. I don't want a 4 cylinder, I don't care if it gets 10% better fuel economy, if it lacks the torque I want to have a driveable vehicle, then it's no good. The 3.0L V6 isn't powerful on paper, but its got enough torque to move it around adequately. Many newer engines are the opposite (GM V6s especially), they have damn near 300hp but are totla slugs because they have no power down low.
Mitsu needs to head back to the drawing board with this one. Redesign the exterior, re-evaluate the engines (hint: the majority of people buying new SUVs up into the $30k range are only somewhat worried about fuel economy), and give it back the fold down tailgate. That was why we bought the Outlander, the tailgate can come down and the dog can hop into the back with ease. I know they wanted to add a powered liftgate, and having both sections powered is less easy, but frankly, that was WHY people used to buy Mitsus, they were technologically advanced! IMO, there is NO reason that they can't have a 2 piece powered liftgate that operates with a remote detection like the new Ford Escape so you don't have to press anything, just swipe your foot under the door.
Mitsu needs to recognize that this segment isn't getting less crowded or easier, and they need to step their game up.
This one just looks boring, with a hideous front end. And for the love of all that's holy, don't puss out on engines. I don't want a 4 cylinder, I don't care if it gets 10% better fuel economy, if it lacks the torque I want to have a driveable vehicle, then it's no good. The 3.0L V6 isn't powerful on paper, but its got enough torque to move it around adequately. Many newer engines are the opposite (GM V6s especially), they have damn near 300hp but are totla slugs because they have no power down low.
Mitsu needs to head back to the drawing board with this one. Redesign the exterior, re-evaluate the engines (hint: the majority of people buying new SUVs up into the $30k range are only somewhat worried about fuel economy), and give it back the fold down tailgate. That was why we bought the Outlander, the tailgate can come down and the dog can hop into the back with ease. I know they wanted to add a powered liftgate, and having both sections powered is less easy, but frankly, that was WHY people used to buy Mitsus, they were technologically advanced! IMO, there is NO reason that they can't have a 2 piece powered liftgate that operates with a remote detection like the new Ford Escape so you don't have to press anything, just swipe your foot under the door.
Mitsu needs to recognize that this segment isn't getting less crowded or easier, and they need to step their game up.
Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 73
From: Washington, DC
I agree, the tailgate gives the best of both worlds; when it's up (closed), you have a solid surface to lean cargo against / when down (open), you have a flat surface to slide things in/out without having to lean over the bumper.
I'm definitely jealous of the 3rd-row seats - they don't look like gimmicky afterthoughts any longer. But even in the pictures it looks like you have to slide the 2nd row forward against the back of the 1st row in order to give any type of knee room to the 3rd row. I hope no one is over 5'08"! IMO, 3rd rows should be reserved for large vehicles (the Highlander's 3rd row is padded, sturdy and I actually found it comfortable... and I'm 6')!
They've only slightly improved the folding of the 2nd row but still haven't perfected the fold-flat concept (left picture). Looks like you now flip the seat-bottom forward, then fold the seat-back into the void left by the seat-bottom. The seat-bottom sticks up and robs cargo space (albeit, less than previous model years) and the folding action still seems overly complicated. It also seems like you have to move the front seats forward just to complete the process. They really should copy the Nissan Murano (right picture), it's so simple; pull a handle and the seat-back folds against the seat-bottom - one action and you have a nearly flat surface all the way up to the back of the front seats with no gaps for things to fall through. This is not new; it's been around since 2003. It's like Mitsu is trying to reinvent the wheel.
I'm definitely jealous of the 3rd-row seats - they don't look like gimmicky afterthoughts any longer. But even in the pictures it looks like you have to slide the 2nd row forward against the back of the 1st row in order to give any type of knee room to the 3rd row. I hope no one is over 5'08"! IMO, 3rd rows should be reserved for large vehicles (the Highlander's 3rd row is padded, sturdy and I actually found it comfortable... and I'm 6')!
They've only slightly improved the folding of the 2nd row but still haven't perfected the fold-flat concept (left picture). Looks like you now flip the seat-bottom forward, then fold the seat-back into the void left by the seat-bottom. The seat-bottom sticks up and robs cargo space (albeit, less than previous model years) and the folding action still seems overly complicated. It also seems like you have to move the front seats forward just to complete the process. They really should copy the Nissan Murano (right picture), it's so simple; pull a handle and the seat-back folds against the seat-bottom - one action and you have a nearly flat surface all the way up to the back of the front seats with no gaps for things to fall through. This is not new; it's been around since 2003. It's like Mitsu is trying to reinvent the wheel.
Last edited by Phatty McPatty; Mar 21, 2012 at 05:16 AM.