2026 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport HEV: New Zealand to get small hybrid SUV, Australia will miss out

Mitsubishi has revealed the Outlander Sport HEV, the brand’s first conventional hybrid vehicle to go on sale in New Zealand – but Australia will miss out.

While Mitsubishi was among the first mainstream Japanese brands to embrace plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology with models such as the Outlander PHEV and Eclipse Cross PHEV, the upcoming Outlander Sport HEV will become the company’s first non-plug-in hybrid sold in New Zealand when it's launched in the third quarter (July to September) of 2026.

The compact SUV, sold overseas as the Xforce, was revealed to dealers and staff during Mitsubishi’s Diamond Dealer awards event ahead of a public debut at Fieldays, being held from June 10-13.

The Outlander Sport HEV is being positioned as a more accessible electrified option for buyers not ready to move to a plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle. Alas, Australia is no closer to receiving the Xforce/Outlander Sport HEV.

"The Xforce wasn’t built to meet required ADRs so was unavailable to us," said a Mitsubishi Motors Australia spokesperson in a statement.

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Globally, the Xforce SUV has recorded more than 77,000 sales since being launched in Indonesia in 2023. The model is now sold across Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.

The Outlander Sport HEV sits below the existing five- and seven-seat Outlander range in size. Measuring 4340mm long, it’s similar in footprint to rivals such as the Toyota Corolla Cross, Kia Niro, Honda HR-V, and Hyundai Kona.

Power comes from a 1.6-litre petrol engine paired with Mitsubishi’s latest hybrid system, which can automatically switch between EV, hybrid, and engine drive modes depending on driving conditions and battery charge levels.

In overseas markets, the Xforce HEV uses a 1.1kWh battery pack that allows short-distance, low-speed EV driving. Mitsubishi claims fuel economy of 5.6L/100km and a driving range of up to 750km from the SUV’s 42-litre fuel tank.

The compact SUV also features 212mm of ground clearance and selectable drive modes including Normal, Wet, Gravel, and Mud. Mitsubishi says the chassis tuning has been optimised to balance ride comfort and stability across both urban roads and rougher rural surfaces.

Inside, the Outlander Sport HEV features a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a digital instrument cluster displaying energy flow and regenerative braking information.

A panoramic glass roof is standard across the range, while higher-specification variants add a Yamaha-tuned premium audio system and a surround-view camera with moving object detection.

Safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and leading car departure notification.

Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand says the Outlander Sport HEV is part of a broader product offensive planned for 2026, which will also include a new electric vehicle and another yet-to-be-revealed model.

Likewise, Mitsubishi in Australia has two product launches planned: an EV sourced from Taiwanese manufacturer Foxtron, and a replacement for the Pajero Sport discontinued in our market last year.

The Outlander Sport HEV will expand Mitsubishi New Zealand’s lineup to five models, with the company confirming the ASX will remain on sale alongside the new SUV.

“ASX continues to play a key role in our lineup and remains a very popular option for customers,” said Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand chief operating officer Tony Johnston

“Outlander Sport sits alongside it, giving buyers another choice within the compact SUV segment.”

Mitsubishi in New Zealand still sells the first-generation ASX, which was replaced last year in Australia by the second-generation ASX, a lightly restyled Renault Captur.

The Japanese automaker has lagged behind in the conventional hybrid space, and apart from the Xforce and rebadged Renault products in Europe, it has never offered hybrid versions of small or medium SUVs.

However, Nikkei Asia reported Mitsubishi is working on new hybrid SUVs based on the Outlander and RVR, as the first-generation ASX was known in Japan, which are due as early as 2028.

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