Las Vegas, NV — Anybody who is at all familiar with Mitsubishi probably knows that AWD and off-roading is kinda their thing. From winning races in the World Rally Championship to competing in long-distance rally raid tests and more, Mitsu has been there. It’s never been just about fun, either; Mitsu will tell you that one of the biggest pieces of tech seen in current Mitsu products – Super All-Wheel Control, or S-AWC – is a direct descendant from tech used in those race cars. It’s rare that you see race tech make it to not just one but a swathe of mass-market production SUVs, crossovers and sedans.
2028 Mitsubishi Outlander Diamond Trail Edition
Thing is, Mitsu isn’t the only one doing proprietary AWD systems and many other manufacturers – from Honda, to Subaru, to GM and on and on – have jumped on the rugged AWD train as well. And, as experienced Mitsu is in the AWD space, they’ve never really had a more rugged off-road version of a vehicle à la Honda Passport Trailsport or Subaru Outback Wilderness.
So, it comes as little surprise, then, that this latest version of the Outlander, dubbed “Diamond Trail”, is exactly that. It’s debut at this year’s SEMA show is no fluke, either; off-roaders are everywhere here.
“It’s for a more outdoorsy customer,” said Don Ulmer, senior manager of telematics and product strategy for Mitsubishi Motors Canada. “They might take it off road a little bit more than a typical customer might.” Which is why the Diamond Trail adds extra exterior cladding ‘round the wheelwells and rocker panels, gets different front and rear bumpers for better approach and departure angles and special 18-inch off-road style wheels wrapped in A/T rubber. The suspension components are the same as a standard Outlander, but it has been tuned for more offroad use and the blockier tires will add a little bit of extra ground clearance. There are no extra underbody panels, however, as this isn’t really a rock-crawling ‘ute, per se. It’s more one that can get you more easily to the backcountry trailhead or to the cabin on a snowy winter weekend.
2028 Mitsubishi Outlander Diamond Trail Edition
To further satiate said outdoorsy types, the Diamond Trail also gets beefier roof rails that can support up to 800 pounds of weight when stopped, perfect for a roof-mounted tent. That’s all good, but equally important for these kinds of customers are the looks.
“People like the rugged aspect of it,” said Ulmer “and they also tend to buy a lot of accessories. That’s why we’re going to offer a broader range of accessories that are unique to the Diamond Trail.” These range from extra spotlights, special roof racks (Mitsu dealers have an agreement with popular Swedish rack manufacturer Thule) and bike or canoe racks, not to mention roof-mounted tents. There’s also a new shade of green paint that’s unique to the Diamond Trail to further add to that rugged look as well as special badging both inside and out.
Inside, an easily washable wetsuit-like material covers the seats which also get unique contrast-colour stitching, the piano black panels atop the centre console and on the dash have been replaced with a matte material that looks and feels great, the chrome inserts get a dark gunmetal finish and heavy-duty winter floormats are standard. It looks great and since the Diamond Trail starts life as an Outlander SE (MSRP $40,148), it gets a 12.3-inch central display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital gauge cluster, heated steering wheel, power lift gate and three-zone climate control. No pricing has been announced for the Diamond Trail, but a $3-5,000 premium over the SE feels about right to us.
2028 Mitsubishi Outlander Diamond Trail Edition
2028 Mitsubishi Outlander Diamond Trail Edition
2028 Mitsubishi Outlander Diamond Trail Edition
One thing the Outlander Diamond Trail has – or doesn’t have, depending on how you frame it – that all other Outlanders get is three rows of seating. Two rows are all you’re going to get, and there’s good reason for that.
“Not having a third row seat gives a little more cargo flexibility in the back,” said Ulmer. “So you have a little bit more there where you can store gear. This customer is going to need that storage.” Not having a third row also saves weight, improving fuel economy. Speaking of fuel economy: at this juncture, the Diamond Trail gets the 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder other Outlanders get and like those other models, it makes 174 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque. That is your only engine type; the popular PHEV version will not be a thing at the outset – but Ulmer isn’t ruling it out entirely.
2028 Mitsubishi Outlander Diamond Trail Edition
2028 Mitsubishi Outlander Diamond Trail Edition
“Basically, our strategy is to launch with this gas version and then see what the reaction is,” he said. “Maybe in the future we’ll add something (but) the PHEV is a different customer; more urban, more focused on efficiency and that kind of thing. So this makes a lot more sense in terms of a rugged version of the vehicle.” Not having the added wright of the PHEV’s 22.7 kwh lithium battery and EV motor is also nice. The Diamond Trail does get a 48V mild hybrid system, though, which helps save fuel while cruising and provides a bit of an acceleration boost.
PHEV or no, this is one cool-looking compact SUV that we’ll start seeing in dealers as early as spring of ’27 as a ’28 model. We’re looking forward to driving it; watch this space.