Mitsubishi

With a little help from Nissan, Mitsubishi returns to relevancy with its undeniably distinct and unexpectedly engaging fourth-generation Outlander SUV. Mitsubishi needs a hit. It's no secret that the Japanese automaker is now a minor player in the U.S. market, its product lineup lacking the star power of an Evo, or even a Montero. It doesn't help that two of its four remaining models­—the Eclipse Cross and the three-row Outlander—are compact crossovers that compete in the most cutthroat segment in America. After all, there are only so many driveways to fill every year, and in 2020 alone more than 1…

The Mitsubishi Outlander is very much on trend. It's an SUV, and also a plug-in hybrid – but it actually arrived slightly ahead of its time. Here we're driving the current model, which is almost identical to the previous car aside from the lightest of facelifts and a few technological tweaks aimed at keeping ahead of emissions regulations. Why mess with success? It's an established big seller in Britain, although the rest of the range hasn't been doing so well, prompting plans for Mitsubishi to leave Europe. For now, though, this Outlander is a current model, available through the familiar…