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The Mitsubishi Outlander is a mid-size crossover manufactured by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi. It was originally known as the Mitsubishi Airtrek when it was introduced in Japan in 2001, and was based on the Mitsubishi ASX concept vehicle exhibited at the 2001 North American International Auto Show. It was sold at Mitsubishi Japan dealership chain called ''Car Plaza''. The ASX (Active Sports Crossover) represented Mitsubishi's approach to the industry wide SUV trend for retaining the all-season and off-road abilities offered by a high ground clearance and four-wheel drive, while still offering car-like levels of emissions, economy and size.〔("Mitsubishi Motors' ASX Concept at Detroit Show gives sneak peak at the next generation Global Multi-Activity Vehicle" ), Mitsubishi-Motors.com press release, January 10, 2001〕 The original Airtrek name was chosen to "describe the vehicle’s ability to transport its passengers on adventure-packed journeys in a 'free-as-a-bird' manner",〔(Fact & Figures 2005 ), p.33, Mitsubishi Motors website〕 and was "coined from ''Air'' and ''Trek'' to express the idea of footloose, adventure-filled motoring pleasure."〔("MMC announces smart all-rounder AIRTREK model" ), Mitsubishi-Motors.com press release, June 20, 2001〕 The Outlander nameplate which replaced it evoked a "feeling of journeying to distant, unexplored lands in search of adventure."〔 The second generation of the vehicle was introduced in 2005 and all markets including Japan adopted the Outlander name, although production of the older version continued in parallel. It was built on the company's GS platform, and used various engines developed by Mitsubishi, Volkswagen and PSA Peugeot Citroën. PSA's Citroën C-Crosser and Peugeot 4007, which are manufactured by Mitsubishi in Japan, are badge engineered versions of the Outlander.〔("New Peugeot/Citroen off-roader" ), Motoring.co.za, October 30, 2006〕 As part of the third generation line-up, Mitsubishi launched in January 2013 a plug-in hybrid model called Outlander P-HEV. , the plug-in hybrid model is sold in 48 countries and over 80,000 units have been sold worldwide through October 2015, with Europe as the leading market with over 50,000 units sold, followed by Japan with over 29,000 units. The top European markets are the Netherlands with over 19,900 units registered by the end of October 2015, and the UK with 14,000 units sold by August 2015. The Outlander P-HEV was the top selling plug-in electric vehicle in Europe in 2014,〔 and also ranked that year as the world's third best selling plug-in car after the all-electrics Tesla Model S and Nissan Leaf.〔 ''With 31,136 units sold in 2014, the Outlander P-HEV ranked third among the top selling plug-in electric cars in 2014, after the Tesla Model S (31,655) and the Nissan Leaf (61,507). Accounting for global cumulative sales through the end of 2014, the Outlander ranks fifth with almost 49,000 units sold.''〕 Accounting for cumulative global sales since 2009, the Outlander P-HEV ranks as the fifth top selling plug-in electric vehicle in the world ever .〔 ==First generation== The Airtrek was first introduced to the Japanese market on June 20, 2001, priced from ¥1.7–2.3 million. It offered a choice of either a ''4G63'' 2.0 L or a ''4G64'' 2.4 L GDI, mated to a standard ''INVECS-II'' 4-speed semi-automatic transmission. Both front- and four-wheel drive were available. The four-wheel drive version uses open differentials for the front and rear axles, with a viscous coupling unit for the center differential. A high performance model, using a detuned version of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution's ''4G63T'' 2.0 L I4 turbo, was introduced in 2002.〔("Mitsubishi Motors exhibits at 37 th Tokyo Motor Show" ), Mitsubishi Motors press release, October 15, 2003〕 The engine produced and , although in export markets the Outlander version's output was reduced to and . The return of four-cylinder engines under 2.0 liters offered Japanese buyers a vehicle that was in compliance with Japanese regulations concerning exterior dimensions and engine displacement, however, the exterior dimensions exceed Japanese regulations for the "compact" designation. The Outlander arrived in 2003 in North America, replacing the Mitsubishi Montero Sport, with a modified front grille and headlights which increased the overall length by approximately , and the two models were manufactured in parallel thereafter. It shared its platform with the Mitsubishi Grandis, also introduced in 2003. A version of the ''4G64'' powerplant was offered first, while a ''4G69'' 2.4 L SOHC MIVEC I4 producing and , and the turbocharged ''4G63T'' appeared in 2004. All had the option of front- or four-wheel drive. In several South American markets it was known as the Montero Outlander, to benefit from an association with the strong-selling Mitsubishi Montero Sport. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mitsubishi Outlander」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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