It’s not all that often a car company will return to a market after it’s left it, but that’s just what Mitsubishi is doing with the UK next year, making a comeback more than four years after it left in the autumn of 2021 due to faltering sales.
It’s now detailed the first two models that it’ll sell here as part of that comeback, and both wear names that should be very familiar to British buyers. Not the Lancer Evolution, though. Sorry.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – rear
One of the duo is the Outlander PHEV, giving Mitsubishi an all-important entrant in the bustling family crossover market. The original Outlander PHEV, launched in 2014, was one of the first mass-market plug-in hybrids, and popular with early adopters of the tech. It remained a strong seller among PHEV crossovers right up until Mitsubishi’s 2021 UK withdrawal.
The new-generation car that’s coming to Britain was launched globally in 2021, and is heavily based on the current Nissan X-Trail. Its powertrain, though, is all Mitsubishi – a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine plus front and rear electric motors. Peak power output for the UK will be upwards of 296bhp, and Mitsubishi says that with the powertrain running as efficiently as possible, it’ll bring a total driving range of over 500 miles.
Mitsubishi L200 – front
The other model that’ll initially come to Britain is another previous UK success story for Mitsubishi: the L200 pickup. Beloved for its rugged dependability, the current sixth generation truck was launched in 2023, bringing with it a beefy, boxy new look.
It’s a pickup of the old school, with a body-on-frame construction, selectable full-time four-wheel drive and a centre diff lock. The sole UK engine offering will be a 2.4-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel. In other markets, this powerplant makes 201bhp and 347lb ft, although UK specs are to be confirmed.
Mitsubishi L200 – rear
The duo will spearhead Mitsubishi’s UK return in summer 2026, and if they prove popular, should pick up right where their predecessors left off in 2021. If and when any further Mitsubishi models, including the various Renault-based cars the company currently sells in Europe, will come to Britain remains to be seen.
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