Confirmed: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport To Debut At NY Show

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Mitsubishi RVR

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The press-day reveals of the New York Auto Show are still nearly six weeks away, but we can already pencil in another important debut: an all-new Mitsubishi hatchback (or crossover) that might help awaken the brand from a sales slumber.

The RVR, which we previewed a few months ago, will be sold in Europe as the ASX and will arrive in the U.S. this fall as the Outlander Sport, Mitsubishi confirmed today to TheCarConnection.com.

This all-new vehicle slots into Mitsubishi's U.S. lineup just under the Outlander, according to spokesman Maurice Durand, and it will go on sale this fall.

At about 169 inches long, riding on a 105-inch wheelbase, the new 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is an all-new body style, not to be confused with the Toyota RAV4-sized Outlander, and will land right between the Suzuki SX4 Sportback and the Toyota Matrix (or roughly the size of the Dodge Caliber)—appealing to those who want a hatchback with a hint of extra crossover utility.

In Japanese-market versions, Mitsubishi is equipping the RVR with regenerative braking, HID headlamps, and a TV tuner. We'd say that extravagance is unlikely, but we do expect several other features—including a panoramic sunroof, hard-drive-based navigation system, and USB and Bluetooth connectivity, likely from the new Fuse interface that made its debut in the 2010 Outlander GT and will be installed in the Lancer line next year.