What Is the Smallest Mitsubishi SUV?

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is the smallest Mitsubishi SUV on the market today.
Written by Sarah Gray
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
At 171.9 inches long the Outlander Sport is the smallest in Mitsubishi’s SUV lineup.
Most people looking for an SUV aren’t really thinking in terms of “small.” But for some, the size of the SUV is less important than the practicality of added cargo and passenger space. Both of these can be found in small SUVs like the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.
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What is the smallest SUV Mitsubishi makes?

Mitsubishi’s smallest available SUV is the Outlander Sport—a compact SUV that shares a platform with the Outlander PHEV and the new Eclipse Cross.
At 64.8 inches tall and 171.9 inches long, the Outlander Sport is certainly small, although it’s not the smallest SUV on the market. The Outlander Sport offers a stylish exterior, available all-wheel-drive, and an excellent powertrain warranty to go with its diminutive size.
The Outlander Sport is, admittedly, nicer on the outside than the inside. Its attractive exterior belies a cut-rate interior, dull driving behavior, and average fuel economy. Powertrain options are forgettable, at best. The base engine is a 148-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated up to 24 mpg city and 30 highway. Opting for AWD drops these figures by 1 mpg. A marginally more powerful 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 20 more horsepower is also available, but it drops fuel economy to just 23 mpg city and 29 highway, plus another mpg loss each for AWD.
Unfortunately, the Outlander Sport doesn’t excel when it comes to cargo capacity or passenger space either. The lack of rear-seat legroom might be easier to take if it were offset by the comfort of leather, but leather upholstery isn’t even an option in the upper Outlander Sport trims. Cargo volume behind the rear seats is an unimpressive 22 cubes, and dropping the 60/40 folding rear seats only brings the space up to 49.5 cubic feet.

Other small Mitsubishi SUVs

Mitsubishi isn’t exactly known for its long SUV lineup, but that doesn’t mean the Outlander Sport is the only SUV on offer from the marque. Mitsubishi began its foray into the crossover segment with the super-popular Cayenne. Let’s take a closer look at both.

Smallest: 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Starting price: $22,640
Wheelbase: 105.1 inches
Seating capacity: Five
Unfortunately, the best things about the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport can be seen and experienced without even stepping foot in the SUV. Exterior styling is innovative and fun, but the interior is mediocre at best and the driving demeanor is, to put it bluntly, boring.

Small: 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Starting price: $27,285
Wheelbase: 105.1 inches
Seating capacity: Five
If you’re longing for the days of the beloved Mitsubishi Eclipse sport coupe, you may actually be a bit disappointed by the crossover that’s resurrected its namesake. A turbo-four with 152 horsepower is the only engine option for the
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
, and that offers sluggish acceleration. The SUVs cabin, while more spacious than the Outlander Sport’s, features the same unimpressive materials. 

Small-ish: 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander

Starting price: $28,000 (est.)
Wheelbase: 106.5 inches
Seating capacity: Seven
The
Mitsubishi Outlander
is the automaker’s largest SUV, and it was completely redesigned for the 2022 model year. Upgraded cabin materials and futuristic styling grace the new Outlander, and drivers will enjoy a surprisingly agile and athletic drive. Standard three-row seating would be an exciting addition to the compact-crossover class if it was useful, but only the tiniest of tiny humans could possibly endure the third row for more than a short trip. 
MORE: All the best Mitsubishi compact cars

The best alternatives to Mitsubishi’s smallest SUV 

As long as you’re looking at small SUV options, here are some alternatives to the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport that you should consider.

Luxury looks at mainstream prices: 2022 Mazda CX-30

On seeing the
Mazda CX-30
, one of the brand’s smallest SUVs, you might think you’re looking at an Audi or a BMW—but once glance at the price tag is all it takes to make it clear you’re looking at a Mazda.
The base Mazda CX-30 starts at an affordable $23,725, but it is astonishingly well-equipped with standard features. All non-turbo trims feature a rather poky 186-horsepower 2.5-liter engine that strolls from zero to sixty in 8.1 seconds, but the steering is crisp, and its agile handling will soon make you forget you’re not driving a more peppy sports sedan, like the Mazda 3. 
All wheel-drive is standard across all CX-30 trims, as is a full suite of driver assists, including
  • Forward collision mitigation
  • Lane keeping assist
  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Drowsy driver monitor
  • Automatic high beams

Cheeky and packed with standard features: 2022 Hyundai Kona

Hyundai has been taking the auto market to school when it comes to producing high-quality vehicles loaded with desirable standard features, and the
Hyundai Kona
, with its low starting price of just $22,595, is a perfect example.
Hyundai proves to manufacturers like Mitsubishi that cheap doesn’t have to mean chintzy. Like many small SUVs in its class, the Hyundai Kona’s base 147-horsepower four-cylinder powertrain is nothing to write home about. The more saucy 195-horsepower turbo-four is a much better option, offering avid acceleration that allows the Kona to clip off 60 mph in 7.3 seconds.
Hyundai’s designers filled the Kona’s cabin with quality materials for a refined feel that doesn’t overpower its funky style. Front-wheel-drive is standard, but all-wheel-drive is optional for all models but the Kona N. Also included on all trims is full complement of driver-assists, including forward collision mitigation and lane departure mitigation
As is usually the case, though the base models are well equipped, all the best options appear on the highest trims. But even opting up to the range-topping Limited trim will only add $7,000 to your bottom line.
While all-wheel-drive, faux leather, and a full suite of driver assists are standard even on the base model, climbing the trim ladder to a mid-level option, like the 2.5T Advanced—which still comes in at $10K less than either the Mitsubishi or the Mercedes—adds perks like genuine leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, and upgraded 16-speaker Lexicon sound system.

A little SUV with a lot of soul: 2023 Kia Soul

With a starting price of just $21,085, you’d think the
Kia Soul
would have the least to offer of all the small SUV options we’ve discussed here—but nothing could be further from the truth. 
Could the Soul be more fuel efficient? Sure. But 35 mpg highway and 28 city is still pretty impressive for any size SUV. It would also be nice if all-wheel-drive were an option, and a more soulful (see what we did there) powertrain would add a much-needed dose of caffeine to the sluggish 147-horsepower four-cylinder currently on offer.
But let’s look at what’s great about the Kia Soul—literally, everything else. Its unconventional boxy styling, though polarizing, creates one of the roomiest cabins in compact crossover history. That cabin continues the quirky styling foregrounded by the Soul’s toaster-like exterior with textured door-panel inserts and colorful trim. Perhaps most impressive of all, though, is the value provided by the options at every trim level.
The base
LX
is well-equipped with a full boat of driver-assists, fully digital instrument cluster, and spiffy extras like a center-console USB port and remote keyless entry. But why go for base when you can go all the way to the tip-top EX trim for only $4,000 more? Sunroof? Check! Ambient cabin lighting? Check! Wireless device charging pad? Check, and check! And the list just keeps going.

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