在第三代三菱Outlander登陆美国市场2年后，这款跨界多用途汽车进行了全新改版，升级为2016版，除了全新的标志性车身，另外还会在工程与设计方面进行100多项改动。

“我们很清楚，之前的车型在有些方面，比如外饰和驾驶性能都是低于竞争标准的，因此需要尽快进行修改，” 三菱汽车北美公司（MMNA）销售副总裁Ken Konieczka表示，这是他在近日于加州旧金山举办的2016版 Outlander媒体发布会和试驾项目上提到的。

新版Outlander是MMNA第一款展示前脸“动态盾牌（Dynamic Shield）”造型的车型。除此之外，这辆三排七座汽车的许多技术变更都是为了提升驾乘体验。比如说，下一代CVT（无级变速器）可将变速扭矩损耗降低26%，显著提升传至车轮的动力水平。

全新CVT-8变速箱以及电控单元的重新校准，使静止启动和行驶加速两方面的性能都得到了提升。若用搭载了2.4L四缸发动机和CVT的全驱Outlander举例，从0加速到60 mph (97 km/h)的时间从11.2秒降至10.2秒，整整缩短了1秒的时间。

三菱CVT-8变速箱与2015版Outlander Sport一起在美国登台亮相，该车型使用是2.0L四缸发动机。在2016版Outlander身上，全新CVT的齿轮比为2.631-0.378:1，而终减速比为6.026:1。Outlander旧款CVT的齿轮比为2.349-0.394:1，终减速比为6.466:1。

麦弗逊前悬挂和多连杆后悬挂系统也完成了一些驾乘与操纵方面的调整，其中包括前悬挂横向构件的加固、前减震器的重新调试、后悬挂弹簧速率与阻尼的调整等，此外还换上了一个更大的后减震器。电动助力转向的重新编程也使新车的驾乘与操纵体验上了一个新台阶。

MMNA为新款Outlander开发了31种降噪方案，其中包括悬挂、发动机和变速箱托架、车身板、外后视镜和前后挡风玻璃的调整。

MMNA的产品战略经理Melvyn Bautista表示，以上各种降噪技术是根据美国市场用户反馈、J.D. Power新车质量研究结果、第三方静态与动态汽车评估等多方面信息进行综合考量的结果。

在本次降噪项目中，MMNA甚至还聘请了日本工程师为整个悬挂安装麦克风。“几个星期以来，工程师每天都在靠近MMNA加州西普莱斯总部的一段闹市街区驾驶新款Outlander。他们每天需要收集6个小时的驾驶数据，并据此研究车内降风降噪的解决方案，” Bautista在访谈中告诉《汽车工程杂志》。

在低频范围内降噪效果尤其明显。与2015版Outlander相比，2016版的前部中心噪音在10-500赫兹范围内从64.1降到了60.8分贝。

新款Outlander轴距总长105.1英寸（2670毫米），车身配置包括LED前大灯、LED行车灯、LED尾灯、电动外后视镜、以及挡风玻璃防冻雨刮。“这些配置对MMNA而言都是全新的，” Bautista表示，“我们还在雨刮器下方安装了一个电气加热装置，以防雨刮器不工作时粘在挡风玻璃上。”

新款Outlander将有两种版本上市，分别为166hp（124千瓦）四缸发动机搭配CVT，以及224hp（167千瓦）3.0升V6发动机搭配六速自动变速器。四缸前驱款的美国环保局mpg评级为25城市/31高速公路，全驱款为24城市/29公路。V6全驱款的评级为20城市/27公路。

2016版Outlander将于2015年7月上市，基本前驱款的建议零售价为22,995美元。

Mitsubishi puts NVH in 2016 Outlander's crosshairs

Two years after the third-generation Mitsubishi Outlander arrived in the U.S. market, the crossover utility vehicle was revised for the 2016 MY with new signature front-end styling and 100-plus engineering and design changes.

“It was very clear to us that (certain) things, like exterior styling and drivability, [were] below the competitive standard, [and] had to be changed very quickly,” Ken Konieczka, Vice President of Sales at Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA), said at a recent San Francisco, CA, media ride and drive program for the 2016 Outlander.

The latest Outlander is the first MMNA vehicle to showcase the front fascia Dynamic Shield styling, and many of the seven-passenger, three-seating-row vehicle’s technical modifications are aimed at refining the driving experience. For instance, the next-generation CVT (continuously variable transmission) reduces the transmission torque loss by 26%, effectively improving the amount of power transferred to the wheels.

This new CVT-8 and a recalibration of the transmission ECU elicit improvements in both the standing start and passing acceleration. In all-wheel-drive models equipped with the 2.4-L four-cylinder engine and CVT, 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration improved by 1 s, going from 11.2 to 10.2 s.

Mitsubishi’s CVT-8 debuted in the U.S. on the 2015 Outlander Sport equipped with the 2.0-L four-cylinder engine. On the 2016 Outlander, the new CVT has a gear spread from 2.631: to 0.378:1 and a final drive ratio of 6.026:1. Outlander’s previous CVT had a gear spread from 2.349: to 0.394:1 and a final drive ratio of 6.466:1.

Ride and handling modifications were made to the MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension. Those changes include front suspension crossmember reinforcement, front shock absorber re-tuning, rear suspension spring rate and damping changes, as well as larger shock absorbers in the rear. The re-programming of the electric power steering also helps improve the 2016 vehicle’s ride and handling.

Outlander’s suspension, engine and transmission cradles, body panels, side mirrors, windshield, and rear glass were the source points for 31 noise-reduction solutions.

According to Melvyn Bautista, MMNA’s Product Strategy Manager, the various sound-absorbing techniques were undertaken based on comments from U.S. customers, JD Power Initial Quality Survey results, and third-party static and dynamic vehicle evaluations.

The noise reduction crusade even had engineers from Japan placing microphones throughout the current generation Outlander’s suspension. “Six hours a day for weeks they drove the vehicle back and forth over a rough residential street near MMNA’s Cypress (CA) headquarters to get data and come up with solutions to minimize the wind and road noise going into the cabin,” Bautista said in an interview with Automotive Engineering.

Noise reduction is notable in the low-frequency range. For instance, compared to the 2015 Outlander, the 2016 vehicle’s front center noise was reduced from 64.1 to 60.8 dB in the 10-500 Hz frequency range.

The 105.1-in (2670-mm) wheelbase Outlander’s new offerings include LED headlamps, LED running lamps, LED taillamps, power folding side mirrors, and a windshield wiper de-icer. “It’s an all-new feature for MMNA,” said Bautista, “An electric heater element, located underneath where the wipers sit, helps prevent the windshield wipers from sticking in the park position.”

Outlander is available with the 166-hp (124-kW) four-cylinder engine mated to the CVT or a 224-hp (167-kW) 3.0-L V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The four-cylinder-powered front-wheel-drive model has EPA mpg ratings of 25 city/31 highway, while the AWD version’s mpg is 24 city/29 highway. The V6-powered AWD model has mpg ratings of 20 city/27 highway.

The 2016 Outlander goes on sale in July 2015 with a MSRP of $22,995 for the base FWD model.