Natural Resources Canada has dropped the goods on the updated Outlander PHEV ahead of Mitsubishi’s planned unveiling of the plug-in hybrid SUV in Montreal in January.

The full reveal is planned for mid-January.

The 2026 Outlander PHEV is not entering a new generation, but is receiving a mid-cycle update.

The update promises higher quality materials and new content on the inside, as well as an improvement to the powertrain.

All Mitsubishi has said is the updated version will have a larger battery.

NRCan has perhaps spoiled the big reveal by providing information on just how much more fuel efficient and how much more electric range the 2026 Outlander PHEV will have compared to the 2025 model.

I can’t take credit for making this discovery as I read about it first on Auto 123, which you can see in this link.

The Outlander PHEV, by the way, is a plug-in hybrid version of the Outlander, a three-row compact SUV. The regular, or ICE-powered, Outlander received its mid-cycle refresh in 2025 and gained a new powertrain in 2026. For 2026, the regular Outlander dropped the former 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine and gained a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine with mild-hybrid support that is more fuel efficient and has more torque than the old powertrain.

What will power the 2026 Outlander PHEV?

The updated Outlander PHEV is sticking with the same 2.4-litre engine as before, but thanks to new electrical goods, it is becoming more fuel efficient and gaining increased all-electric range.

Below are the improved fuel-economy figures for the 2026 Outlander PHEV compared to the 2025 Outlander PHEV:

• All-electric range – 72 kilometres (improvement from 61 km)
• Total range – 618 kilometres (down from 626 km)
• Electric and gasoline fuel consumption – 3.2 Le/100 km (improvement from 3.6 Le/100 km)
• Gasoline-only fuel consumption (city/highway/combined) – 8.6/8.6/8.6 L/100 km (improvement from 9.2/8.7/9.0 L/100 km)
• Annual fuel cost – $1,473 (improvement from $1,672)

The NRCan report doesn’t explain why total driving range is reduced in the newer version despite an increased electric range and more fuel-efficient gasoline-only operation. One guess, and it’s only a guess, is that maybe the 2026 version has a smaller gas tank to accommodate the larger battery.

What else is new?

Like mentioned above, the automaker will give the updated Outlander PHEV a full unveiling in mid-January, which this blog will report on when it happens.

But the new version is expected to the same updates as the Outlander, including a new Yamaha audio system, updated suspension tuning for an improved ride, more creature comforts and new materials.

You can also check the Mitsubishi Canada website for updates.

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