Mitsubishi doesn’t have a lot going for it these days. It no longer makes the one model that enthusiasts cared about, and the SUVs and ultracheap subcompacts aren’t competitive with the rest of the industry on anything but price — unless its planned refresh of the bigger Outlander changes things, of course.

Even with Mitsubishi attempting to position itself as the value-above-all brand, going cheaper while all the rest of its former competitors move upmarket, we were surprised to see the brand’s announcement on Monday that the 2021 Outlander Sport would be starting at just $22,090 (including a $1,095 destination fee).

Friends, that is cheap. Really cheap. Of course, there’s a catch. That price is for the two-wheel drive S trim. Unfortunately, Mitsubishi doesn’t even show that trim level on its customer-facing website. The most affordable trim it shows is the 2WD ES trim, which starts at $24,090. That’s a big price difference.

Mitsubishi representatives have told us that the S trim will be added to the site eventually, and that dealers will have information on that trim level, should someone be interested.

The 2021 Outlander Sport appears to carry on mostly unchanged from the 2020 model, which Roadshow’s own Craig Cole reviewed and didn’t like very much. If you’re in the market for an affordable crossover and you don’t care how it drives or wears but care very much about its warranty, then the Outlander Sport might be worth looking at — but probably not.

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