Car and Driver - USA (2019-10)

85

Mercedes-Benz — Nissan

Mitsubishi

—

Outlander Sport: Graced

with a bold new face, the

Outlander Sport aims to

seduce young buyers craving

a sporty subcompact cross-

over—or one that looks sporty,

anyway. It rides on the same

platform that’s underpinned

the vehicle since the 2011

model year, but Mitsubishi

spiffed up the cabin materials

and switchgear and scrapped

the standard five-speed

manual gearbox. Otherwise,

the powertrain options are

unchanged and unremarkable,

with a choice of naturally

aspirated 2.0- and 2.4-liter

four-cylinders sending power

to the front or all four wheels.

—

Minor trim changes: Eclipse

Cross, Mirage G4, Outlander

Unchanged: Mirage

Hardtop: Mini will soon

offer its first widely available

electric vehicle, the Cooper SE.

It will share its body with the

two-door Hardtop hatchback

and its motor and 33.2-kWh

battery with the 2017–18 BMW

i3. Engineers say the range

should match the 114 miles

this setup manages in that i3.

Also new, a track-focused GP

model with the 302-hp mill

and an aggressive aero kit

arrives to fight the Honda Civic

Type R. The rest of the Hardtop

lineup sees no major changes.

—

Unchanged: Convertible

STICK WITH IT

Brand officials say

Mini is committed to

the future of the manual

gearbox [Stiff upper

lip. God save the

manual—Ed.], but the

first round of 2020

Clubman, Hardtop, and

Convertible models will

come with automatics.

At this point, the three-

pedal cars are delayed

indefinitely due to what

Mini ominously calls

“technical evaluation.”

Mercedes-AMG GT: A droptop version of the hard-core GT R and a new Pro

model join the lineup. The former gets the same track-ready suspension tuning,

aggressive looks, and 577-hp twin-turbo V-8 as the coupe; only 750 will be available

worldwide. The GT R Pro also uses this engine, but the suspension has manually

adjustable dampers, the aerodynamics package is upgraded to deliver more down-

force, and carbon-ceramic brake rotors come standard. Only 150 are coming here.

and an eight-speed automatic
with paddle shifters round
out the powertrain. We expect
the JCW to hit 60 mph in just
4.8 seconds. All Clubmans
[Clubmen?—Ed.] get a new
grille and revised headlights
and taillights.
—
Countryman: The JCW
Countryman receives the
same insano powertrain as
the Works Clubman. Here, it
should be good for a sub-5.0-
second zero-to-60-mph sprint.
The rest of the Countryman
lineup soldiers on without
alteration.

Nissan

—

GT-R: Nissan’s supercoupe

soldiers on into its second

decade in the U.S. market with

some performance updates

for the Nismo model. The

V-6 engine is treated to new

turbos, though it still makes

the same 600 horsepower.

The roof, hood, and front

fenders are now made from

carbon fiber. The Nismo wears

carbon-ceramic brake rotors

and aggressive new Dunlop

tires. The price, a staggering

$212,335, is roughly double

the cost of the 565-hp

standard GT-R, which gets

a titanium muffler and new

turbos for 2020.

—

Sentra: The compact Sentra

sedan will receive a rework

based on the China-market

Nissan Sylphy and go on sale

early next year. Instead of

the gawky and narrow look

MERCEDES-AMG GT R PRO