Damon Lavrinc at AutoBlog.com has the privilege of the First Drive: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is right-sized at the right time. Check out his article for the best coverage we’ve seen so far on this brand new 4B11-powered CUV.

For the price and the segment, it packs all the baubles you’d expect, plus something that sets Mitsubishi apart – its all-wheel drive system. With consumers in this segment less enamored with outright power and increasingly focused on how grunt reaches the ground, Mitsubishi has a chance to become one of the predominant players in the all-wheel drive set, a segment that Subaru has owned for decades and luxury automakers are finally beginning to recognize as a sales tool. Mitsubishi certainly has the necessary hardware, and it’s fitted it to a well-priced, nicely equipped CUV. If the compact crossover segment takes off as predicted, Mitsubishi has a credible package to offer and a renewed focus that could save the marque from obscurity.