Remember the beautiful 3000GT and Eclipse? Indeed, they were beautiful vehicles (not the modern day Eclipse). What ever did happen to Mitsubishi? They’ve been producing garbage (in my opinion) for years now with the exception of the Lancer EVO and even that is a bit over priced. Nobody knows how long they will continue to make vehicles but if these concepts are the “new direction” for the company, I hope for their sake that it’s a quick and painless death.
Mitsubishi Concept XR-PHEV
So let’s have a look at what is being unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show from Mitsubishi. They are bringing three new concepts to the table with the first being the Concept XR-PHEV. As the name would suggest, the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid. The front-wheel drive layout PHEV system pairs a downsized 1.1-liter direct injection turbocharged MIVEC motor with a lightweight, compact, and high-efficiency electric motor and high-capacity battery. The vehicle is a terrible rendition of a few vehicles currently on the market such as the Nissan Juke.
Mitsubishi Concept AR
The next in line is the lime-green Concept AR which is the next-generation compact MPV which combines the SUV maneuverability while have the added benefits of an MPV spacious interior. This concept uses a lightweight version of a hybrid system which also utilizes the 1.1-liter direct-injection turbocharged MIVEC engine from the above Concept XR-PHEV. Does the Concept AR look like a terrible version of the Range Rover Evoque?
Mitsubishi Concept GC-PHEV
And the final concept is the next-generation of full-size SUV’s with a permanent all-wheel drive system. This concept also uses a plug-in hybrid system using a 3.0-liter V6 MIVEC engine that is supercharged and mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The GC-PHEV also features a high-output electric motor and utilizing a high-capacity battery. According to Mitsubishi, the vehicle will deliver all-terrain performance while reducing emissions as the same time.
This one definitely belongs on Mars and we’re not quite ready for a design such as this. Of the three, this is definitely the most unique looking and it’s the only one I can look at without having to gouge out my eyes.
