Mitsubishi GT PHEV concept up close at the Paris motor show
Bold hybrid SUV may point to sporty coupe off-roader for Geneva 2017.
Mitsubishi has pulled the covers off a wild plug-in hybrid concept in Paris that possibly points towards an SUV that will take the place of the Evo X in the company’s line-up.
The GT-PHEV uses four motors in total; there is a pair of 45kW electric motors on the rear axle along with a single 90kW one on the front, while a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine nestles under the prominent bonnet.
The four powerplants team up with a 25kWh battery and a two-speed transaxle transmission, and the petrol engine can operate both as a generator (in parallel) and a motivator (in series) with the electric engines.
The battery – which is more than twice the size of the 12kWh pack in the current Outlander PHEV – gives the GT-PHEV a theoretical electric range of 120km, while Mitsubishi says its total range is 1200km.
Any replacement for the recently retired Evo line will likely come in the form of a crossover.
A sophisticated drivetrain system takes inputs from various sources, including external cameras and internet and GPS signals, to help to monitor the car’s progression.
Mitsubishi has also added its Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) stability control system - made famous by the now-defunct Lancer Evo range – to the GT-PHEV.
The high-sided, small cockpit, cab-back design of the four-seat concept is perhaps too wild to be seen as an indication of what the company’s replacement Outlander will look like, and may well point to a more coupe-crossover product from the beleaguered company.
It has also indicated in the past that any replacement for the recently retired Evo line will likely come in the form of a crossover.
Reports have suggested that a production-ready SUV will be launched at the 2017 Geneva motor show, but there is no confirmation that it will be a new version of either the Outlander or the successful but ageing ASX.
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