For the past couple of years, Mitsubishi has trotted out a number of compelling plug-in concept cars, none of which have come anywhere near production. But that seems to be changing with the Mitsubishi XR PHEV II, which has shed some of its edginess as it hints at what Mitsubishi might actually sell us. And I kinda like it.
The sporty shape belies a 163 horsepower electric powered by an unspecified MIVEC engine, which could range anywhere from 1.0 to 3.8 liters, and four to six cylinders. My guess is a small-displacement turbocharged four-banger, but Mitsubishi isn’t ready to say just yet. It does however quote CO2 emissions of just 40 g/km, so even a three-cylinder engine is a possibility The last XR PHEV conceptdid use a 1.1 liter three-cylinder engine, after all. That said, we might have to wait for the Geneva Auto Show to officially get under way for more drivetrain info.
To be sure, the XR PHEV II is much closer to being a production vehicle than Mitsu’s other recently-revealed concept, the much bigger GC-PHEV. The question still remains though, will the XR PHEV II make it into production, or is Mitsubishi still teasing us with the idea of the car company it could be? The automaker’s struggles in America are no secret, and with its most compelling actual product, the Outlander PHEV, delayed at least another year in the U.S., there’s not too much else to be excited about. A hybrid Lancer Evolution would be nice, but the only “fresh” product Mitsubishi has delivered to American shares was the Mirage. And besides Jo, not too many people are enthused with it.
Here’s hoping the XR PHEV II Concept actually leads to a production car this time around.
Source: Gas2
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