Mitsubishi eX Concept Is An Electric SUV

When the Tokyo motor show kicks off later this month, the Mitsubishi eX concept will be revealed to the public for the first time. The all-electric SUV represents Mitsubishi’s vision of a unique vehicle aimed at the fast growing compact SUV market. It uses Mitsubishi’s state of the art EV and all wheel control technologies combined with automated driving, connected car, and active safety systems.

The eX concept is said to offer insight into the future of Mitsubishi design, according to Electric Cars Report. It is viewed as a cross between a sporty crossover for zipping around town and a stylish luxury estate wagon. It features the company’s Dynamic Shield front design language.

The Mitsubishi eX has true four-wheel-drive capability, thanks to its two 70 kilowatt electric motors, one in the front, the other in the rear, and powered by a 45 kWh battery. It will have a range of 250 miles, Mitsubishi says. The company expects improvements in battery technology will double the power of EV batteries in the next 5 years.

The styling of the eX concept is…..interesting. Like many manufacturers today, the company seems determined to compromise utility and load carrying capacity in order to emphasize a low roof line and swoopy looks. Sadly, what remains is a two-seater sports car with room for two tiny humans in back and very little of the utility that is supposed to be the reason for these kind of cars in the first place. The average family sedan could probably carry more people and more stuff than this concept.

Mitsubishi loves to fiddle and diddle with styling instead of bring products to market. It has kept thevery competent Outlander PHEV — one of the first plug-in hybrid SUVs in the world — out of the US market for almost 4 years while it fussed and fretted about the shape of the grille and whether the wheel arches were muscular enough for American tastes.

It could have had the US market to itself all these years, but by the time the company finally gets around to bringing it stateside, it will face a slew of competitors. The Outlander PHEV could have given Mitsubishi the presence in the American market it has craved for decades, but now it has forfeited that opportunity.

Photo Credits: Mitsubishi