Mitsubishi GT PHEV Concept Revealed. Does Anyone Care?

The fun folks at Mitsubishi are at it again. After keeping their best selling model — the Outlander PHEV — off the American market for almost 4 years while clueless company executives in Japan concentrated on how to cheat on fuel economy tests, Mitsubishi is touting its new GT PHEV Concept before it is unveiled officially in Paris later this month.

Mitsubishi press release writers have outdone themselves this time with glowing accolades designed to make the ladies swoon and strong men weep. Give a listen.

“Featuring Mitsubishi’s latest design language together with an advanced and proprietary electric and all-wheel control technologies, the Mitsubishi GT PHEV Concept empowers drivers to pilot their car with confidence under a wide range of driving conditions. nIn its overall design, the Mitsubishi GT-PHEV Concept projects the image of a “ground tourer” — a car made for cruising across a vast land — expressing Functional Beauty, Augmented Possibility, Sculptured Dynamism, Japanese Craftsmanship.

“The front visage with its forceful presence employs MMC’s Dynamic Shield front design concept that portrays the front end’s function of protecting both people and the car. From the side, the Mitsubishi GT-PHEV Concept uses horizontal lines to convey its high-end SUV styling and vehicle stability. With a muscularity and intensity that gives the impression it has been carved from a single ingot of steel, the body is clothed in classy styling that flourishes sculptured dynamism highlighted by precise detailing.

“Inside, the Mitsubishi GT-PHEV Concept uses a horizontal dashboard that creates a spacious ambiance, making it easier for the driver to sense changes in vehicle attitude. Together with an instrument panel with a high center console, the cockpit-like interior wraps around its people, providing a sense of solace and security. Generous use of Burgundy genuine leather trim, color coordinated with the exterior roof color is another touch in creating a classy and comfortable interior space.

“On the technology front, in addition to outstanding environmental performance MMC’s advanced triple-motor PHEV system delivers superior motive performance to empower drivers of any skill level to confidently follow new paths as they like through a multitude of different weather and road surface conditions, for an enjoyable and rewarding driving experience.

“This PHEV system comprises a next generation high capacity drive battery package, three high output and high efficiency motors and an engine designed especially for the PHEV system featuring improved electricity generation performance and motive performance.

“This combination delivers the punchy performance ideal for a “ground tourer” and makes for comfortable driving on longer trips as well with an electric-only range of 120 km and a combined hybrid cruising range of over 1,200 km. The triple-motor powertrain, with one unit at the front and two at the rear, delivers a dramatic improvement in the performance of its full-time four-wheel drive powertrain and MMC’s own Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) integrated vehicle dynamics control system, bringing new levels of handling stability.”

Wow. That is prose worthy of a dime store romance novel. Here’s a hint, Mitusubishi. Forget about giving us another concept. Build the car. Put it in showrooms and let customers decide whether or not to buy it. Stop telling us about “design language” and “Dynamic Shield front design.” Enough with the “ground tourer” and “front visage” verbiage. Don’t tell us about “punchy performance” and “Super All Wheel Control integrated vehicle dynamics control system.”

Give us the car. Let us drive it. An SUV with 72 miles of electric only range? Where do we sign up and how soon can we get one? That’s all we want to know. Please, Mitsubishi, we’re begging you. Stop talking about what you are going to give us some day. Just give it to us, OK?. Oh, and fire the guy who writes your press releases. He wouldn’t know a simple declarative statement if it was staring him in face. There’s a concept for you.