Plug-In SUV To Replace Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

For the past couple of years Mitsubishi has gone back and forth on the fate of its premier sports car, the Lancer Evolution, teasing us with the idea of a hybrid successor before killing the idea completely. Instead, reports AutoCar, we’ll get a performance version of an unspecified plug-in hybrid SUV.

The company hasn’t decided which SUV will get a performance plug-in drivetrain, only that it will feature technology and knowledge gleaned from the company’s two i-MiEV Pikes Peak racers. The Super All Wheel Control system from the i-MiEV racers will send gas or electric power to all four wheels in the spirit of the Evo, though it’ll need to make a lot of power in order to move an SUV versus the compact sedan that was the Lancer. It’s also possible an all-new model, possibly based on the XR-PHEV concept, might just debut instead.

Mitsubishi basically has two options from this point; up the ante with the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which is raking in the sales in Europe, or the smaller Outlander Sport, which could benefit from an injection of performance. The smaller Outlander Sport model makes the most sense if Mitsubishi really wants to embody the spirit of the departing Lancer Evo, but Mitsubishi already tipped its cards with the Outlander PHEV S Concept that debuted last week.

After Mitsubishi i-MiEV sales failed to take off, the company seems to have pulled back from its pure electric ambitions. Instead it is pursuing plug-in hybrids, with an all-new compact truck and a van version of the Outlander on deck.

Can a plug-in SUV fill the shoes of the Lancer Evo? That’s been the cause of intense debate within Mitsubishi, and once fans catch whiff of this move, they’re sure to have a few cents to add to the conversation as well.

Source: Gas 2.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Making A Comeback As Hybrid

Mitsubishi has always had a reputation as a scrappy rabble rouser, producing competitive sports cars like the early Eclipse, and later the Lancer Evolution. These were some of the first cars to legitimately challenge American standbys like the Mustang or Camaro, and a new report rekindles rumors that the Lancer Evo will return as a sporty hybrid.

It appears that rumors of the Evo’s demise were greatly exaggerate, though it’s easy to see why. Mitsubishi is currently undergoing a major transformation, especially in North America where it has slashed its lineup almost in half. Gone are nameplates that have been around for decades, including Eclipse, Galant, and Lancer. But a new hybrid Lancer Evolution is said to be in development (such rumors go all the way back to 2010), and will be so radically different from the rest of Mitsu’s lineup, past or present, that its likely to have an entirely new name.

While a new Mitsubishi Lancer compact car is said to be in the works, and riding on a Renault platform as part of a new alliance, the Lancer Evolution will get an entirely different platform and name. The next Evo is said to be a showcase vehicle loaded with high-tech goodies, including a state-of-the-art plug-in hybrid system with performance, rather than fuel economy, at the forefront.

Mitsubishi is charging forward with plug-in hybrid technology in vehicles like its new Outlander PHEV, and after years of consolidating the small Japanese carmaker appears to have turned a financial corner. Engineers are said to be considering a more powerful, production version of the 1.1 liter turbo engine that debuted in the XR-PHEV concept, paired with a couple of small electric motors at both the front and rear, allowing for all-wheel drive like Evo drivers are used to. Output is said to be as much as 500 ponies, and new batteries will be small enough to fit under the rear seats, allowing for optimal 50/50 weight distribution.

The timing is right for a Lancer Evolution successor, and turning a well-known sports car into a hybrid is sure to get a lot of attention. If Mitsubishi can pull this off, they may just inspire other automakers to follow a similar path. This green writer approves.

Source: Motor Trend