This might be the face of the next-generation Mitsubishi Pajero and Outlander...
Then again, it might not, given divisive reactions to Mitsubishi’s Mi-TECH concept at the Tokyo motor show.
The open-topped buggy answers an interesting question: What would an electric off-roader look like?
Mitsubishi says outdoorsy types will be attracted to vehicles with “excellent environmental performance and quietness” allowing them to get closer to nature.
High-torque electric motors offer more precise control than a diesel engine with four-wheel-drive, promising a unique experience off road.
The Mi-TECH is all about better access to the bush, with plug-in hybrid power and a jeep-like approach that does away with the doors and roof to help envelop drivers in the environment.
Without giving away too much, Mitsubishi says its future off-roader would also offer “superb driving performance” on the road, tapping into lessons learned through its legendary Lancer Evolution line of all-wheel-drive performance cars.
Which is all well and good, but followers on the brand’s social media channels offered mixed reactions.
One person said it was the “ugliest concept I’ve ever seen”, another felt it was “not beautiful”, or less diplomatically, “Seriously WTF is that? How did a company that gave us the Evo … ended up making NASA looking vehicles”.
Of course, some customers are into the new face.
One bloke asked the brand to “build it or something interesting and progressive, rather than [a] run of the mill me-too car”, and another simply said “I want it and I want it NOW”.
Don’t expect the brand to offer an open-topped toylike off-roader just yet. But don’t be surprised if some of its lines translate to future production models.
- News.com.au
