Combined, both electric and combustion engines put out a total of 295 horsepower. Mitsubishi
Combined, both electric and combustion engines put out a total of 295 horsepower.
The car is a plug-in hybrid with a tiny 1.1-liter 3-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor and 14 kWh battery. Mitsubishi
The car is a plug-in hybrid with a tiny 1.1-liter 3-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor and 14 kWh battery.
Don't expect either the brilliant steering wheel or the red driver's seat to make it to production, but we dig the effect. Mitsubishi
Don't expect either the brilliant steering wheel or the red driver's seat to make it to production, but we dig the effect.
Future Mitsubishis will feature the brand's own augmented reality display, rendered here. Mitsubishi
Future Mitsubishis will feature the brand's own augmented reality display, rendered here.
The XR-PHEV's two motors put out a combined 295 horsepower.
The XR-PHEV's two motors put out a combined 295 horsepower.
There's no word on when Mitsubishi will bring these designs to production, but we expect new models with these features to show up soon. Mitsubishi
There's no word on when Mitsubishi will bring these designs to production, but we expect new models with these features to show up soon.
We still love the Evo, and Mitsubishi has made some quality cars over the years, but the brand just doesn’t sell well in the United States. Naturally, that’s something the company is looking to change, and last week it showed us how it expects to do it: The XR-PHEV is a muscled-out crossover packed with modern tech and an unexpectedly peppy engine setup. It’s just a concept car, but Mitsubishi says it “hints at the future design direction” for the brand.
This Range Rover Evoque look-a-like is a plug-in electric hybrid with all the traits of a cool concept: a funky steering wheel, bright red paint, no side mirrors, the use of futuristic technology (in this case, augmented reality), and impossibly narrow windows. We don’t expect to see anything like it go to production, but by bringing this template to the City of Angels, Mitsubishi says it’s confirming its dedication to bringing new cars to the the US market. They’ve been in the EV game for a while, so we have high hopes.
We’ve seen plenty of concept crossovers in recent years, but this one feels especially Japanese-futuristic. The exterior looks like someone cut it into strips and glued it back together in a hurry. The thin headlights are menacing, the swept-back contours make it look aerodynamic and efficient. Then there’s the highlighted red driver’s seat with a race car-style steering wheel, lest you confuse it for a kid-hauler.
For the camping (or survivalist) inclined, the car’s interior outlets will be able to pump out 1,500 watts of power. That’s enough, Mitsubishi says, to power household appliances for a full day. With a full tank of gas and the engine set to generator mode, you can bank on up to 10 days of appliance-ready power. Everyday-useful? Not really, but it’s a cool feature we’d like to see on the forthcoming vehicles.
The XR-PHEV also has the connected car features we’ve come to expect. There are plans for pedestrian detection and blind spot warning systems, and cameras to detect driver fatigue. Mitsubishi has also been talking about its planned augmented reality (AR) windshield, which would feed data on the car’s surroundings into a display projected onto the windshield. It promises connection to a vehicle information network that will let the car automatically read traffic lights with an onboard camera. (This idea isn’t brand new; the problem is that the infrastructure doesn’t exist on the road yet.)
When it comes to the powertrain, we’re impressed with what’s on show. The three-cylinder turbocharged 1.1-liter gas motor puts out 134 horsepower on its own. Paired with a 121-kilowatt (161 hp) electric motor, the XR-PHEV makes 295 horsepower total. Electricity comes from a 14 kWh battery stored underneath the cabin.
The Mitsu’s powertrain brain divides up responsibilities between the engine and electric motor by detecting the remaining battery reserves and analyzing driving conditions to select the best mode. In full-electric, the default setting, the gas engine runs in the background to keep the battery juiced. Mitsubishi says the car will get about 53 miles on a full charge — if needed, battery save mode cuts back on inessential power-suckers like air conditioning, for extra range (Mitsubishi doesn’t say how much). In hybrid mode, the XR-PHEV will get about 65 mpg. And you can always refill the gas tank if you run out of electricity but want to keep driving. Even without performance specs, we don’t expect this setup to match Tesla’s dual-motor P85D. But for what will likely be an affordable crossover, it’ll likely do just fine.
This isn’t Mitsubishi’s first EV, or even the its first SUV electrified crossover. The Outlander plug-in hybrid goes 32 miles on electricity alone (better than average for this kind of powertrain) and delivers 50-plus mpg. Sure, these numbers aren’t revolutionary, but we’ll be watching to see if the cars that follow are cool enough to make the brand relevant over here. If this concept leads to a brawny, fuel-sipping people-hauler with some radical-looking sheetmetal, our interest will be piqued.
Click through the gallery above to see more of the car.
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