Mitsubishi's next-generation ASX was previewed by the XR-PHEV II concept in GenevaNew ASX crossover is poised to bring back the Evo badge as a high-performance hybrid, if sales allow
Mitsubishi’s Evo badge is being lined up for a return on a high-performance version of the upcoming second-generation ASX - provided the new car proves popular enough.
Tetsuro Aikawa, boss of Mitsubishi, told Autocar: “In the future, we would like to launch such a vehicle with Evo characteristics. In Japanese, when you pronounce ‘Oh’ [in Evo], it means ‘king’. So we would like to launch this type of car, featuring EV and PHEV technology, which is the ultimate of its kind. ‘EV’ for electric vehicle, ‘O’ for king - Evo.”
This ‘ultimate vehicle’ is understood to be based on the next-gen ASX crossover, which was previewed by the XR-PHEV II concept at the Geneva motor show last month. A high-performance version would be four-wheel drive, in line with past Evos, and not front drive like the concept.
Aikawa said: “It has to be light and fast - something performance-oriented. That’s what we want.”
Lessons learned from the Pikes Peak racer, the MiEV Evolution, could aid the development of a hybrid high-performance SUV. However, Mitsubishi would not be drawn on when the new model may come to market, stating only that it would be “far in the future”, after the planned 2016 launch of the next ASX.
Aikawa said: “To develop these kind of vehicles, we have to sell a lot of the base models, so we can cover the research and development costs.”
Product boss Kanenori Okamoto has also previously said that the Evo will be “replaced in spirit by an SUV with high performance”.
A high-performance model that made use of Mitsubishi’s hybrid technologies would additionally further promote the brand’s efficiency-minded offerings, such as the popular Outlander PHEV.
The XR-PHEV II concept, in standard form, features a plug-in hybrid petrol-electric system with a claimed 160bhp output.
History of the Mitsubishi Evo - picture special
Get the latest car news, reviews and galleries from Autocar direct to your inbox every week. Enter your email address below:
from Autocar RSS Feed http://ift.tt/1x1yilD
via AGYA
