Friday, November 1, 2013

Mitsubishi previews Qashqai rival

XR-PHEV concept for Tokyo show
Five doors, but coupe roofline
Next-gen Shogun also previewed

This is the Mitsubishi XR-PHEV, a new small SUV that could give the Japanese manufacturer a rival for everything from the Nissan Qashqai to the Range Rover Evoque.
The XR-PHEV, which has been revealed ahead of its public debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month, mixes jacked-up SUV looks with a coupe-style roofline. It appears to be a five-door, however, so could eventually replace the ASX in Mitsubishi's line-up.
Mitsubishi says the concept is powered by a blend of an electric motor and a 1.1-litre turbocharged engine (the PHEV in its name stands for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle). However, while the company is pushing ahead with hybrid technologies, it's thought that any production model would also be offered with conventional petrol and diesel motors.
Mitsubishi has also revealed the first images of the GC-PHEV, a larger model that points to the successor to the current Shogun. The show car uses a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine combined with an electric motor; again, this system is tipped to make production, alongside regular petrols and diesels in the range.

No comments:

Post a Comment