If we’re going to be honest, the much-hyped return of Mitsubishi’s Ralliart ended up being anticlimactic. More ‘art’ than ‘rally,’ the initial phase of the comeback was nothing more than visual tweaks slapped on the automaker’s Montero Sport and Strada truck-based platform twins.
It's hard to tell what kind of vehicle Mitsubishi has in store, but that rear diffuser should do justice to the Ralliart badge
Mitsubishi is offering an apology of sorts for that false start by releasing a teaser image of what is – hopefully – the company’s first true Ralliart model in over a decade. The picture depicts what appears to be a rear diffuser attached to a rear bumper, comprising mesh elements and showing off the trademark parallel lines of the motorsport division’s logo.
It’s unclear whether the vehicle in question is a crossover or a sedan in the vein of the Lancer Evolution series. The latter is much less likely, given Mitsubishi’s declaration in 2014 that it is practically abandoning development of performance-oriented gasoline-powered sedans in favor of electric vehicles (EVs). No tailpipe can be seen in the image, which makes the brewing rumor that this could be an EV or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that much more plausible.
There are speculations that the mystery model is a performance version of the 2022 Outlander
All that Mitsubishi says is that the vehicle represents “the company’s vision for Ralliart,” which could mean anything from a lightly modified current model or an all-new offering altogether. Similarities have even been drawn between the mystery model and the 2022 Outlander compact crossover, especially on the tailgate and rear quarter panels.
The Mitsubishi Kei Ev Concept developed with Nissan will also make its global debut
In any case, fans won’t have long to wait, as Mitsubishi will be presenting the Ralliart concept vehicle at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon in mid-January. The carmaker will also take advantage of the event to unveil the Kei EV Concept reportedly developed with Nissan. Slated to hit the Japanese market by April 2022, pricing for the upcoming small EV's production version is estimated at $18,000 (around Php 898,000) after EV subsidies.
We’re always on the tail of automotive teasers at Philkotse.com.