Next-generation Mitsubishi Lancer to be a crossover: We explain
Tuesday, April 24, 2018 IST
It has come to light that Mitsubishi is busy readying the next-generation Mitsubishi Lancer. The radical return of the Lancer brand will happen through the launch of a stylish C-segment crossover to rival the likes of Toyota C-HR and the Nissan Juke. Though the new Lancer will rival conventional hatchbacks such as the Ford Focus in the C-Segment space, it’s design will be unconventional, and more crossover than hatchback. This news comes through an exclusive report by the international publication AutoExpress.
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The Japanese giant has been enjoying a healthy sales growth as part of an alliance with Renault and Nissan. Now the company’s boss, Briton Trevor Mann, and Mitsubishi’s chief designer Tsunehiro Kunimoto have already started working on the next-generation of the popular Mitsubishi SUVs. They have also started work on the next-generation Lancer. Mann has revealed that the specifics of the next-gen Lancer are close to being finalized. He said,
We have a long-range product plan that’s pretty solid until 2025, and a dotted line beyond that. Within that what we’ve said is, ‘Which vehicles do we want? What are we going to work on?’ We’re going to replace ASX, Outlander and Triton [the L200 pick-up]. Then we have these two boxes: Pajero and Lancer. Lancer’s probably the easiest one; we believe we’ve got a solution that could fit the segment. Because if you look globally, the C-segment hatchback [Golf and Focus] market is not shrinking. It’s down a bit in the US and Europe. But its numbers are still expanding in China. So there is an appeal. And I think because the segment is so large globally, we’ve got to take a look at it.
Kunimoto has said that the design elements previewed by the e-Evolution concept shown at last year’s Tokyo motor show are likely to make it to the next-gen Lancer.
Just because it’s C-segment doesn’t mean it has to be a very conventional hatchback. Maybe we can create a new type of hatchback vehicle. We’re thinking quite radically. Originality is as much a part of the Mitsubishi design philosophy now as consistency.
The radical e-Evolution concept shown last year previewed a high riding coupe-crossover, replete with a four wheel drive system to tackle rough terrain. Considering that the new Lancer will be inspired by the e-Evolution and that Mitsubishi wants the new car to be quite unconventional, it’s likely to be a crossover rather than a mere hatchback. Another key detail is that the new Lancer could use the Renault-Nissan alliance’s C/D platform. It’s also expected to get an all wheel drive system and a hybrid powertrain.
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