Mitsubishi killed off the Lancer Evolution — its rally-bred sporty sedan revival to the Subaru WRX — back in 2015, even though it was one of the best value sports cars on the market. Since then, enthusiasts and Mitsubishi shareholders have been clamoring for its return. There’s no evidence yet that Mitsubishi will heed their call…but the brand is planning an exciting reveal for the upcoming Tokyo Motor Salon in January.
Earlier this year, Mitsubishi announced it was reviving its Ralliart high-performance brand. And now, Mitsubishi has just dropped a teaser for a new Ralliart Concept Car. The image — a giant rear diffuser with a Ralliart logo — is vague. But the visible tailgate, sadly, suggests some form of SUV.
Read More
Mitsubishi does not clarify matters much with its description of the concept vehicle. The brand notes that the concept “brings together Mitsubishi Motors’ engineering and passion for Monozukui challenges” and “expresses the company’s vision for the new Ralliart.”
Most have presumed that Mitsubishi’s Ralliart revival will be mostly cosmetic, with a line of accessories and appearance packages for extant Mitsubishi vehicles. We also don’t know whether the revived performance brand’s offerings will make it to America, where the lineup has whittled down to the Outlander, Outlander Sport, Eclipse Cross and Mirage. Mitsubishi’s American media site ignoring the new concept is not promising.
If we were betting on it, we’d guess the Ralliart Concept ends up being something very close to an Outlander tarted up with some new OEM Ralliart accessories and appearance features. But manufacturers often bring out concepts to test ideas that aren’t necessarily production bound and gauge interest. And it’s at least possible Mitsubishi has been pondering a sporty new WRX competitor…even if it’s in SUV form and not a new Lancer Ev0.