Mitsubishi’s PX-MiEV II hybrid SUV is officially a concept car but company insiders say its styling gives the strongest clue yet to the all-new Outlander.
So why a replacement for the mid-size Mitsubishi SUV when there’s no sign of the all-new Pajero? Priorities explained the company’s Executive Vice President of Product Projects, Mr Gayu Uesugi.
Market growth in the SUV segment is dominated by mid-sizers, but look for the all-new Pajero down the track. “I am thinking about the Pajero every day because Mitsubishi ‘is’ Pajero and while I don’t have something to show you today, I hope to have something next time we meet,” Mr Uesugi told Car Showroom at the Mitsubishi stand while reflecting on the model’s incredible success in the Paris-Dakar Rally.
But the hybrid Mitsubishi PX-MiEV II (a larger version of an earlier concept) is a vital cog in the company’s plan to have half of its total model lineup comprised of hybrid or electric vehicles by 2020.
The nicely-styled Mitsubishi PX-MiEV II employs series and parallel hybrid technology. With a combined fuel consumption claimed to be as low as 1.6l/100kms, the petrol-electric hybrid employs it’s 2.0-litre petrol engine only when required and can run for 800kms between refills, but importantly can be driven for 50kms purely on electric power – enough for most city-based daily use.
Look for a production version of the Mitsubishi PX-MiEV II as the replacement for the Outlander within the next two years.
