Mitsubishi is not doing so well these days business-wise, and we reckon it’s because they no longer make exciting cars. Their production lineup is full of dreary rubbish, and as for new models, well, they have a bunch of fancy concepts they show at every motor show they attend.
They just revealed the 2014 Geneva Motor Show lineup, and again, it includes three crossover vehicles with bad names and hybrid powertrains; cars that have very little chance of production.
Mitsubishi’s Geneva lineup is headlined by the Concept XR-PHEV, which is a next-generation coupé-like compact plug-in hybrid electric crossover. Despite what the looks might suggest, the XR is not what you call capable, what with a 1.1 liter MIVEC petrol engine, a lightweight electric motor, and front-wheel-drive.
The Concept GC-PHEV is a bit more like it, boasting four-wheel-drive and a 3.0-litre V6 supercharged MIVEC petrol engine mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, a high-output motor and a high-capacity battery. This could be your future Pajero.
The last of Mitsu’s concepts for the Geneva Motor Show is a SUV/MPV called Concept AR. This one features a lightweight mild hybrid Belt-driven Starter and Generator system (BSG), and the same 1.1-litre 3-cylinder direct-injection turbocharged MIVEC engine as the XR. Not good.