Mitsubishi Vision Ralliart Concept Set for Release by 2024

The Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors has set its sights on new alternative fuel entries into its future lineup. According to the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance new business strategy, Alliance 2030, all eyes are still on Mitsubishi as the first of the three to launch a new model and start the new line of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) from the Alliance. One could say Mitsubishi is stretching itself too thin. Without any BEV in sight, the automaker is updating its current line of gasoline models and only hinting at a new PHEV while also making Ralliart relevant again. In fact, the newest PHEV may just be the Mitsubishi Vision Ralliart that debuted during the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Said to be capable of tackling some of the former range-topping variants of the late Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, the Vision Ralliart Concept had some things going for it. Possibly based off of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, the powertrain is a little tame, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motors, able to generate a combined 286 horsepower. We didn’t get much of a look at the Vision Ralliart Concept, – just a huge rear diffuser and a Ralliart badge were shared about its appearance. The Mitsubishi Mirage Ralliart Edition sports Ralliart graphics, bright red mud flaps, a White Diamond body and black roof, new black wheel arch trims, and a Ralliart nameplate in the rear fascia. It sounds like Ralliart is just an appearance package, but the Vision Ralliart could change that.

Equipped with large brake rotors and six-piston brake calipers for more stopping power, 22-inch wheels with bigger tires, unique front and rear bumpers, wider fenders in the front and rear for more rugged looks, and a new front grille, the Mitsubishi Vision Ralliart concept sounds like it’s being built for high performance. Now that’s definitely what Ralliart is known for, creating the original Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Mitsubishi Starion 4WD. True rally race cars, fans have been waiting for Mitsubishi to return to its roots for years now, and according to an interview between automotive media publication Response and Mitsubishi Motors President Takao Kato, Ralliart special editions could just be the beginning of bringing sports and rally cars back to the Mitsubishi lineup. The Mitsubishi Vision Ralliart could be the first of many if this concept and other upcoming Ralliart editions do well.

If the Mitsubishi Vision Ralliart Concept is based off of the Outlander PHEV, there is also a possibility that Mitsubishi Motors is playing with the idea of finally discontinuing the plug-in hybrid SUV. The automaker’s longest-lasting venture into alternative fuel, it’s still popular in other parts of the world, but sales are dropping in North America. More sport models like the Eclipse Cross are doing much better, and at one point, a PHEV variant of the model was set to take over as the new flagship vehicle for Mitsubishi Motors, an Eclipse Cross PHEV. A new, Ralliart-inspired PHEV might just be what Mitsubishi Motors needs to bring back rally car fans while also breaking into a new age of BEVs.

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Photo Source/Copyright: Mitsubishi Motors