Overseas Mitsubishi Models We Wish Were Here Too
Ever hear the saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side?” It’s a feeling that one is missing out on something good because they’re not happy with that they have. Well, what if it’s something they don’t have? We did a little poking around and found some great Mitsubishi vehicles hiding in the shadows, or more so in Japan. To think on the other side of the world are mechanical gems Mitsubishi Motors has yet to bring to the states.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Mitsubishi Motors has been teasing us with the Outlander PHEV for years and years. At this point, we’re all about to give up hope, but whenever we hear an update, we’re brought back to all the good things. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has four-wheel drive (4WD), it can travel over 500 miles on a full tank, and can travel over 30 miles on electric power with minimal emissions. All on a hybrid system made up of a 12-kWh battery and a 2.0-liter four cylinder engine. The GT PHEV can do even more, with a total of 745 miles. It soon fell under another name, and we’re hoping it’s the crossover to debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show.
Mitsubishi eK
Have you seen the Kia Soul? It’s actually a very popular vehicle for a cube on wheels. As it turns out, Mitsubishi ha something similar. Within the company, it’s referred to as a minicar. It’s about the same size, a little smaller actually, but it has a pretty sick engine. Running on a 3G83 SOHC 12-valve straight-3, this engine is as foreign as the vehicle. A good translation would be to call it a SOHC I3 engine, due to it’s design. The 3G83 is a very advanced technological milestone in its class for how small the engine is, consisting of multi-valve cylinder heads, and Dual Overhead Camshaft and turbocharged variations. The sales started off strong, but soon declined past breaking even.
Mitsubishi L200 Triton
Let’s get a truck in here, yeah? Mitsubishi has trucks, who knew … rugged, reliable, and comfortable, it’s a wonder why the L200 Triton is hiding from the states. Running on 4WD and powered by one of two turbocharged engines, on a 2.4-liter MIVEC turbocharged DOHC engine, this truck offers about 178-horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. Plus, for driver control and handling, it comes with a drive mode selector to choose between two-wheel drive high for normal conditions, 4WD high for rough roads, 4WD lock for off-road and rugged terrains, and 4WD low for steep hills, mud, sand, and snow. Why is this truck not here now? Why?!
Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero
We can understand why this vehicle hasn’t made it to the states. One quick look and it seems almost like an Outlander clone. It’s got a MIVEC (albeit more powerful) V6 engine, has all-wheel control, INVEC installed for smooth exchange of power and control between driver and vehicle, and a Sport Mode for enhanced response and performance of the vehicle. It’s stronger, with a max output of 246-hp and 242 lb-ft of torque, and has some very sleek fashion sense.
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
We said the Pajero/Montero was like the Outlander’s stronger sibling right? So it goes without saying there is a Pajero Sport just like there is an Outlander Sport. Oddly enough, the designs are switched. The Sport seems to be the longer of the two whereas the Pajero/Montero is a tad more compact. Currently in its third generation, the Pajero Sport is powered by a 4N15 2.4L MIVEC engine, or a 2.4-liter DOHC I4 MIVEC engine on our side of the world. It’s maximum output is 178-horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. That’s stronger than the strongest Outlander Sport, and that’s just one of the three engine options.
All-in-all, it would seem Mitsubishi Motors NA may just not want to give their other vehicles competition. But after looking at these vehicles, they may want to rethink that strategy.