Mitsubishi might be on the small side when it comes to automakers as a whole, but it dreams big—well, maybe “big” isn’t the word. Its dreams are weird, and in a world that often needs more weird, maybe that is a big deal. The newest iteration of that is this hybrid SUV concept, which will apparently debut soon.
Mitsubishi announced its upcoming concept SUV Wednesday, saying it’ll debut at the Tokyo Motor Show next month. The only image it released was the teaser above, which shows an unidentified object with circular... somethings... that look like those overused circular closing doors in super-villain lairs in the movies, or maybe the mouth some kind of evil mechanical worm that chops the hands off of anyone who dares to get near it—again, in the movies.
That was all that was in the release, other than Mitsubishi saying the plug-in concept will be small, driven by all four wheels, and provide “unparalleled driving pleasure and confidence over all terrain in light and wind.” Either someone got a little carried away with the attempt at poetic metaphors, or the new Mitsubishi concept will be able to fly with the wind under its wings and the light shining on its face.
Anyway, here’s what the release said:
... MMC will propose new values which combine SUV, PHEV and 4WD: The car will have a downsized, lower-weight plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) drivetrain, as well as an electric 4WD system.
MITSUBISHI MOTORS delivers a new kind of driving experience that an electric SUV realizes; one that offers reassurance and safety in everyday driving about town, while allowing drivers of all abilities to confidently push further over the unmade or rough road surfaces when engaging in outdoor activities.
Contrary to what you’re thinking, this won’t be the first hybrid SUV concept for Mitsubishi this year. The company debuted one in March at the Geneva Motor Show, and it looked exactly like the apocalypse tank you’ll be preparing to drive whenever that time comes, which looks sooner and sooner by the day.
Perhaps this one will be just as wild, or perhaps it won’t. But maybe try not to get your hands too close to those sharp-edged circles of death Mitsubishi added to it for whatever reason, because that never ends well in the movies.