Long wait for next-gen Mitsubishi Evo

Speaking with reporters at the launch of the new Mitsubishi Triton in Bangkok, Mitsubishi product planner Vincent Cobee said it would be some time before Mitsubishi heralded the return of performance heroes perceived as “brand leaders but not profit makers”.

Recently acquired by Renault-Nissan, Mitsubishi will focus on SUVs, utes and hybrid machines before introducing another flagship performance model.

Asked when a proper performance car might return, Cobee says "we are in the process of rebuilding trust as a brand and as a corporation”.

“We have a very clear logic of management which is you walk, you run and then you sprint," he says.

“We don’t start by sprinting.”

But faithful fans of Mitsubishi and Ralliart should not give up hope.

“You don’t build a brand without icons,” Cobee told reporters at the Triton event.

“The Mitsubishi brand has been built around icons from that car (the Triton), Pajero and to a substantial extent in a number of markets, Lancer and Lancer Evo, for different reasons - durability and capability on pick-up, off-road and amazing capability on Pajero and performance on Lancer Evo.”

The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance is renowned for sharing platforms between brands. Renault announced a deal to build Trafic vans for Mitsubishi Australia this week, Nissan already shares its Navara ute with Renault and Mercedes-Benz, and the brands have confirmed plans for the next-gen Outlander to ride on the same chassis as the X-Trail.

So, with an Evo-sized hole in the line-up, could Mitsubishi borrow something like the Renault Megane RS as a starting point?

No, says Cobee, who expects the next-gen Evolution to arrive as part of an electrified future.

“The Megane RS might be one of the few or last ICE-powered sports vehicles to be saleable,” he says.

“Regulation, emissions regulations and standards, CAFE and customer expectation will move us to electrified powertrains. The good news is that electrified powertrains can be much more fun. 

“It will take some time. But the destination is quite well known for me. 

“Tomorrow, more and more, you well see electrified vehicles becoming pleasure cars.”