Mitsubishi Concept Makes Big Impact

By Feann Torr - 12/8/2005

Judging by its new Concept Sportback's exterior design, one could argue that the aggressively styled Mitsubishi concept car has all the hallmarks of a 250km/h performance vehicle.

It's sleek profile, ground hugging stance and menacing front end all point towards a vehicle with a point to prove.

Mitsubishi hasn't had a smooth ride over the past 18 months, and this will no doubt be an antidote for the malaise that's been affecting the company's outlook.

The new car will fill a void in the marque's European line-up that is without a stylish mid-sized car, unless you count the Charisma sedan. The final production model based on the new concept will rival vehicles such as the Mazda6 and Honda Accord.

Mitsubishi is being coy with the information it releases - a little bit like the approach its Australian operation is taking to the Magna's replacement, the '380' - as at the time of writing no details were released on what kind of machinery will be under that sleek reverse scooped bonnet.

"The Mitsubishi Concept-Sportback gives the first indications of the company's vision for its next generation of C-segment [mid-size] cars and debuts its design inspiration for a new European 5-door sports hatchback," says Mitsubishi.

Of course a turbocharged petrol engine could also be part of the car's running gear - 4-cylinder economy items for the entry level models and perhaps a medium capacity 6-cylinder unit with twin turbos for the sports model? That last option wouldn't be very fuel efficient, but the range-topping halo models are allowed to be special, and you can be sure that Mitsubishi is already working on a new engine range to suit its gregarious European sports hatch.

There are many telltale design cues that suggest this embryonic concept will be a rip snorting road warrior, including the large front air dam, the dual reverse bonnet scoops, flared wheel arches (for a wider track) and the bold rear diffuser straddled by large exhaust pipes (seen in the sketch).

Whatever powerplant makes the cut in the final production vehicle based on the Sportback concept, it's clear that Mitsubishi wants to be where Mazda, Subaru and Honda are in terms of the styling of its new vehicles. Not only appreciably sporty, the concept car is also a more mature design than Mitsu has developed in the past, offering a very bright ray of hope for the Mitsubishi faithful everywhere.