Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) is showing us its way into the future with a trio of world premiere concepts, shown for the very first time at the Tokyo motor show.
Through them, the Japanese manufacturer previews its “new design that symbolizes the functionality and reassuring safety inherent to SUVs, the three concepts take as their theme MMC’s @earth TECHNOLOGY.”
The first is called the Concept XR-PHEV, and as its name suggests it’s a plug-in hybrid and once you look at it, it does strike you as the Nissan Juke-resembling front-wheel drive crossover that it is. Power for this city-dwelling high-rider comes from “a downsized 1.1-liter direct-injection turbocharged MIVEC engine, a lightweight, compact and high-efficiency motor with a high-capacity battery.”
The larger of the two off-road biased models shown, called Concept GC-PHEV, also uses both gasoline and electricity for optimum motion, though it uses more of each than the much smaller and lighter XR. It’s a front-engined rear-wheel drive layout model with power coming from a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 and electric motor; there’s an eight-speed autobox crammed in there as well.
The Concept AR is different from the other two in that it’s “a next-generation compact MPV which combines SUV maneuverability with MPV roominess.” It uses the same powertrain as the XR concept.
By Andrei Nedelea
Mitsubishi Concept XR-PHEV 
Mitsubishi Concept AR 
Mitsubishi Concept GC-PHEV 
