- The new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV offers up better performance than its predecessor, but it’s not really a “performance-oriented” SUV akin to what so many other automakers offer.
- A new rumor suggests Mitsubishi could be developing a hotter version of its flagship crossover, under the recently revived Ralliart banner.
- The Vision Ralliart Concept (shown here) offers a strong clue as to what a production model will look like.
- As for performance, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Ralliart could pack somewhere around 300 horsepower.
Ralliart is back, but where are the actual cars? We might see one soon thanks to the Outlander PHEV.
As the brand shifted more and more toward crossovers and killed off the iconic Lancer Evolution, there hasn’t been much performance-oriented hype around Mitsubishi over the past few years. While we probably won’t see the Evo resurrected, a new report from Japanese outlet Best Car suggests the automaker is ready to make good on its promise to bring the Ralliart name back. To that end, we’ll reportedly see a production version of the Vision Ralliart concept shown in early 2022.
The report says the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Ralliart will hit the scene early next year. Like Ralliart models of the past, this version will see a host of suspension and chassis tweaks, as well extra grunt. The 2.4-liter plug-in hybrid powerplant, for example, will see a healthy boost from 248 horsepower to 286. Granted, it doesn’t sound like a fire-breathing monster, but at least it’s a noteworthy step in a rally-ready direction.
On that note, Mitsubishi does have ambitions to bring the Outlander and other Ralliart models into global racing circuits. The automaker used a new tagline (“The Next Era, The Next Adventure”) to mark the concept’s debut last year. So, this is meant as an evolution of the brand showcasing performance and efficiency, thanks to the plug-in hybrid configuration.
Whether it will work is anyone’s guess for the moment. When it does arrive, expect the Outlander PHEV Ralliart to land somewhere around the $50,000 mark.
