2017 was the sad year for automotive enthusiasts around the world. The most popular Mitsubishi Lancer sporty mid-sized sedan was officially discontinued last year. In India, Mitsubishi launched this iconic brand in 1998 and was an instant hit among auto enthusiasts. Here comes good news, Mitsubishi has started working on the next-generation Mitsubishi Lancer but with a big twist. Instead of sedan, the upcoming Lancer will be launched as a stylish C-segment crossover. If media reports are to be believed, the next Lancer will rival C-segment hatchbacks like Honda Civic and Ford Focus along with crossovers like Toyota C-HR and Nissan Juke.
For people not in the known, Renault-Nissan alliance had acquired the Mitsubishi brand and since then the Japanese automaker has been enjoying a healthy sales growth in international markets. Britorn Trevor Mann, and Mitsubishi’s Chief and designer Tsunehiro Kunimoto confirmed that the company has already started working on the next-generation Mitsubishi SUVs along with the next-generation Lancer. Read – Mitsubishi Expander – All Details
Speaking to AutoExpress, Britorn Trevor Mann said, “We have a long-range product plan that’s pretty solid until 2025, and a dotted line beyond that,” he explained. “Within that what we’ve said is, ‘Which vehicles do we want? What are we going to work on?’ We’re going to replace ASX, Outlander and Triton [the L200 pick-up]. Then we have these two boxes: Pajero and Lancer.
“Lancer’s probably the easiest one; we believe we’ve got a solution that could fit the segment. Because if you look globally, the C-segment hatchback [Golf and Focus] market is not shrinking. It’s down a bit in the US and Europe. But its numbers are still expanding in China. So there is appeal. And I think because the segment is so large globally, we’ve got to take a look at it.” Read – Upcoming Toyota Cars In India
Kunimoto said that the design direction for the future compact cars was previewed as the e-Evolution at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. This concept could be evolved into a new Lancer hatch. “Maybe we can create a new type of hatchback vehicle. We’re thinking quite radically. Originality is as much a part of the Mitsubishi design philosophy now as consistency,” Kunimoto added.
The report further claims that the Lancer is expected to be based on the latest evolution of the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s CMF C/D platform. This system could also accommodate four-wheel drive layout and Mitsubishi’s hybrid systems.
Source – Autoexpress
