Mitsubishi Prototype-S

At the Geneva auto show in March, Mitsubishi shows off a concept car that looks like a hatchback version of the Lancer Evolution X. The concept, dubbed Prototype-S, follows a consistent line of new concepts displayed by the company at recent auto shows. At the Detroit auto show, we saw the sporty, diesel-powered Concept-RA. The Prototype-S builds on Mitsubishi's new design language and power train technology, offering a variation on the current theme. For its power train, the Prototype-S gets Mitsubishi's intercooled and turbocharged inline four mated to a new dual-clutch transmission, similar to that used in the Lancer Evolution X and upcoming Lancer Ralliart. It also has Mitsubishi's signature all-wheel-drive system. Like the Lancer Ralliart, it produces 237 horsepower and 253 ft-lbs of torque. The underlying reason for this concept at the Geneva auto show seems to be that Europeans favor hatchbacks, so Mitsubishi merely altered the sedan design of the Lancer. As such, this car faces a good chance of finding its way into production, probably with all the juicy cabin tech Mitsubishi began offering last year.

Look for our coverage of the Geneva auto show in March.