Mitsubishi's Tokyo Motor Show hybrid concept might be a roofless SUV
The company says this SUV concept will use a plug-in hybrid powertrain and an electric four-wheel-drive system.
This SUV concept might actually be a convertible.
The biennial Tokyo Motor Show is consistently home to some of the most out-there concept cars, and this year's show should be no different. Mitsubishi released the first teaser of its unnamed concept on Wednesday, and even though we can't see the whole thing, it looks like it might be wild.
Mitsubishi says the concept will be a small SUV with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain and an electric four-wheel-drive system. The PHEV setup is described as being low-weight, but no other details were given. Mitsubishi was one of the first manufacturers to offer a plug-in-hybrid SUV for sale -- the Outlander PHEV -- and this concept could preview a new hybrid setup for future production crossovers.
While the shadowy image only shows the top half of the rear of the car, we can see a number of intriguing details. The surfacing is sharp, the trunk lid is short, and part of the taillight is visible above the rear bumper. In lieu of a rear hatch, there are two massive fairings made of carbon fiber that each contain what look like two large fans or heat extractors. In between on the flat deck is a glass panel that seems to reveal an electric motor.
But the best part comes ahead of those fairings. Instead of the fairings flowing into a roof, it looks like the bodywork drops straight down to the beltline, making us think this concept is going to be a convertible. Mitsubishi says the SUV will deliver driving pleasure over "all terrain in light and wind," another hint that the concept will be some sort of convertible. Given the concept's small size, it might even be a two-door with only two seats.
Given the extremely small market for convertible SUVs -- Jeep Wrangler aside -- there's probably no hope for the concept to enter production with its body style intact. We should learn more about Mitsubishi's latest creation ahead of the first day of the Tokyo show on Oct. 23.
