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All-New Mitsubishi Lancer Imagined With Renault-Nissan Underpinnings

There was a time when Mitsubishi wasn’t living on a short leash. An era when the Pajero utility vehicle was breaking Dakar Rally records and the Lancer sedan was competing at the highest level of the World Rally Championship. Those times, however, aren’t coming back because of a three-prong alliance masterminded by a chief exec that chose the life of a fugitive over allegations of false accounting.
2022 Mitsubishi Lancer rendering by Kleber Silva 14 photos
Photo: Kleber Silva on Behance
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Mitsubishi is playing third fiddle to Nissan and Renault, and within the alliance, there also happens to be more discord than collaboration between the Japanese and French executives. Adding insult to injury, the Lancer had to be discontinued while the Sentra and Megane Sedan soldier on despite the downfall of this body style.

The automotive division of Mitsubishi confirmed that the Lancer would be pulled out of most markets in 2017 to focus on SUVs and crossovers, but production hasn’t ground to a halt in Taiwan. This led many people to take a revival into consideration, fueled by the trademark application from March 2020 for Lancer with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines. The question is, is it even worth looking forward to the second coming of the rally-bred sedan with turbo power?

To answer that question, take a look at the rendering in the main photo. The work of pixel artist Kleber Silva is Mitsubishi on the outside but a totally different animal under the skin because of the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s influence. Imagine a 1.3-liter turbo four-cylinder with 130 horsepower, front-wheel drive, a dry-clutch DCT, and electronic nannies that can’t be turned off completely. With all due respect, that is a far cry from the GS platform of the seventh-gen Lancer.

“But what about the EVO? What would certainly sell!"  Under the control of Nissan and the influence of Renault, the most you can expect from an all-new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is the Megane R.S. with different badges, one less door, and the all-wheel-drive system from the Kadjar.

Compared to the previous generation - which was 100-percent Mitsubishi inside and out - this prospect can only be described as "vanilla" by brand loyalists and car enthusiasts alike.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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