More than half a century ago, Japan gave birth to another high-profile carmaker, Mitsubishi. In the time that has passed since, the company put its signature on great machines like the Lancer or Outlander. Then, it got in bed with Renault and Nissan, and sank into oblivion on the global stage.
The company is still around, of course, but it’s been a while since it came out with something fresh. That changed this week, as the carmaker is getting ready to attend the 2022 Vietnam Motor Show in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of the month.
For this particular event, Mitsubishi rolled out something it describes as the "best-suited buddy for an exciting life" (yes, exactly that), the XFC Concept. A compact SUV by trade, it is supposed to complement the lineup the carmaker is selling on the ASEAN market, which already includes the Triton, Pajero Sport, Outlander, Xpander, Mirage, and the Attrage.
Sporting a modified version of the Dynamic Shield design concept up front and T-shaped tail lights at the rear, the sculpted body of the SUV (its lines remind one of some Volvos and Renaults) hides a youthful interior, with a long screen for an instrument panel and lively colors throughout.
We’re not given any info on what powertrain animates the concept, but whatever it is it can be adapted to suit four driving modes, meaning Normal, Wet, Gravel and Mud.
The XFC will spawn a production version vehicle next year, at first for the ASEAN region (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), and later on possibly even for the global markets, according to company officials.
"We will launch the new compact SUV sequentially in the ASEAN markets including Vietnam in fiscal year 2023," said in a statement Takao Kato, president and chief executive officer, Mitsubishi Motors.
"In the future, we plan to add an electrified variant to the lineup and to also roll it out in regions outside ASEAN. We hope to grow the model from a vehicle for the ASEAN market to a global strategic vehicle, making it a core model like the sales-leading Xpander crossover MPV."
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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