Fellow PlayStation generation, the bad news is here. While the Subaru WRX STI is still going strong against modern German alternatives, it looks like the Scooby's all-time nemesis, the Mitsubishi Evo, will meet its end soon. This shouldn't come as a surprise, of course, as if there had been a succession plan for the seven-year-old Lancer-based model, it would have been out by now.
What is a genuine surprise, however, is that the much-heralded Evolution lineage will be continued by a high-performance hybrid SUV model. This shocker was confirmed by Mitsubishi product boss Kanenori Okamoto, who told Autocar UK that "it (the Lancer Evolution) will not exist as we know it. It will be replaced in spirit by an SUV with high performance." Oh bummer.
Whether this high-riding Evo will be a dedicated stand-alone model or one based on an existing SUV, we don't know just yet. But if you want to have a clue on how such a vehicle can look, just take a look at the Mitsubishi Concept XR-PHEV Evolution. Designed for use in Gran Turismo 6, perhaps it's rather apt that a new PlayStation generation-favourite is previewed on the PS3.
It will surely inherit some technologies used on the all-electric MiEV Evolution race car, which Mitsubishi has fielded in the annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for the past three years. All-wheel drive should be a given, and the Mitsubishi SUV Evo will surely give the Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG a good run for its money once it's out. On to you, what do you think of this?
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
Mitsubishi Concept XR-PHEV Evolution
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