Mitsubishi hasn’t been shy about the return of its Ralliart sub-brand, having announced it in its financial report last year. Social media hype reached new heights, too, following a teaser last month of a new Ralliart concept for Tokyo Auto Salon 2022 (TAS2022).
Hardcore Mitsubishi fans were understandably excited, especially after seeing the teaser image of what looked like an aggressive diffuser element, which many thought could finally be from an actual sports car. But as they say, disappointment often hits the hardest with high expectations.
Mitsubishi has just unveiled its TAS2022 line-up, and as it turns out, the highly-anticipated Ralliart concept car is really just a souped-up Outlander PHEV SUV. Bummer.
That being said, the Mitsubishi Vision Ralliart concept does look quite aggressive, thanks to the flared wheel arches, super-sized 22-inch alloy wheels, a unique honeycomb-patterned front grille with active shutters, alongside new front and rear rear bumpers – the latter featuring a Formula One-styled lower rain light and the aforementioned diffuser.
The concept also comes with a unique matte black paint that “shows blue highlights when hit by light, creating a deep, multidimensional expression that enhances the vehicle’s high-quality feel,” says Mitsubishi.
The concept’s matte black exterior paint “shows blue highlights when hit by light, creating a deep, multidimensional expression that enhances the vehicle’s high-quality feel,” according to Mitsubishi.
Despite this not being the all-wheel drive sedan or coupe that many have hoped for, Mitsubishi’s newly-revived Ralliart motorsports and tuning department did still actually put in some work on the car’s driving dynamics, promising a “high driving performance”.
There’s the larger brakes with six-piston calipers behind those massive wheels, while the powertrain (believed to still be a PHEV, based on the presence of a charging port flap) also supposedly received a boost in power – although as usual, no technical specifications yet.
The Mitsubishi Vision Ralliart concept will remain a concept for now, but the Japanese carmaker says taht “customer feedback … will be used in future development of Mitsubishi vehicles”.
Aside from the Ralliart Concept, Mitsubishi will also be unveiling special edition “Ralliart Style” models for the Outlander and Eclipse Cross SUVs, featuring more off-road inspired accents and badgings.
We only have these few photos for now, but more will definitely come when the Tokyo Auto Salon 2022 officially gets underway next week – so keep your eyes peeled!
GALLERY
Mitsubishi TAS2022 line-up
