Mitsubishi reveals more-than-just-stickers Vision Ralliart Concept

Wednesday, 12 January 2022

This is the official Ralliart revival – a hot Outlander. Surprised?

Mitsubishi has revealed the first part of its plan to bring back the Ralliart brand, and it goes beyond a simple look pack for the Triton and Outlander.

Called the Vision Ralliart Concept, it looks like more like a modified Outlander than a true concept car. Mitsubishi says it “brings together the company’s engineering and passion for Monozukuri (craftsmanship).

Mitsubishi's new Outlander brings some bold new styling cues to Mitsubishi signature look, as well as some advanced new technology.

“This is a concept car that expresses the possibilities of the new Ralliart, with elevated acceleration, cornering and braking in all road and weather conditions.”

The company isn’t saying much about how it aims to achieve those goals, aside from higher motor output, “sportier 4 wheel control tuning” and enhanced battery capacity, which could mean the concept is running a different version of the plug-in hybrid set up the current Outlander uses.

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There aren't any visible exhausts, but there’s a slim chance of this being fully electric.

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At least it’s not just a sticker pack...

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It could also refer to a totally electric powertrain, which would be quite substantial, if highly unlikely. But then again, there aren’t any visible exhausts in the images…

The Vision also gets a wider stance, 22-inch wheels with enlarged brakes, and a new look. There are new front and rear bumpers, larger fenders, a radiator shutter in the grille (which presumably opens when more air is needed) and a large rear diffuser. Finally, matte black paint features blue highlights that show when light hits it.

That’s about all Mitsubishi is saying, and we’d be lying if we said the Outlander riff isn’t a bit disappointing, although we did call it back in December last year.

The hint at a more powerful electrified powertrain is cool, but is that enough for the revival of Ralliart, considering the sub-brand made its name in rally? At least it’s a big step forward from the Thailand-only sticker packs…

To make a somewhat educated guess, Mitsubishi will use the concept here to launch a range-topping Outlander Ralliart edition. The powertrain could trickle into other models, like the Triton ute or the Eclipse Cross small SUV.

What we’d really like to see is a completely rehashed Mirage hatchback, primed to compete in the World Rally Championship or World Rallycross Championship. But that probably won’t happen, sadly.

Mitsubishi added that customer feedback on the Vision Ralliart Concept will be used in the future development of Mitsubishi vehicles.