Ralliart is back. At this week’s Tokyo Auto Salon, Mitsubishi unveiled a concept that announces the return of its once-beloved performance-oriented sub-brand.
Background: What is Ralliart?
From 1984 until 2010, Mitsubishi motors operated a division dedicated to building faster versions of Mitsubishi’s affordable cars. They were often designed with an eye toward off-road prowess. Ralliart Mitsubishi Pajeros SUVs competed in the famed Paris-to-Dakar Rally.
Ralliart earned a cult following. Later, its signature product, the Lancer Evolution, gave drivers a (relatively) inexpensive entry to owning a high-performance vehicle. The Evo dueled with the Subaru WRX STI for supremacy in rally racing and in the hearts of car enthusiasts without the budget to care about Ferrari vs. Lamborghini. The final model year for the Lancer Ralliart was back in 2015.
Since Ralliart closed, Mitsubishi has focused on affordable crossovers. It still sells one sedan – the tiny Mirage, which often competes for the title of least expensive new car in America. But the rest of its lineup consists entirely of affordable SUVs. The Outlander and its plug-in hybrid cousin are known for generous standard equipment and comfortable on-road rides. The Eclipse Cross, all-new for 2022, has standout styling and a longer warranty than most rivals.
But no one is taking either one racing.
The Vision Ralliart Concept
After teasing the return of Ralliart last May, Mitsubishi unveiled a car in Tokyo this week that isn’t the new Lancer Evolution some had hoped for.
But it may be something better. It shows a natural way for the Mitsubishi of 2022 to integrate the best of the brand’s history.
The Vision Ralliart concept is a compact crossover with rally potential and, almost certainly, an electric drivetrain.
It looks like an Outlander wearing safari gear. Wide fender flares protect huge, 22-inch tires. Exaggerated front and rear bumpers, complete with a rear diffuser, look more aggressive than a traditional family hauler.
Mitsubishi says, “large brake discs and opposed-piston 6-pot brake calipers, which exert braking performance matching the powerful torque of the motors, are adopted to elevate acceleration, cornering, and braking to a higher level.”
That’s the other big clue – motors. Mitsubishi doesn’t say what’s under the hood. But the false grille and the word “motors” almost certainly mean the Vision Ralliart is electric.
So, while it’s not the inheritor of the Evo that some may have wanted, it is something realistic. Mitsubishi could certainly use the return of its fabled performance brand to shift its lineup from a handful of gas-powered crossovers into an electric future that includes some high-performance vehicles.
That’s probably a surer path to getting new Mitsubishi vehicles that can kick up some dirt at high speed than anything else.
Stay tuned.
