Your Credit Estimate
Your Credit
Your zip code helps us provide you with the most accurate vehicle pricing and vehicle availability.
We estimate your credit score to give you an idea of your monthly payments. To get an accurate payment amount, complete our credit application by clicking the Start Credit Application button below.
start credit application
If there is one automaker we’re waiting on to add a new model to the lineup, it’s Mitsubishi Motors. Sure, overseas, it had the new Mitsubishi Colt, a rebadged Renault Clio. A new xForce compact crossover was released for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, but was said to be the new core model for future generations, according to Mitsubishi CEO Takao Kato. Now, Mitsubishi Motors might finally bring one of its long-standing overseas models to the U.S. under a new name and a new look. Known as the Mitsubishi Delica, this cargo van has expanded to pickup trucks and crossover models over the years. Now, we might see another incarnation in the States.
There have been a lot of maybes and what-ifs for Mitsubishi Motors over the years. Dating all the way back to 2017, Mitsubishi released the e-Evolution concept during the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. Set up to be the model that would bring back the Evolution nameplate, last used on the Lancer Evolution, it was a promising battery-electric vehicle (BEV) concept from Mitsubishi Motors. The concept popped up again and again with Mitsubishi at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show and other auto shows before it seemed to disappear altogether. Then, there was Mitsubishi Mi-Tech at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, another promising BEV with a 4-motor 4WD system that could provide the electric SUV concept with off-road capabilities. This, too, seems to have disappeared.
In 2021, Mitsubishi announced a new flagship model, the Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer. Said to replace the Outlander PHEV, it had a strong reception during the 2021 Geneva International Motor Show. We can only guess that the COVID-19 pandemic and the semiconductor chip shortage killed this idea before it got off the ground. It wasn’t until 2022 that Mitsubishi Motors showed promise for new vehicles with a rendition of the Mitsubishi XFC SUV concept. Released as the new xForce mentioned above, this was the chance for something new to be added to the lineup. And with it, also came the discontinuation of the Mitsubishi Mirage to make room for new models.
So, what’s the new model being added to the lineup? Called the D:X minivan concept, this off-road van already has its sights set on a production vehicle for America. Looking a little futuristic with a sense of adventure, the D:X minivan concept could be a number of things – it could be a minivan, a crossover, an SUV, or maybe even a pickup truck one day. According to Mark Chaffin, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America, the automaker will be launching two all-new models in segments in which the company does not currently compete. If the CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America is saying it, then it’s gotta be true. It also means great news for the U.S.
It’s unclear if the D:X concept will be an all-electric vehicle or another gasoline model, but with the automaker moving towards more electrified offerings, at the very least, a plug-in hybrid powertrain is a good bet. The concept rendering illustrated a large car with a raised suspension, a large shell for added safety, front and rear skid plates, large tires, and an all-wheel-drive system for handling off-road adventure. If this concept does get the green light, however, we won’t see it until later in the decade. The current window is 2026-2030, so don’t start planning on a new PHEV from Mitsubishi any time soon.
That’s okay, though. Good things come to those who wait. And for those who can’t, Mitsubishi Motors already has a strong plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that has a strong and long-standing history in Japan. Known as the Outlander PHEV, the plug-in hybrid SUV became a part of the Mitsubishi Motors North America lineup in 2017. It feels so long ago, but it’s already been seven years. What’s another two, or six, to get a new PHEV from Mitsubishi in America?
Want to stay up-to-date on all things new for Mitsubishi Motors? Follow along with us on NowCar social media. You can also find the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV at a good deal when you shop for a new car online with NowCar.