Mitsubishi Will Unveil Plug-In Hybrid Concept at Geneva

Jan 30, 2015 06:00 PM EST | Jordan Ecarma

Mitsubishi plans to shake things up at the Geneva auto show in March with a new plug-in hybrid concept that will put to shame any critics who call the automaker boring.

 "We've been accused of being boring--this is over. What you will see in Geneva will prove that," a Mitsubishi Europe spokesman told Automotive News.

Running on Mitsubishi's two-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid powertrain, the concept will be a precursor to the new ASX compact crossover slated for 2016.

"What you will see in Geneva is about 80 percent to 90 percent close to reality" the spokesman said of the concept version.

The car will carry influences from Mitsubishi's XR-PHEV compact SUV concept that was unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo auto show.

"The Tokyo concept was very wild," the spokesman noted. "This will be closer to reality."

The current ASX crossover was No. 1 for Mitsubishi sales in Europe last year, rising 33 percent year over year for a volume of 35,203 units. 

Mitsubishi's Outlander was the best-selling plug-in hybrid in the European market for the first nine months of 2014, and the company has high hopes for future hybrid sales.

"With a smaller, financially more accessible two-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid, we can really build up that market," the spokesman said.

The Netherlands was the biggest market for the Outlander last year, with the United Kingdom and Sweden coming in second and third.  

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