Mitsubishi Evo X takes shape

By Toby Hagon and Peter Lyon

A teaser image of the company's Frankfurt motor show concept car gives a strong hint of the next rally-bred Lancer Evo.

Mitsubishi is gearing up to become a bigger player in the performance car market starting with the visually more aggressive new Lancer Evolution X.

Hints of the next in a long line of high-performance Evolution Lancers will be seen in the Concept Sportback that will be unveiled at September’s Frankfurt motor show.

While Mitsubishi insiders are saying the car is not the much-anticipated Evo X that will arrive here in 2007, they admit it is a thinly disguised version of the next generation Lancer that will form the basis for the rally-bred model.

The pocket-rocket hatchback will be a prime competitor to the Subaru Impreza WRX STi and could pave the way for a more complete performance line-up from the troubled Japanese maker.

To be based on the basic platform of the next-generation Outlander compact off-roader, the Lancer adopts the model code GS. Slightly larger than the current model, it will feature aluminium body panels keeping weight down.

Strangely, the man who many credit as destroying the look of the outgoing locally-produced Magna – Olivier Boulay – is being credited for the sharper new look of the next generation Lancer.

Most prominent on the design is a gaping mouth grille, which is flanked by slim headlights and an aggressive aerodynamic kit that has one eye on the race track and rally roads.

As with all in the long-lived Evo line, expect a 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder engine driving through all four wheels. Boasting the latest variable valve timing technology, which is branded by Mitsubishi as Mivec, the engine is expected to deliver more than 225kW and 420Nm, combining with the welterweight body to provide true sports car performance.

It will employ a choice of either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed sequential automatic gearbox.

The latest Evo – which will arrive after the evolutionary Evo IX goes on sale here before the end of 2006 - is expected to ride on 18-inch wheels and tyres and employ new active differentials and an active yaw control system to maximise control and traction. It will also boast a newly developed traction control system called the Super Active Wheel Control (SAWC) system which will incorporate the current S-AYC, ACD and sports ABS.

More exciting, for those who can’t stretch the budget to the expected $55,000 ask of the Evo, is that there’s a chance Mitsubishi will provide a less powerful model to compete with the $40,000 Impreza WRX that reset the benchmark for affordable performance.