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Mitsubishi's Concept Sportback shows the way for the Evo brand

The Concept Sportback on Mitsubishi's stand in Frankfurt is as much a concept for the Mitsubishi brand as it is a preview to future models. Mitsubishi has ambitious expansion plans involving the launch of 51 new cars worldwide between now and 2007. Ten of those new models will be coming to Europe, and the Concept Sportback indicates that no matter what segment the car falls into, it will feature sharp, sporty styling.

Indeed, the show car is built on a new platform developed with DaimlerChrysler, designed to accommodate a wide range of derivatives from five-door hatch, to MPV, to crossover SUV (such as the next Mitsubishi Outlander). The Sportback sits on a 2,630mm wheelbase, which is just 10mm shorter than the current Ford Focus, yet the concept appears much larger. Admittedly it is significantly longer, but actually lower and narrower. The show car has no powertrain to speak of, but the platform has been designed to accept a range of four-cylinder engines with either front or four-wheel drive configurations.

From an enthusiast's point of view, this concept car is an exciting prospect. Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution is currently in its ninth generation, and we've been told that it is the last of its type. Therefore, it is very likely that the Concept Sportback could be transformed into a new production car resulting in an Evo X. After all, where else is the next generation of Mitsubishi rally cars to come from?

Large wheels and brakes aside, the Sportback is a viable production car shape, albeit more sporty looking than most potential rivals. The new grille shape, aggressively finished in black, is thought to be the way forward for Mitsubishi design, already on the move towards more sporting looks on even its Colt supermini and the large Grandis MPV.

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