Despite being one of the most recognisable names in performance cars and motorsport, Mitsubishi has confirmed that its Evo performance brand won’t build any more saloons.
According to Autocar, Mitsubishi’s chairman and CEO Osamu Masuko has said that the Evo badge could instead make an appearance on an upcoming range of high-performance hybrid SUVs.
Masuko says that the company currently has no solid plans just yet as it’s busy developing its mainstream hybrids, but added that it “would like to utilise PHEV technology for high performance”.
Mitsubishi has built its Evolution series of performance saloons on the Lancer range since 1993, but believes that small sales and increasing environmental concerns have signalled a time to stop.
Instead, it has been currently busy testing a hot version of its Outlander PHEV off-roader, which is due to entry cross-country rallies later this year, starting with a stint in Portugal.
Masuko added: “If we can use EV or PHEV technologies for high-performance cars, we could certainly continue.”
The Evo badge will likely make a return next year on a high-performance version of the ASX family SUV, inspired by the XR-PHEV II concept from Geneva, though Mitsubishi hasn’t yet released solid details.
