Although the second-generation Outlander has gone over rather well in the U.S., it's too big and thirsty to appeal to most European buyers. Much like the VW Tiguan and Ford Kuga, Mitsubishi's Concept-cX is an attempt to sate Europeans' SUV desires without losing the battle for fuel economy and CO2 reduction.
Mitsubishi officials wouldn't disclose the Concept-cX's platform origins, but considering its 99-inch wheelbase is within five inches of the 2008 Lancer and its 59.4-inch track is less than an inch narrower, it's a pretty safe bet these two are at least distantly related.
Under the hood, there's a 1.8-liter turbodiesel four, which makes 134 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 207 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm while meeting Euro 5 emission standards. Notably, this diesel is unrelated to the engines Mitsu previously sourced from DaimlerChrysler, and was in fact engineered in-house, said Albrecht Trautzburg, public relations manager for Mitsubishi Motors Germany.
The diesel is paired with a dual-clutch sequential manual transmission as on the Evo X. In addition, it uses the same "All Wheel Control" four-wheel-drive system as the Outlander -- which means there are 2WD, Auto 4WD and 4WD Lock modes.
Journalists weren't allowed to get inside the Concept-cX (all the better for the model, we're guessing), but it's evident from this press kit photo that this design will never make it to production.
Still, the plant-based materials used to construct the floor mats and door panels could easily be implemented.
Mitsubishi will be closely watching show'goers' reactions to the Concept-cX in Frankfurt and again in Tokyo, where it will also be shown. As of yet, there are no plans to send it to LA or Detroit, said Trautzburg. -- Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor
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