2008 New York Auto Show: Mitsubishi i MIEV, i MIEV Sport and Concept-cX

Mitsubishi also notes that this rear-engine layout helped speed the adaptation of the i for electric use, as the new motor and its battery pack conveniently fit under the rear compartment.

Though further from production than the i MIEV, the Concept-cX is more likely to translate into something bound for the U.S. In its current form, it seems to be a boxier interpretation of the Suzuki SX4, a vehicle meant to provide on-road confidence in messy weather rather than off-road mobility. This concept is powered by a clean-burning 134-hp 1.8-liter diesel. Though the design isn't ready for production, there's room in Mitsubishi's lineup for a small cute-ute below the Outlander.

Least likely of the three to make any movement toward production in the U.S. -- or anywhere else -- is the i MIEV Sport concept. Unlike the standard i MIEV, the Sport does not share its design with an existing car. Instead it looks like the type of concept car too familiar to auto show loyalists, as it is eye-catching but unlikely to be seen anywhere but on a rotating stage. Mitsubishi says this shape "projects its greater performance bias," but it really serves as a dramatic contrast to the i MIEV prototypes to which Mitsubishi seems to be devoting more of its electric-car resources.

But in addition to its three green cars, Mitsubishi also used its press conference at the 2008 New York Auto Show to indicate a move toward flex-fuel engines. Though its green factor pales in comparison to other alternatives, a flex-fuel engine is the most likely to actually make its way into a U.S.-specification Mitsubishi sometime in the foreseeable future. -- Brady Holt, Student Journalist