Mitsubishi is set to bring a pair of important vehicles to the Tokyo show later this month, including a plug-in hybrid crossover concept hinting at an upcoming Outlander variant as well as a new global small car known as the Mirage.
PX-MiEV II
The PX-MiEV II crossover utilizes a two-motor plug-in hybrid system with a lithium ion battery (cribbed from the i electric vehicle) under the floorboards and a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine under the hood. The vehicle is four-wheel-drive, with separate motors powering the front and rear wheels, and has an electric only range of 31 miles along with an efficiency rating of 140 mpg in the Japanese testing cycle.
Intriguingly, the PX-MiEV II is capable of running as a series or a parallel hybrid. It can function as a series with the engine working as a generator to recharge the battery, but not to power the wheels, when the battery is low or in certain low-speed situations. At higher speeds or when the battery is fully charged, it works as a parallel hybrid, with the motor both recharging the battery and powering the wheels.
Automotive News reports that PX-MiEV II will preview a hybrid version of the Outlander crossover that will hit the market in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013.
Mirage
Reviving a nameplate that was shelved in the early 2000s, the Mirage (pictured to the right in the gallery above) is a global subcompact that will be built in Thailand and could make its way to the U.S. to do battle with the Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta as soon as 2013.
A replacement for the Colt (which rode on a platform shared with the Smart ForFour), the Mirage will initially utilize a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine with stop-start technology mated to a continuously variable transmission. Mitsubishi estimates that the powertrain will help the Mirage achieve a 70 mpg rating in Japanese testing, which should equate to somewhere over the magic 40 mpg mark by EPA standards. Its unclear whether the automaker will bring the tiny engine to America or offer something with a bit more displacement.
The Mirage is scheduled to start production in Thailand next March, but extreme flooding in the region could sink that plan.
References
1.’Mitsubishi unveils global…’ view
