New reports are suggesting Mitsubishi might be trying to bring back the Lancer Evolution sedan, but they're not transforming it into a crossover as it did with the Eclipse.
Mitsubishi has done a great deal trying to eliminate sedans in recent years in an effort to capture a greater chunk of the market, so they went all in on crossovers and their high-performance cars. If these reports are true, however, it seems the car manufacturer might be going back to its roots.
According to a report by Autocar, Mitsubishi denied to comment on these speculations. But "Japanese-based" sources report that the new Lancer Evolution will be available both as a sedan and as a five-door hatchback.
If the report turns out to be true, it would certainly be a big move for Mitsubishi, at least in the United States, where the only available variants are the crossovers. The Lancer sedan was discontinued a few years ago.
To those wondering what strings will Mitsubishi have to pull to make this all happen without betting the entire farm, well, the answer could be found in the Alliance. Not the Rebel Alliance, but the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. According to the same report, the new Lancer Evo would borrow some of the hi-po bits from the next-generation Renault Megane RS, in addition to sharing a new Alliance-developed platform. Like previous Evos, it's likely to pack a dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive.
The most powerful Megane is able to put out about 300 horsepower, but Autocar says Mitsubishi will likely turn up the wick to be better positioned against cars like the Subaru WRX STI S209. It might even include a 48-volt mild hybrid system to add some instant electric torque to the mix.
Mitsubishi officially pulled the plug on the Evo after 2015 and discontinued the entire Lancer model in 2017 because of poor sales. Mitsubishi Motors North America's (MMNA) executive vice president and CEO at the time, Don Swearingen, stated that Mitsubishi would end all Lancer production without developing a successor.
If we're going to be really honest, however, there's a reason why Lancer sales weren't impressive. It was a mishap on Mitsubishi's part - not updating the Lancer enough to be competitive. Not much has changed internally on the car since 2008, save a few minor updates, that is.
It would be nice if they offered a slightly detuned/less-expensive/manual transmission option too. Something to go against the regular Subaru WRX. Perhaps, a new Lancer GT?
The answers, we'll find out soon, hopefully. For now, we'd have to wait.
