Looks like the much-loved Mitsubishi Airtrek will be coming back!
Mitsubishi Motors was kind of over shadowed at Auto Shanghai 2021 by a whole bunch of big car and concept launches from Nissan, Toyota, Audi, Genesis and more. That being said, they did make a pretty important announcement – the Airtrek would be coming back!
The Airtrek will be returning as an all-new, all-electric SUV model. The new Airtrek will be based around the concept of an “e-cruising SUV”. Mitsubishi Motors says that encompasses three keywords: “electric”, “Expanding” and “Expressive”. We’re not sure exactly how that translates to a vehicle, but perhaps their looking at making this more of a lifestyle vehicle than anything performance or off-road oriented. No further details about the new Airtrek were shown, save for a couple of teaser images.
Where Did The Airtrek Go Anyway?
The Airtrek was a rather popular crossover in Malaysia, especially in its turbocharged form. It was introduced in Japan in 2001 and represented one of the earliest efforts by the company to merge traditional off-roader qualities like a high ground clearance and high seating position with the low emissions and low running costs of a regular passenger vehicle. The Turbo model came with a 4G63T engine from the Lancer Evolution.
Well, what happened to the Airtrek was that it morphed into the Outlander in subsequent generations. The Outlander is sold in Malaysia to this day complete with local assembly. However, it does inherit a Turbo model and has taken on the role of a family-oriented SUV with 7 seats and boxy styling.
With the return of the Airtrek name, Mitsubishi will undoubtably excite quite a few old fans of the brand. But unless it’s brought back as an electrified performance variant of the new Outlander, I’m not sure how excited the fans ought to be. It’s also possible that the Airtrek will be based on the Nissan Ariya as this model is pure electric and the alliance between the two Japanese companies is quite tight now.
Here’s the press release with more.
PRESS RELEASE
MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION (MMC) announced that GAC Mitsubishi Motors Co., Ltd. (GMMC)1, MMC’s vehicle production and sales joint venture in China, today teased the all-new electric SUV AIRTREK at Auto Shanghai 2021
The all-new AIRTREK is based on the concept of an “e-cruising SUV” founded on three keywords: “Electric (electric vehicle),” “Expanding (expanding life’s pleasures with a car)” and “Expressive (expressing the uniqueness of MITSUBISHI MOTORS).” It generates an image of advanced sophistication fit for an EV while incorporating MMC’s consistent design identity, represented by its Dynamic Shield front design concept, and is styled to express the powerful performance expected of a Mitsubishi vehicle.
“We have developed the AIRTREK as an SUV that enables customers to enjoy limitless adventures,” said John Signoriello, executive officer, responsible for global marketing and sales, MMC. “Designed exclusively for the Chinese market, the all-new AIRTREK will be launched by the end of this year as the fourth model of MITSUBISHI MOTORS’ lineup in China. With the addition of this electric vehicle, we aim to contribute to creating a sustainable mobility society.”
About MITSUBISHI MOTORS
MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION (TSE:7211), MMC—a member of the Alliance with Renault and Nissan—, is a global automobile company based in Tokyo, Japan, which has more than 30,000 employees and a global footprint with production facilities in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, mainland China, the Philippines, Viet Nam and Russia. MMC has a competitive edge in SUVs, pickup trucks and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and appeals to ambitious drivers willing to challenge convention and embrace innovation. Since the production of our first vehicle more than a century ago, MMC has been a leader in electrification—launched the i-MiEV –the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle in 2009, followed by the OUTLANDER PHEV –the world’s first plug-in hybrid electric SUV in 2013. MMC announced a three-year business plan in July 2020 to introduce more competitive and cutting-edge models, including the ECLIPSE CROSS PHEV, the all-new OUTLANDER and the all-new TRITON/L200.For more information on MMC, please visit the company’s website at https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/
