Mitsubishi GC-PHEV Concept: First Look
Looks like: Anime version of a Mitsubishi Montero
Defining characteristics: Plug-in hybrid all-wheel-drive SUV, supercharged V-6 engine, rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Ridiculous features: The “Tactical Table,” a full-length touch-screen console that runs to the backseats and interacts with passengers’ smartphones
Chance of being mass-produced: 50/50
Japanese automaker Mitsubishi is struggling in the U.S. market, suffering from a combination of old, highly out-of-date models, a lack of development money and local manufacturing, and a generally unknown presence in the minds of new car shoppers due to the two previous issues. It is, however, finding a little hope with its Outlander Sport compact SUV and is using the 2015 Chicago Auto Show to give us a peek at what might be coming next.
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The Mitsubishi GC-PHEV Concept (the acronym stands for Grand Cruiser plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) is making its North American debut at the show, having previously been shown nearly a year-and-a-half ago at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. The concept arriving here is unchanged, still featuring wild concept-car styling, some eye-popping interior electronics and a powertrain that should not be overlooked.
The exterior shapes are pretty wild, but being a concept car that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The GC runs the risk of looking a little cartoony, however, with its massive oversized wheel arches, short wheelbase and rather unusual proportions. Still, as concept cars go, it does the job — it gets noticed.
Inside the GC-PHEV everything is space-age concept-car material, with electric display panels stretching from door-to-door and an augmented reality system displayed on the windshield. Unlike other head-up displays that use just a small window reflected by the windshield, Mitsubishi’s AR Windshield uses the entire windshield as a screen to project satellite navigation-based drive route guidance, vehicle distance and lane departure warnings, pedestrian identification markers and other notices.
The electronic wizardry is continued on a special “Tactical Table” touch-screen console that stretches from the dashboard to between the rear seats. All seats can then pivot to face the table, which automatically reacts to connected smartphones that are placed upon it, allowing communication between devices using the vehicle’s computers.
Under the hood, Mitsubishi claims that the GC-PHEV is fully functional with some interesting hardware. It’s a plug-in hybrid featuring a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 gasoline engine mated to a high-output electric motor that combined produce 335 horsepower. It stores energy in a 12-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack located behind the rear axle under the cargo area. To put it in perspective, the battery pack is a little smaller than the one in the Chevrolet Volt and about half the size of the battery in the Nissan Leaf.
Using an eight-speed automatic transmission with full-time all-wheel drive, Mitsubishi says the GC-PHEV Concept can get about 35 mpg, and travel about 25 miles on a charge before the gas engine augments the range. As a bonus, there’s a 110-volt output plug on the vehicle too, which allows a potential owner to power electrical devices off the car’s stored energy. Mitsubishi claims that the car can power an average home for about 24 hours on a full battery charge, or using the engine as a generator, on a full tank of gas, could keep that house powered up for nearly two weeks in an emergency.
As for its production chances, it seems curious that Mitsubishi would bring this to an American auto show. It might indeed serve as the basis for a new global Pajero SUV. But Mitsubishi hasn’t sold the U.S.-named Montero in the U.S. since 2006. It was discontinued after fuel prices began to spike and traditional SUV sales fell off a cliff. Bringing it back to the U.S. in this updated form seems unlikely as well, but you never know.
Manufacturer images
