Could the mighty Mitsubishi Lancer Evo live again?

Thursday, 1 July 2021

The Lancer Evolution died in 2016 but there’s a chance it could come back.

Mitsubishi killing the Lancer Evolution in 2015 was a sad moment for fans of rally homologations, and the end of the long-running Lancer versus WRX war.

Subaru has kept the WRX and the high-performance STI version going since, with a new generation right around the corner, but Mitsubishi has been hammered by low global sales and poor financial performance.

Project Global didn't spawn a lot of great cars - for every Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X highlight, there was a Jeep Compass, Chrysler Sebring or Dodge Avenger dragging things down again.

However, a Lancer Evolution may still happen, albeit not for a while.

Mitsubishi’s CEO and President, Takao Kato, recently talked to Japanese publication Response about a clash between him and Mitsubishi's shareholders, who want a reborn Evo.

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The Lancer made its name in rally. Could a reborn Evolution mean Mitsubishi’s return to the sport as well?

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Kato acknowledged the shareholders’ request, which fits in with the brand’s recent decision to revive the Ralliart division, but said Mitsubishi needs to return to profitability and expand its electrified options before looking at a new Evolution.

That’s interesting, because shareholders are usually more interested in improving profit than bringing back low-margin enthusiast models.

'Electrification costs a lot of development costs, and the company is still not strong enough, [sic]' Kato said. 'We had a big deficit in the previous fiscal year, so we first revived the company [sic] and then put out the cars that fans are waiting for. I want to go [back to building the Evo too].'

Ralliart will start slowly, with new branded accessories, before two future models get the Ralliart treatment. One, as we saw, looks to be a range-topping version of the Triton.

As for the Evo, well, who knows. An Autocar UK report from 2019 suggested the car could use the CMF-C/D platform shared with the next-generation Megane RS hot hatch, along with a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder making around 255kW/450Nm, paired with a 48V mild-hybrid system.

Alternatively, it could use the rumoured four-motor plug-in hybrid system with a grunty combustion engine to push power up beyond the 300kW mark, where the next-gen WRX STI should be sitting, along with Nissan’s forthcoming 400Z.

But really, we could speculate all day long. There’s an equal chance Mitusbishi could use the Nissan Ariya’s all-electric underpinnings for a new Evolution and make it a sporty crossover. Who knows?

The fact is, a new Evolution model is a long way away. In the meantime, we can look forward to the Ranger Raptor-fighting Triton Ralliart.