Mitsubishi is one of the first carmakers to reveal its plans for the upcoming biennial Paris Auto Show. The Japanese firm will travel to the French capital to unveil a futuristic-looking concept car powered by a gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain.
Dubbed Grand Tourer, the concept is billed as an upscale SUV. And while the intentionally blacked-out teaser image does a good job of hiding the off-roader’s lines, we’re told that it will fall in line with Mitsubishi’s Dynamic Shield design language. That means it will feature a thin grille mounted high on the front fascia, slim and elongated headlights, and a muscular-looking front bumper.
What the teaser image does reveal is that the design is accented by a tall belt line, and blacked-out door pillars that create the illusion of a floating roof. Mitsubishi explains the Grand Tourer reflects four elements: Augmented possibilities, functional beauty, solid thrust, and Japanese craftsmanship.
Mitsubishi is keeping technical details under wraps until the start of the Paris show. At this point, all we know is that the Grand Tourer concept will boast four-wheel drive, and that it will be capable of driving on electricity alone for short distances. It’s too early to tell whether the Grand Tourer’s drivetrain shares components with the plug-in version of the Outlander.
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We’ll hear more about Mitsubishi’s upcoming concept in the next few weeks, and Digital Trends will be on the show floor in Paris to bring you live images of it as soon as the veil comes off. As for what the future holds, that’s anyone’s guess. Mitsubishi has routinely shown hybrid off-roader concepts at major auto shows for the past couple of years, but most of them haven’t made the transition from the show floor to the showroom — at least not yet.
