We know Ralliart is coming back, but so far it’s not been made clear if it would be in the form of some styling packs, or if we’ll see Mitsubishi commit to some proper performance versions of its cars.
It seems the latter isn’t off the cards, with a report from Japan pointing to a Ralliart version of the plug-in hybrid Outlander SUV due to be revealed as early as next year.
Following on from the Mitsubishi Vision Ralliart Concept shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon in 2022, the Mitsubishi Outlander Ralliart PHEV will be a more powerful version of the standard model, and its design won’t shy away from the badge’s motorsport roots.
Preemptive renders produced by Japanese outlet Best Car, along with some specifications the editorial team has based on insider information, tell us to expect a little more than some stickers and coloured interior stitching.
Using a more highly tuned version of the Outlander PHEV’s 2.4-litre four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain, expect to see the Ralliart lob with as much as 215kW, up by about 30kW from the regular PHEV. Best Car doesn’t have a torque estimate, but the standard 450Nm could make its way up towards the 500 mark.
Underneath the new Outlander Ralliart PHEV, stiffer suspension and more body rigidity will sort out the mid-size SUV for sharper handling, while the render shows some seriously aggressive trim and even some light aerodynamic changes.
While it’s not clear just how much more Ralliart we can expect from Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi design lead Seiji Watanabe told CarsGuide back in 2020 that cars like this were exactly what he hoped to work on.
“I feel, in the future, I think Mitsubishi wants to push more performance design,” he said. “This is a starting point. Just a starting point.
The 2022 Mitsubishi Vision Ralliart Concept was shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon last year.“This is just a personal opinion – I cannot say the detail of the future. But for me, for Mitsubishi, the strongest (thing) is one of performance.
“I feel that after driving the PHEV system, including the next-generation PHEV also, I had a very strong impression – it’s so smooth, so fast, so quiet, yet very powerful, and very controllable or manoeuvrable driving – that we can provide that super high-performance SUV and 4WD system in the future.”
Closer to home, Mitsubishi Australia boss Shaun Westcott told CarsGuide in mid-2022 to expect more than just sticker packs from the return of the Ralliart name, pointing specifically to the Outlander-based concept.
“Those packs probably appeal more to the market they’ve been launched in [Thailand], than for the Australian market.
“You’ll notice we haven’t launched them in Australia yet because we believe Ralliart is a lot more than a sticker pack.
“The sticker pack is part of the package, but we’re waiting for some more fundamental [changes].”
In other words, stay tuned.
Keyword: Bring back the spice! Mitsubishi Outlander Ralliart PHEV set for reveal next year - report