Mitsubishi has a long standing tradition when it comes to creating SUV’s, so during this year paris Motor Show they have showcased a concept created to anticipate their future products.
After “Concept XR PHEV II” at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and then, “eX Concept” at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi introduces the all-new “Ground Tourer-PHEV Concept” (or “GT-PHEV”).
Behind the “Dynamic Shield” front grille, which has been developed and evolved since 2014, there are chrome grille shutters and a piano black upper section.
Either side, the headlamps are divided vertically: the upper half houses the day time running lamps and turn signals to make them more visible to pedestrians. The lower half houses the headlights proper (high and low beams) to keep them from dazzling oncoming vehicles or pedestrians.
At the rear, GT-PHEV Concept’s main feature is combination lamps that stretch across the width of the tail in a single line.
For GT-PHEV Concept, Mitsubishi Motors’ designers have developed an interior theme which is that of a horizontal dashboard. This layout provides a forward panoramic vision. The straight-through chrome accent will assist the driver in intuitively sensing changes in body attitude when driving off road.
The centrally-located instrument cluster uses an intelligent display that provides vehicle and engine speed, energy flow and other basic vehicular information. The display can be switched to a navigation mode that connects to information networks to provide route information and information on entertainment available at the destination.
Monitors on either side of the cluster use cameras and serve as side mirrors to show the view behind the vehicle. A heads-up-display at the bottom of the windscreen presents vehicle speed and the minimum navigational data required.
GT-PHEV Concept utilises MMC’s advanced and proprietary PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric) system, this time using a triple-motor layout (instead of the current twin-motor set-up).
A 25 kWh high energy density, next-generation high-capacity battery package is mounted under the floor. It fuels a triple-motor system that uses three compact and high efficiency motors with integral Silicone Carbide (SiC) frequency inverters, one fitted at the front and two at the rear. This extends the speed range in which the car is driven by the motors alone.
The powertrain further uses a 2.5L pretol engine designed for PHEV usage. In Series Drive Mode, when it acts as a generator, the engine runs at a high thermal efficiency. The engine size has been optimised for use in Parallel Drive Mode and with a two-speed front transaxle delivers good energy efficiency and acceleration. The system selects the high reduction ratio gear for better fuel economy when driving at higher speeds under normal circumstances, and the low reduction ratio gear for better acceleration when climbing a gradient or overtaking.
