Mitsubishi release details and pics of driver-focused XR-PHEV hybrid
2015-01-06 19:22:55
Mitsubishi has released details of its angular XR-PHEV crossover plug-in hybrid which showcases a new design direction for the company. The XR-PHEV has high-end, bold styling finished in a bright red.
Mitsubishi are categorical that the vehicle as presented is very much a concept and admitted that it would never reach the road in its current form. However, the company insists that the Concept XR-PHEV does play host to future aesthetics and futuristic technologies that will eventually find their way onto the Japanese company’s next generation of cars.
Inside it is plain that Mitsubishi have gone for a driver-centric design which is intended to capture the excitement of the car enthusiast. The official photograph of the interior shows that the driver’s seat has been clearly marked out with a bright red finish whilst all the other seats have been finished in black to blend with the rest of the interior. There is no other outwardly louder statement to define this as a thoroughly focused driver’s vehicle.
Mitsubishi say that the vehicle blends the next generation PHEV plug-in hybrid electric vehicle system and innovative Electric Vehicle (MiEV) technology. At the front, a 132bhp 1.1-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine drives the front wheels. The engine is paired with a compact and lightweight high-efficiency electric motor that produces a further 159bhp. Beneath the floor of the cabin, there is a high-boost converter as well as a main drive lithium-ion battery pack with storage capacity for 19bhp of additional power which can be used to provide extra boost when it is needed.
This is just one of the plethora of different arrangements many of the manufacturers are looking at to take aim at the future of personal propulsion.
This article was prepared by First4Auto our car news team
Reported By
Andrew Merritt-Morling
Chief Editor
