Green wheels: 2012 Mitsubishi Evo Hybrid confirmed

Just another striking car has entered in the line of competition from Mitsubishi as officially announced by the President Osamu Masuko. The Mitsubishi Evo Hybrid has been confirmed for 2012 as a green vehicle, a next generation Lancer Evo. The surprising part of this car is its diesel-electric hybrid and not a gasoline-electric hybrid. So, this would be something great to see what at the end Mitsubishi introduces to the world.

2012 Mitsubishi Evo Hybrid

The green machine

The prime objective of creating such an awe-inspiring car is to bring it in the range of a complete green car. And this is possible through the machines which have been upgraded to create green features to the car from inside. Evo is set to ditch the regular 2.0 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder unit which was actively used for 10 earlier versions just to get a hybrid powertrain. Though as per the possibilities we can say that this could be a diesel-electric hybrid. As per the speech given by the President Masuko, they are in plans of developing a sporting car which will feature electric power. This project will begin its phase next year and will be all set to launch in three years.

In views of reducing the CO2 emissions below 200 g/km, the radical powertrain switch has been used to the car. This offers 0-100 km/h in just 5 seconds.

Green factor

As of now, this all-wheel-drive car is more into the spotlight of emissions regulations, but the dreams would not be crushed of auto enthusiasts. The company believes that they need some great approaches and dramatic actions to keep this Evo alive in the market. Therefore, the team of Mitsubishi along with Japanese engineers are coming up with outside-the-box thinking. At the end, the solution that the engineers have dreamed up is an Evo XI powered by clean diesel hybrid technology. The powertrain gets great boost from the maker which easily decreases the emission to less than 200 g/km. Besides, the sophisticated 4WD system will be available as standard.

The powertrain

The Hybrid Evo will go on sale in 2012 and the major reason for such an approach toward green strategy is its devastating effects which cannot be taken lightly at this time. Mitsubishi was more into pollution spreading and so was failed to pass from the emission regulations. However, this time the Evo is getting prepared to ramp on the show with its additional features. The best is its 5-second acceleration while taking a sprint of 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph). The most interesting part is the announcement made by the president that that the goals are set to develop a sporting car which will feature a comprehensive electric power. There are high possibilities that enthusiasts get to experience an updated version of the S-AWC all-wheel-drive system which could bring power to the Evo for challenging the supercars.

The highs

Mitsubishi is experimenting with its all new Evo to bring something unique for the masses. As per the plans of the automaker, Evo will not only feature a hybrid drivetrain, but will also make a sprint of 0-62 mph in less than 5 seconds. Moreover, this will be done by sporting CO2 emissions of less than 200 grams per kilometer. This car will be launched with its new features in the year 2012, but can also exceed the date to bring more powerful features to the car which can then use by the people from across the world. This date could also extent to 2014 where Evo will also feature an updated version of S-AWC AWD system.

Considering the design part, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution XI has got amazing looks which demand total attention from people. Its glossy paint and wonderful exterior finish makes the car more impressive. While adorning with great features from outside and inside, the car becomes more attractive. Masuko has already announced that the Evolution will not be the last car in its range. There will be more features in the future for Evo which will make Evo a high-performance car.

The lows

It is quite obvious that without the petrol variant, Evo will not even stand close to the superfast petrol cars with its diesel-electric variant. This can make the car stand behind in the line of competition. No wonder, the automaker is completely revamping this model and so what is yet to get revealed might be a grand surprise to see. Evo will get a 1.6 liter gasoline engine which will be combined with an electric motor and will run from a set of lithium-ion batteries. At one side the electric motors will power the car at low to middle speeds, whereas; the engine will push the car to its higher speeds. Besides, the engine will also play its role by becoming a backup for the motors while the charge goes down.

Cost and availability

As the plans for this car is still under process, we cannot say anything about the price. The company is yet to finalize once they upgrade the car entirely. Though, we can say one thing that implementing green strategy will bring the price of the car bit higher. On the other hand, the Evo will be available after three years of work. Once the automaker is ready to launch this car, we will definitely bring the news to you along with its starting price in the market.