Special niche
Mitsubishi lifted this D:X Concept onto the podium during the Japan Mobility Show. That car has no relevance whatsoever for the Dutch market, but because it is such a strange mix of different elements, we do not want to deprive you of it.
The Mitsubishi D:X Concept is a special combination of an SUV-like and an MPV. A real crossover. The chunky D:X Concept has off-road tires, stands high on the legs and is equipped all around with things such as plastic wheel arch edges and protective parts in the bumpers. Also striking is the window section, which seems to clamp around the bodywork as if it were a pair of sunglasses.
Mitsubishi D:X Concept
Although Mitsubishi previously seemed to suggest that this study model would have an electric drivetrain, that turns out not to be the case. Underneath the uniquely designed bodywork lies a plug-in hybrid powertrain. However, Mitsubishi does not release specifications. The D:X Concept has conventional doors at the front, but also has a set of sliding doors. An electrically extendable running board provides access to a very spacious interior, containing six sliding and rotating individual seats.
Mitsubishi D:X Concept
Also interesting is the cockpit. The dashboard consists of digital instruments housed in an optically separate part and a screen for the passenger that fills the rest of the dashboard. On that screen, the D:X Concept can conjure up images of what is happening at the front under the car. Together with the ‘second windshield’ in the snout of the study model, this provides a fairly good view. Handy for off-road use, Mitsubishi reasons. We would like to share with you the marketing language with which Mitsubishi describes the interior concept: “Maximum Space and Safety for Humans, Maximum Off-Roader for Boundaryless Adventure.” Just let that sink in for a moment.
Will this Mitsubishi D:X Concept go into production? Not in this form, but Mitsubishi already gives away that the study model offers a glimpse of what Japanese consumers can expect in the future from a successor to the current Delica D:5. The Delica D:5 that the brand still sells has been in operation since 2007 and is therefore quite old.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl