The new Mitsubishi RVR Crossover will launch in 2010
Mitsubishi has revealed a new compact Crossover – the Mitsubishi RVR – which will compete with the ix35 and Qashqai and go on sale in 2010.
When you think of Mitsubishi you either think of big SUVs like the Shogun or you think of slightly bonkers performance cars like the Evo. But in these strange, ‘Green’ times that doesn’t sit well with the public (or at least with car makers perception of what the public think) so car makers are looking to re-align their image. BMW has gone from the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ to ‘Joy’, and Mitsubishi wants us to think of it as a maker of fluffy-bunnie, eco-cars that do everything the buyer wants, but eat CO2 for breakfast and run on fresh air.
So Mitsubishi is looking to launch new cars with a more appealing profile and the focus is moving away from full sized SUVs to more friendly sized offerings like the Outlander – which was recently tweaked – and this new Mitsubishi RVR Crossover which we reported on as the Mitsubishi Compact Crossover in October.
The RVR is Mitsubishi’s answer to cars like the Hyundai ix35 and the Nissan Qashqai. Based on the 2007 Mitsubishi cX Concept, the production RVR tones down the styling a notch or three, but still retains some of the cues, including the sharp crease running down the side.
It’s a five-door crossover based on Mitsubishi’s mid-sized Global Platform, which also supplies the basis for the Outlander and Lancer. It’s slightly shorter than a Qashqai and should come with both 2WD and 4WD options when it launches in Spring 2010. It will also come with a new 1.8 litre petrol engine but you can be sure there will also be a diesel option or two, and there’s a good chance we’ll see a hybrid with tech from the Mitsubishi PX-MiEV we saw recently.
The Shogun is hugely capable, and the Outlander is the best version of the bunch, so it’s likely the RVR will stack up well.
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