Mitsubishi to preview new design direction at Geneva 2016

Published: 03 February 2016 Updated: 26 February 2016

► Three concepts at Geneva 2016
► ASX and L200 design previews
► EX Concept makes a reappearance

Mitsubishi will exhibit two new concept cars at the 2016 Geneva motor show, one based on the ASX crossover and one on the L200 pickup truck.

The only image available of the two cars so far is the darkened, low-res teaser picture accompanying this story, which doesn’t give all that much away apart from a smattering of bright orange highlights and a set of matching roofboxes.

Both new concepts have been shaped under the direction of Mitsubishi’s recently installed design boss Tsunehiro Kunimoto, who joined the company in 2015 after a 40-year career at Nissan (with a back catalogue including the R32 Skyline, 2001 Z Concept and Infiniti FX).

He’s been tasked with creating a stronger design identity for Mitsubishi, and the two Geneva show cars have been created to warm up observers as to what to expect.

How production-focused are these concepts?

Since a brand-new Mitsubishi L200 pickup has only recently been released (we’ve driven it – read the review here), we should treat the L200 concept purely as a design study.

The ASX-based concept, however, is one to watch. The existing ASX crossover has been around since 2010, and a replacement’s currently in development – don’t be surprised to see it share plenty of its cues with the Geneva show car.

What else is Mitsubishi bringing to Geneva?

The eX concept (below), an electric SUV slightly smaller in size than the ASX, originally shown at the Tokyo motor show in autumn 2015. Think of it as a precursor to a potential Mitsubishi player in the compact crossover market, going up against the likes of the Nissan Juke. Now that Mitsubishi has a former Nissan crayons man at the helm, can a little of the latter company’s runaway crossover success rub off?

Read more of CAR’s 2016 Geneva motor show coverage here

Click here for CAR’s A-Z guide to the 2016 Geneva motor show

Mitsubishi eX concept

By James Taylor

Former features editor for CAR, occasional racer

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