Mitsubishi Motors Corporation chief operating officer Trevor Mann spoke at length with Motoring about the e-Evolution and the future of the nameplate. He said the e-Evolution provides an avenue that the Evo could go, but it doesn’t necessarily preview a production vehicle. In fact, the brand’s global product planning and development head, Vincent Cobee, said a new Evo isn’t part of the current plan.
Coby said “Is there going to be an SUV Evo? Not in my current plan.”
Coby said “Is there going to be an SUV Evo? Not in my current plan. I’m not even sure of what an Evo customer will be interested in buying”. The executive had a suggestion for Mitsubishi that it might widen many concepts of e-Evolution’s design and engineering across multiple future vehicles, but said the “path to a new Evo is a long one.”
Cobee cited Mitsubishi’s new Nissan alliance, the shrinking market for sedans, and the brand’s goal for profitability by March 2019 as factors hindering any halo or enthusiast projects. Realistically, he said a new Evo wouldn’t be profitable at all, though he asked the hypothetical, “is it interesting as a showcase, as a halo?”