Until 2010, the name Ralliart was part of the furniture at Mitsubishi. It referred to both the company's rally team and its performance division. Unfortunately, the designation went dormant 10 years ago, to the dismay of fans of the brand.
This past May, those folks got a lift as the company announced a possible revival of the name. Rumours then flew in all directions. And now, at the very close of 2021, the company has shared an image that, as designed, gets tongues wagging once again.
The new shared picture is identified by Mitsubishi as the Ralliart Concept, which the company plans to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show, alongside a Kei electric car prototype that is said to be very close to production. The Ralliart Concept is supposed to “express the company's vision for the new Ralliart”. But what is that model all about? The mystery remains intact.
The clues could be indicating the return of a sports car to the brand, but it could also portend an aesthetic and aerodynamic package that could be attached to a model like the Eclipse Cross, for example. Obviously, there’s a world of difference between the two possibilities. Hence the wagging tongues.
The image itself shows a diffuser integrated into the rear bumper of a model that’s impossible to identify. Mitsubishi's current product lineup, however, leaves very little room for a serious performance variant. That's why some think this could be a new product. In our market, we only get SUVs, except for the Mirage. The Japanese lineup is more varied, but it still doesn't include a model that could accommodate a performance variant. This further fuels the rumours pointing to a new car.
Your guess is as good as ours. One thing’s for sure, we can't wait to find out what it is. The Tokyo Motor Show is scheduled for mid-January, if nothing changes between now and then on the pandemic front.
