At the end of May, Mitsubishi teased its upcoming compact SUV. The lone exterior teaser shot partially revealed the front end, more specifically, the grille shape and the left headlight. If you think it looks familiar, that’s because it was previewed last year in the form of the XFC Concept.
Several publications around the region including Thailand’s Headlight Magazine published some spy photos of the upcoming small Mitsubishi SUV. Judging from the photos of the prototype testing with some Xpanders, the upcoming ‘compact’ SUV appears to be a subcompact. My guess? It’s most likely Mitsubishi’s answer to the Hyundai Creta and new ASEAN Toyota Yaris Cross.
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Its overall styling is essentially a toned-down version of the XFC Concept. The general silhouette and lines are there but its proportions are more in line with other SUVs in its segment. Up front, it gets the latest evolution of the Japanese brand’s Dynamic Shield concept which features a simplified trapezoidal main grille flanked by L-shaped headlights with DRLs that form a T-shape. At the bottom is a faux skid plate with intakes. Moving to the sides, it has prominent wheel arches and sculpted sides that give it a muscular look. The blacked-out A-pillars and blacked-out section of the rear-most pillars give it a trendy floating roof design.
At the rear, it features T-shaped taillights that mirror the shape of the headlights. I had to use some guesswork for the arrangement of the brake, signal, and reversing lights within the given shape. Again, there is a faux rear skid plate to match the ones up front. As for the other details, the side mirrors and door handles appear to be standard Mitsubishi pieces.
I envisioned the upcoming Mitsubishi SUV as being built on a shorter updated version of the Xpander’s platform. If it were to be built alongside the Japanese brand’s popular MPV, I felt it would only be logical for the two models to share a common platform and mechanical bits like the 1.5-liter DOHC MIVEC gasoline engine.
The production version of Mitsubishi’s upcoming Sports Utility Vehicle will make its ASEAN debut at the 2023 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show this August. What about us? Mitsubishi will be displaying the XFC Concept at Newport Mall in Pasay City from June 16 to 18, 2023. I guess it’s safe to say, we will get the production version at some point. Are you excited to see Mitsubishi’s upcoming small SUV here? Let us know in the comments.
