Mitsubishi will have quite the exhibit for the upcoming subcompact crossover. That’s because the Japanese automaker will be showing more specs and details of its all-new subcompact crossover, as well as the reveal of its name. But there’s another model that the company will show that’s worth mentioning.
No, it’s not the all-new Strada, nor will it be the next-gen Montero Sport. It’s actually a car that might interest some of you, the eK X EV kei car. Yes, for the first time ever, the eK will be shown outside of Japan, and the company says it will be its Indonesian premiere. And here's a fun fact about this car: it won Japan Car of the Year 2023.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
An electric-converted Toyota Land Cruiser just drove 6.9km underwater
The China-spec Isuzu D-Max has a few surprises under the skin
So, what does the eK EV have to offer? In terms of design, you can think of it as a (very) shrunken Xpander. You don’t need to squint to see the striking similarities with the popular MPV, from the aggressive upper lighting units to the gigantic, box-shaped headlights. As for the size, it’s just 3,395 mm long, 1,475 mm wide, 1,800 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,495 mm. In case you’re wondering, it’s even smaller than the Suzuki S-Presso.
The diminutive dimensions does mean seating capacity is limited to four. If you think you can squeeze in an extra passenger, you can’t as there are only four seatbelts on board. That said, it does make the most out of its small footprint by making the seats as wide as possible.
Other interior highlights include a digital instrument cluster, a space saving center stack, an electro-mechanical gear selector, and loads of storage bins. It even has advanced driver assist system features, so there’s forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, and lane keep assist, to name a few.
Powering the eK X EV is a single electric motor at the front with energy provided by a 20kWh battery pack. That motor produces just 63hp, so don’t expect Tesla-style launches here. However, the torque figure of 195Nm should be more than enough to carry its 1,080kg body with little effort. As for range, Mitsubishi claims up to 180km on a single charge.
Does this mean we’ll be seeing this model in other parts of ASEAN, us included? We’ll hold our horses for now, but keeping our fingers crossed at the same time.
