Remember the Mitsubishi Grandis? For those born in the new millennia, they probably won’t, but for those who do, it was a rather interesting model. It was launched at a time when Mitsubishi had upmarket aspirations, in contrast to the current lineup’s more utilitarian image.
It was a sleek, low-slung MPV with sharp styling and a revvy MIVEC engine. Truth be told, it was a good MPV, but the relatively high price kept it from being a massive success.
The Grandis was dropped in 2011 with no succeeding generation. Now, it’s coming back, but not as a premium MPV.
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The all-new and revived Mitsubishi Grandis is set to return sometime this year. This time around, it’ll be a rebadged version of a Renault Symbioz. With that, the Grandis transforms from a three-row MPV into a two-row hybrid compact crossover.
This isn’t the first time Mitsubishi has tapped Renault for a new model. A few years ago, the brand revived the Colt by repurposing the Clio. With that, it’s likely that the Symbioz will be a European market model only. Speaking of which, this electrified crossover also shares the same platform as the new Clio and Nissan Juke.
For now, there are no technical specs available. But given that it will utilize hardware from the Renault parts bin, powertrain details will likely be the same. That means there’s an option of a mild hybrid or full hybrid power.
The mild hybrid uses a 1.6-liter engine, although power and torque figures have yet to be disclosed. As for the full hybrid, it uses the same engine but the electric motor gives it a combined output of 145hp. Renault claims a range of up to 1,014km.
By the looks of it, Mitsubishi will rely heavily on Renault for its European models. As part of the Alliance, we could expect more of these French cars bearing a Japanese badge.
