It won’t be long before the Philippine International Motor Show kicks off. With doors opening to the public on October 24, some automakers have given a few hints as to what they will be displaying at their respective booths soon.
The latest company to do so is Mitsubishi. Per its statement, the automaker aims to ‘surprise the public with its product lineup — along with something
unexpected — at the 9th Philippine International Motor Show.’ A bold claim, indeed.
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With that, we at Top Gear Philippines would like to present a few possible models that might make a surprise appearance at the Mitsubishi stand. Besides, who doesn’t like a bit of a guessing game from time to time?
It won’t be all baseless guesses, though. We’ll be basing the possibilities on Mitsubishi’s ‘Challenge 2025’ and ‘Momentum 2030’ mid-term plans that was shown back in 2023 and earlier this year. That should help narrow down this ‘unexpected’ model.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Perhaps the most logical prediction here, but hardly a surprise. The LTO homologation papers are in for the redesigned Outlander PHEV already, and it was already shown during MMPC’s 60th anniversary celebrations.
Mitsubishi Xpander and Xpander Cross e:Motion
Now this is more like it. First shown in Thailand earlier this year, the Xpander and Xpander Cross e:Motion are electrified versions of the popular MPVs. These are true hybrids, too, complete with the ability to be driven on battery power alone. It won’t be much of a huge surprise, though, but we’re not complaining. Besides, imagine the appeal of a coding-exempt family seven-seater.
Delica Mini?
But if Mitsubishi is talking about ‘unexpected’, then they can throw us the ultimate curveball by showing off one of its popular kei car models here. The Delica Mini has been a hit with readers so far, and it seems to resonate well despite the slim-to-zero chances of it being sold in the Philippines. Nonetheless, it would be nice to get up close and personal with it.
‘BEV pickup’
The company made its intentions clear way back in 2023 when it said it will build a BEV (battery electric vehicle) pickup in the future. It’s possible that a Triton EV concept could appear during the show, but it sounds more like something Thailand might hold instead of the Philippines. But hey, we’re on the subject of ‘unexpected’, right?
The real Ralliart Triton
We’ve heard several times that Mitsubishi would really like to build a hotter version of the Triton. From senior executives to chief engineers, the desire to make a Ralliart version of its popular pickup is there. Ford has been doing that for years with the Raptor, and Toyota has since followed suit with the Hilux GR-S.
Who knows, the Philippines might be the venue of the true Triton Ralliart soon. But even we will admit that this is suntok sa buwan levels of wishful thinking. Again, they did say ‘unexpected’.
