The popular Concept-cX from last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show was today confirmed for production by Mitsubishi. The new compact crossover model will be positioned below the company’s popular Outlander 4WD, and will feature a full-time all-wheel drive system. It will also be the showcase for Mitsubishi’s coming environmental awareness technologies, including a family of Euro-5 clean diesel engines.

The new engine is expected to provide class-leading power in addition to low emissions, courtesy of a high-efficiency turbocharger and highly efficient combustion characteristics. Some of the technologies used to improve mechanical efficiency while reducing emissions include a variable geometry turbocharger, a diesel particulate filter and a diesel oxidation catalyst.

Gearbox and drivetrain specifications
The base engine will be a 100kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder unit churning out 280Nm of torque from a low 2,000rpm. It will be mated to the carmaker’s Twin Clutch SST gearbox and a custom AWD system, versions of which are also fitted to the Evolution X.

That rally-bred heritage means the AWC all-wheel drive system on the new cX-based vehicle will be more than mere window dressing, though it won't be as highly-strung as its Evo X sibling. Real off-road capability and enhanced traction in poor conditions will be enhanced by the computer-controlled TC-SST gearbox that can manage shifts in fractions of a second.

Other engines are expected, but details have not yet been released.

Competitors challenged to keep up
The Volkswagen Tiguan, set to be one of the new cX-based car’s primary rivals, offers very similar performance in its 104kW TDI engine, though the 112kW TSI 1.4-litre petrol unit offers a small advantage. The Tiguan is also equipped with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system, developed across the VW Group to share aspects with Audi’s famed quattro system, so its capability should be on par with the Mitsubishi’s.

One area that finds the Tiguan outmatched, however, is the gearbox. Though VW has a dual-clutch transmission capable of handling the torque loads provided by either of the Tiguan’s powerplants, it’s only available with a standard automatic or manual transmission.

If the production Concept-cX proves popular, re-skinned versions of the car could also be sold by French carmakers Peugeot and Citroen - just as they did with the current 4007 and C7 SUVs based on the larger Outlander. Whether those models would be brought to Australia is still unknown, though the strong local mid-size SUV market may provide good justification for such a move.

Mitsubishi Concept cX

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