Mitsubishi writes-off plans for Lancer Evo revival

Iconic rally derived sedan seems destined not to evolve any further.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X ended production five years ago as the final Evo model.

Mitsubishi’s surprise revival of the RalliArt moniker in May won’t however result in a comeback of the iconic Evolution nomenclature for the time being.

Very much stagnant since the end of the Lancer Evo X five years ago, the designation has been tipped for revival in 2023 as the performance moniker for the e-Evolution, which has however failed to progress any further from the concept shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2017.

Back in 2019, it was alleged that the Evo could return as early as 2021 based on alliance partners Nissan-Renault’s CMF platform using a mild-hybrid 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with as much as 255 kW, only for the Mitsubishi COO Ashwani Gupta to denounce speculation months later.

According to the latest report by Japan’s response.jp, Mitsubishi Motors President, Takao Kato, reaffirmed that no plans are indeed in place to resurrect a Lancer Evolution as a result of the brand’s focus on electric vehicles and SUVs.

“Electrification costs a lot [in] development and the company is still not strong enough,” Kato said in response to Mitsubishi’s restructuring strategy announced last year.

“We had a big deficit in the previous fiscal year, so we first revive the company and then put out the cars fans are waiting for”.

Mitsubishi e-Evolution has not progressed past the concept stage since bowing in 2017.

The automaker has in recent years come under fire for not only discontinuing the Evo, but also for bringing the Eclipse back as an SUV in the shape of the Eclipse Cross, and after its Managing Director in the UK, Rob Lindley, told blog site Car Throttle two years ago that it won’t be investing into new sports and performance cars anymore.

“If you try and be in all the different segments of the market and follow trends, like sports cars, it would be difficult to be economically viable. I don’t know how many people focus in on that [performance cars] now. I don’t think it’s a large segment of today’s car market,” Lindley said.