The 2017 Tokyo Motor Show and Mitsubishi

News about Mitsubishi Motors _ and _ Mitsubishi Electric have surfaced in recent weeks about two new concepts popping up at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show in October. After a little digging, we’ve found some old concepts that have a striking similarity to the ones we’re seeing now, one of which actually made it to production. We’ll get to that a bit later, but for now, take a look at the Tokyo Motor Show and other possibilities set forth by Mitsubishi Motors.

The Tokyo Motor Show

Yes, the Tokyo Motor Show is the next big auto show happening in the world, and being a biennial auto show, not to be confused with biannual, the show takes place every other year. The auto show is held between late October to early November and is hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA). Being a platform for many more concepts than an introduction for vehicles going into production, this year’s Tokyo Motor Show is brimming with possibilities. Alongside the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland, the (Frankfurt) International Motor Show in Germany, and the Paris Motor Show, the Tokyo Motor Show is one of the big five the auto press look forward to.

There seems to be a focus or theme that changes every decade. In the 1950s, the focus was on passenger cars and then moved towards performance and sports cars in the 1960s; safety and environmental factors followed in the 1970s, and the themes continued to develop along with the auto industry. In 2007, alternative fuel vehicles (i.e. hybrids and electric vehicles) dominated the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, and ten years later, the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show theme is “Beyond the Motor”.

“It’s time to shift to high gear and set out on a borderless journey to redefine the very meaning of ‘automobile.’” – 45th Tokyo Motor Show 2017 statement.

Tokyo Motor Show and Mitsubishi Concepts

Mitsubishi Motors, amongst many other automakers, bring something new to the Tokyo Motor Show to show off what’s coming up next. Take a look at some of the concepts in 2013 and some of them may seem familiar. As a matter of fact, here’s the Mitsubishi XR-PHEV concept, a blend of coupe and SUV.

Look familiar? It should. This was the concept that spurred the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, right down to the back-end strip. The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle bit was saved for later, but all of the technology in the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross definitely gave way to future concepts.

One could say the partnership between Mitsubishi and Nissan was well underway five years ago with this concept. Mitsubishi’s EK Space minicar was co-developed by Mitsubishi and Nissan back in 2013. How prophetic of present times.

Here’s the Mitsubishi Concept AR, one we believe spurred its 2015 concept of the Mitsubishi eX. Said to be the future of automobiles, the Mitsubishi eX concept definitely gave way to new things. That brings us to the newest Mitsubishi concepts set to appear at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show.

The Mitsubishi e-Evolution concept will be bringing two icons back with it. One, the “EVO” nameplate previously thought to be discontinued with the Lancer Evolution. The e-Evolution is said to be autonomous, have artificial intelligence (A.I.) integrated into it, and may even feature Mitsubishi’s Mitsubishi Connect infotainment system if the bit about A.I. is true. We won’t know until 2020 though, when Mitsubishi Motors says the e-Evolution may be more of a reality than a concept.

Then there’s the Mitsubishi Emirai 4 from Mitsubishi Electric, using the same autonomous technology Mitsubishi Electric designed for the auto brand’s self-driving vehicles. Initially under the name of xAUTO, the Emirai 4 will show up alongside the e-Evolution concept. No word on whether it will also feature A.I., but the Emirai does share some design cues from the Centennial Hyaku concept designed earlier this year.

* Seems things are definitely shaping up for Mitsubishi this year. We’ll know more about their latest two concepts later this month during the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. Until then, what do you think about their latest concepts? Will Mitsubishi Motors become the next big competitor in the future of automobiles? Let us know on social media and check out the new 2018 Mitsubishi inventory . *

* Photo Source/Copyright: newatlas.com, mitsubishimotors.com, autonews.com, and autoblog.com *

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