Mitsubishi will be bringing this e-Yi Concept SUV to
the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show next week. The e-Yi appears to be a renamed
Engelberg Tourer concept that made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
The e-Yi sports an
evolved version of MMC’s Dynamic Shield face, which has been applied to
everything from the Triton pick-up truck to a Japanese kei car. Soft blue
lighting appears on the chrome parts of the Dynamic Shield when the plug-in
hybrid vehicle is being charged or is supplying electricity to the home.
Mitsubishi says that the profile is crafted from a
bold and sharp monolithic panel composition, and that the muscular fenders
express flexibility and mobility. The e-Yi’s rear has a hexagonal shape formed
by cut off lines, while the placement of the tail lamps across the whole width
of the car promotes a look of stability. The Satin Dark Grey colour differs
from the Geneva showcar’s lighter paint.
Inside, the e-Yi’s clean dashboard design uses MMC’s
Horizontal Axis theme, which gives an good forward vision and adds to the open
and airy sense of the cabin. The instrument cluster is a 12.3-inch LCD screen,
and there’s another similarly sized screen on the centre of the dashboard.
Under the three-row SUV’s skin is MMC’s own plug-in
hybrid system developed from the current system used in the Outlander PHEV. The
drive battery (details not mentioned here, but the Engelberg uses a 20 kWh
lithium-ion pack) is mounted under the floor in the middle of the vehicle, and
there’s a motor each in the front and back. The engine is a 2.4 litre petrol
unit.
In series hybrid mode, the engine acts as a
high-output generator and achieves a high regeneration rate, while its large
displacement and good thermal efficiency contributes to quieter operation and
better fuel mileage. This concept car also uses radiator grille shutters that
reduce drag and improves efficiency. The EV cruising range is 70 km in the
latest WLTP cycle. Together with a full tank of fuel, the system has a total
cruising range of over 700 km.
The e-Yi Concept uses MMC’s Twin Motor full-time 4WD
system with e-motors driving wheels at both ends. The carmaker says that it
employed knowhow gathered from the Lancer Evolution series, and features like
Active Yaw Control and Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) are present.
Lastly, Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS)
supports the driver on highways by assisting the operation of the accelerator,
brakes and steering. The connected car system links up with the driver’s
smartphone, and uses information from various services on the weather,
temperature, topography, traffic information and road conditions expected on
the trip to select the optimum route.
