Mitsubishi GC-PHEV Concept Makes US Debut in Chicago

Remember a couple weeks ago when Mitsubishi gave us that neat little teaser for the 2015 Chicago Auto Show with the tagline, “The Return of a Legend”?

At the time, we and the rest of the Internet speculated that this meant some sort of preview for a revived Mitsubishi Montero. Turns out, the “Legend” that they were referring to is the Mitsubishi GC-PHEV Concept, that overly futuristic SUV concept you’ve probably forgotten about by now, since it was first shown all the way back from the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.

But surely they made some cool new changes to the GC-PHEV Concept, right? After all, it has been a full year and a half since the crossover’s debut.

Unfortunately, no. The car Mitsubishi chose to show off in Chicago – the “Return of a Legend” they were referring to – was literally the exact same model they brought to Tokyo in 2013. No changes. No technology updates. No nothing new. Talk about unsubstantiated hype; we’re actually kind of miffed.

In case you don’t remember, the Mitsubishi GC-PHEV Concept runs on a supercharged 3.0L V6 that outputs 335 hp on its own, paired up with a 94 hp electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The futuristic crossover can reportedly run a full 25 miles on electric-only power thanks to a hyper efficient 12-kWh lithium-ion battery.

Talking about the design or the interior is a fruitless endeavor, since Mitsubishi has added so much unrealistic fluff that identifying key themes is nearly impossible.

Fortunately, it’s not all bad news. Why would Mitsubishi want to remind us about their GC-PHEV Concept?

For three reasons:

1. To build hype for their upcoming Outlander PHEV, which is expected to finally make it into the US as a 2016 model year.
2. To showcase key design themes Mitsubishi plans to integrate into the refreshed Outlander and Outlander Sport, which are also expected to hit showroom floors later this year.
3. The GC-PHEV Concept really does in fact herald a return of the Mitsubishi Montero – that part still stands true.

Plus, among the more realistic technologies shown inside the GC-PHEV are a bevy of new safety features that we expect will soon come standard in most of the Japanese automaker’s lineup. These include blind-spot warning, anti-collision braking, and ACC (adaptive cruise control), as well as new additions to the field with a senior-friendly “unintentional vehicle move-off” monitor, which basically prevents accidental acceleration or braking.

Want to learn more about the Mitsubishi GV-PHEV Concept? You can read Mitsubishi’s official press release for the Chicago Auto Show here.