Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Magna twin’s spirit could be invoked in future models
Don’t hold your breath for a revival of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, but the Japanese brand says it and other past models could inspire future products.
Mitsubishi was one of the first Japanese brands to back out of the performance car market when it ended production of the Lancer Evolution line in 2016, killing off its rally-bred machine which had long been its flagship.
Having spanned 10 generations, the Lancer Evolution became popular in the 1990s when rally was at its peak for road relevance, doing battle both on the gravel and in the showrooms with the Toyota Celica and Subaru Impreza.
Since 2016, Mitsubishi has largely been out of the performance vehicle segment, meanwhile the vast majority of its fellow Japanese rivals continue to offer cars for enthusiasts.
That’s not about to change any time soon, though Mitsubishi Motors President and COO, Keisuke Kishiura, has said the spirit of the Lancer Evo – as well as the Galant and Diamante (the Magna’s twin) – is inspiring its next-generation products.
"Models such as the Lancer Evolution, Diamante, and Galant are very important cars for Mitsubishi Motors, and we consider them treasures,” Kishiura said at a shareholder’s meeting, as reported by Car Watch.
“At this point, we do not have any concrete plans to introduce these cars again, but in order to meet everyone's expectations, we would like to make our company one that can once again produce such wonderful cars in the future.
“I will be at the forefront of this effort, and I would be grateful for the support of our shareholders.”
A major barrier to the Lancer Evolution’s revival is that Mitsubishi no longer builds the Lancer it was based on, with almost all of its global offerings being SUVs, utes or vans.
The Galant too has been long dead, having last rolled off the production line in 2012 for select markets.
Australia never received the Diamante, though we knew it best as the Magna, the local name for our version of the sedan and wagon.
The Magna was built in Australia at Mitsubishi’s Tonsley Park plant near Adelaide, with production running from 1985 to 2005, at which time it was replaced by the 380, a twin to the overseas Galant.
While the Magna developed a cult following due to its sub-Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon price but near-equal performance, it was not a globally successful vehicle for Mitsubishi.
