Mitsubishi is set to reveal a seven-seat SUV concept later this month, but where a production version would be sold and how it’d fit into the wider lineup is currently unclear.
The Japanese brand is gearing up to reveal its latest concept at the 2024 Philippine Motor Show from October 24 to 27, with the choice of location intended to be a demonstration of the brand’s commitment to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) markets.
Initial images reveal similarities to the 2024 Mitsubishi Xforce – developed with south-east Asian markets in focus – with a similar headlight signature in particular.
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This suggests the new seven-seater could be a derivative of that smaller SUV.
Previous teaser images of Mitsubishi’s upcoming model range also appear to indicate a wider market potential for the new seven-seat SUV outside of Asia – but possibly not in Australia.
Not much is known about Mitsubishi’s new seven-seater.
Mitsubishi previously confirmed in March 2023 that it’s launching 16 new models or variants globally by 2028, with a combustion-powered three-row SUV due in 2025.
Interestingly, Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) released a teaser image of its range of upcoming models in May this year, one of which appears to bear resemblance to the upcoming seven-seat concept.
While that shadowy teaser showed updated models that could be identified as cars like the Outlander and next-generation Delica people mover, several others were unaccounted for.
One is that SUV which, while it appears to bear similar proportions to the Xforce, appears to have more in common with the seven-seat concept teaser.
It has a similar headlight signature (minus the vertical portion) and seems to show similar body sculpting around the C-pillar, while also appearing larger than the potential new Eclipse Cross and ASX models featured alongside.
If that silhouette is actually the new seven-seater, a similar teaser of Mitsubishi’s upcoming Australian lineup doesn’t show such a model.
The Australian teaser image features eight vehicles, compared to seven for the US. The brand currently sells just five vehicles here: the ASX, Eclipse Cross, Outlander, Pajero Sport, and Triton.
While we were able to identify most of the models teased, it appears there’s no new seven-seat SUV resembling the concept about to be revealed in the Philippines.
It therefore appears likely Mitsubishi will introduce vehicles in North America that it won’t sell here, like that SUV, something it hasn’t done in almost 20 years when it fielded models like the Raider, Endeavor and Eclipse that we never received.
Meanwhile, Mitsubishi’s local lineup has continued to shrink. The Mirage and Pajero were axed in 2021, the latter having been retired globally, while the short-lived Express van followed in 2022.
The Xforce, on which the seven-seater appears to be based, has thus far only been confirmed for south-east Asian markets.
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