Is Mitsubishi's Engelberg Tourer PHEV the future of the Pajero?

The great Pajero/Montero/Shogun may not be going quietly into the night after all. 

At the Geneva Motor Show, Mitsubishi revealed the Engelberg Tourer, a four-wheel drive plug-in hybrid crossover named after a famed Swiss resort. 

More importantly, the size, proportions, and overall presence of the Engelberg Tourer seems to be pointing us in the direction that it could become the successor to the Pajero name. Perhaps the most telling piece of information is that Mitsubishi says the Engelberg Tourer, like the Pajero, has a three-row seating layout.

Mitsubishi envisioned the Engelberg Tourer as a true adventure vehicle, and so it was designed using a new interpretation of their Dynamic Shield philosophy. This can clearly be seen by the SUV proportions, the strong design cues such as the massive wheels with Bridgestone tires, and the now-signature front end.

Perhaps the most striking elements about the concept's look are the use of lights, particularly with the LEDs on the slim headlamps, foglamps, and on the roof-mounted pod, further signifying that this is an adventure vehicle of sorts. The Engelberg Tourer also has blue outline lighting on the grille, alluding to its hybrid powertrain.

The key element about the Engelberg Tourer is its drivetrain. Mitsubishi says it has a twin motor four-wheel drive system and is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or PHEV. The Engelberg Tourer also has a 2.4-liter gasoline engine that serves as power source/generator for the electric system. This means that the Engelberg Tourer can be taken to places without costly charging stations and infrastructure unlike full EVs. The system is similar to the PHEV in the Outlander. 

Mitsubishi says the Engelberg Tourer has an EV-only crusing range of 70 kilometers. With a fully charged battery and a full fuel tank, Mitsubishi says Engelberg Tourer can achieve a total of 700 kilometers, based on the WLTP test cycle.

Being a Mitsubishi SUV, the Engelberg Tourer features a 4-wheel drive system that uses an electric motor for the front axles and separate motor for the rear axles. Mitsubishi didn't quote any performance figures, but they did say that the vehicle has the latest 4-wheel drive technologies available, some of which were developed from the Lancer Evolution series like Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) and Active Yaw Control (AYC). 

Mitsubishi chief executive Osamu Masuko once said that the Pajero, with its larger internal combustion engines, might be on the way out due to emissions regulations. With the use of a low emissions PHEV platform, there's a chance that the great Pajero name might not be a dying one after all.