Mitsubishi to revive its high-performance Ralliart division

After a 10-year hiatus, the Ralliart brand will be making its return

Here’s one brand you may not have heard of in a while – Ralliart. Since 2011, Mitsubishi’s high-performance and motorsport division has remained somewhat dormant. At the time, the Japanese marque decided to build crossovers and SUVs rather than focus on motorsports to cut costs. But soon, it seems like the Ralliart name will be making a return.

Mitsubishi announced the revival of the Ralliart brand through their FY2020 financial report released on May 11, 2021. Unfortunately, that’s about it. The automaker did not disclose details about the brand’s return. However, the photos do provide us details of what Ralliart could be working on.

Back in the day, Ralliart made performance parts available for various Mitsubishi models. But, the brand was often associated with the Lancer Evolution. Outside of parts, the brand was known for its rally division, which dominated in WRC. The Evo, however, is dead (has been since 2016), and Mitsubishi no longer offers performance models today. If you check their lineup, most of the vehicles are comprised of crossovers, SUVs, and pick-up trucks. The only exception would be the Mirage and the Lancer (in Taiwan and Mainland China at least).

So which vehicles will get the Ralliart treatment? Based on the images included in the financial report, it seems the Strada/Triton will be the first to do so. While the photo does show the current-generation Strada, remember the next-generation pick-up truck will arrive next year. With that, it’s uncertain whether we will a Strada Ralliart for the current-generation model similar to the one in the photo.

The other Ralliart photo doesn’t reveal much. But, it does remind us of the Lancer Evolution’s hood vent, specifically that of the Evo VIII and IX. Coincidentally, Ralliart did offer an aluminum hood vent for the said models.

Mitsubishi may have been struggling lately, but it’s great to see them bringing back the Ralliart brand. Hopefully, with Mitsubishi's upcoming product lineup and the return of its performance division, the automaker can quickly get back on its feet. One thing is for sure, Mitsubishi enthusiasts will be happy about the news.