The next Mitsubishi Evolution might be a crossover – CNET

First, Mitsubishi came for the Eclipse, and I did not speak out -- because I wasn't ever really a fan of the Eclipse. Now, Mitsubishi's gunning for the Evo, and there's nothing you or I can do about it.

The final Lancer Evolution went off into the sunset last year, but the Evolution name will return, although not in a form you might want. According to an interview between Motoring.com.au and Trevor Mann, chief operating officer at Mitsubishi, the next Evolution-badged vehicle could be none other than a crossover.

Three years is a long time to wait. Six is an eternity.

Mitsubishi's global boss told the outlet that the company's next performance car doesn't necessarily have to be a sedan. When pressed for a timeline for this revived performance icon, Mann told the site that it would be between three and six years from now. That's plenty of time to clutch all the enthusiast pearls you've got.

While it might sound (and probably is) heretical, Mitsubishi's not in a position to be doing anything other than making money. With mediocre sales, especially in the US, it has been relying on its current strength -- building lots of inexpensive crossovers -- to help bolster sales. Having its performance halo be a crossover shouldn't come as a surprise.

This wouldn't be the first strange badge-related move from Mitsubishi. Earlier this year, it unveiled the Eclipse Cross, a new crossover meant to slot between the Outlander Sport and Outlander. You may recognize the name Eclipse from a series of popular 1990s all-wheel-drive sport coupes. That's how I prefer to remember the name, but again, Mitsubishi is leveraging what it can to grow the company.

The Lancer Evolution was an all-wheel-drive performance sedan that was locked in an unending battle with the Subaru WRX STI, both on the road and on rally stages around the world. With the Evo gone, Subaru's had that little chunk of a segment nearly to itself, and judging by this news, that's probably not going to change any time soon.

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2015 Lancer Evolution Final Edition marks the end of Mitsubishi's sport compact icon

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The next Mitsubishi Evolution might be a crossover - CNET