Posts Tagged "concept car"

The photograph above is of the Mitsubishi PX-MiEV II concept car, but its effects were so soporific we were unable to remain awake long enough for the shutter to snap.

The Mitsubishi stand at this year’s show is a rather sad place to be when you remember what a hotbed of fresh, exciting design the brand was under the vast wing of Daimler and the design direction of Olivier Boulay. The PX and new Mirage supermini offer nothing new, exciting or fun in their respective market segments and show a total lack of direction. Their demonstration of how so much can be forgotten so quickly is the one remarkable thing about them.

Thankfully, solace can be found in the last glimmer of greatness from its halcyon days in a small number of Mitsubishi i cars dotted around the stand.

By Owen Ready

With the increasing popularity of the small vehicle segment in Japan, the N-Box is a particularly interesting and attractive proposition. It’s also one that is expected to double the sales of Honda’s products in the segment in the coming year, as the company launches the first model in the Japanese market on December 16.

The N Concept 3 – essentially the same model as the N-Box with a more aggressive, chrome laden face – will be sold under the ‘Custom’ nomenclature and will launch in the spring of 2012, while the Concept 4 – the car variant of the two-box ‘mini-minivan’ with a similar DRG to the EN-V concept unveiled at the 2009 Tokyo motor show – will follow in the autumn.

Built on an all-new platform, the N-Box is just shy of 4m long, has a 2520mm-long wheelbase and a cabin that’s 2180mm in overall length, maximizing interior space. Its simple IP and infinitely reconfigurable rear cabin space enable it to cater to a number of people looking for a practical mode of transport and its diminutive size make it a marvel for navigating and parking in congested urban milieus.

Eric Gallina