Stripping away the facade of the Mitsubishi XFC Concept could reveal a revamped Nissan Qashqai.
Mitsubishi revealed the XFC Concept this week, confirming plans for the model to be rolled out to markets in Southeast Asia before an eventual launch in Africa and South America.
However, it now appears the vehicle may not be entirely new, with the Mitsubishi concept appearing to share a number of key design elements with models from the Nissan stable – a company it has close ties to through the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance inked in 2017.
Digital artist Theottle posted images overnight showing striking similarities between the XFC Concept and the Nissan Magnite – a small SUV produced for emerging right-hand-drive markets in Asia and Africa.
The idea of Mitsubishi leveraging its relationship with Nissan to create a new SUV for those markets makes sense, but the use of five wheel lug nuts on the concept suggests it could be based on another vehicle from the Nissan stable.
Roughly overlaying a side profile of the XFC Concept on an image of the Nissan Qashqai reveals the two share almost identical dimensions, with the glasshouse – the most difficult and expensive part of the vehicle to change – bearing the same silhouette.
While this is by no means confirmation, it does appear as if Mitsubishi may have leaned on Nissan to help it develop a smaller SUV for selected markets.
It also removes the likelihood of the production version being offered in Australia, given that role is already filled by the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.
The XFC Concept does provide our best look at Mitsubishi’s latest design language, giving a glimpse of what we expect when the new-generation Triton and ASX arrive.
When the XFC eventually reaches production, the model could also borrow its hybrid powertrain from the Nissan Qashqai E-Power, which uses a conventional petrol engine to power a battery and electric motor.
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