2022 Mitsubishi Airtrek Electric Crossover Debuts With Bold Styling

Mitsubishi previewed the Airtrek as a namesake concept back in April at the Auto Shanghai and now it's unveiling the production version at the Auto Guangzhou. If the name seems familiar, there is a very good reason for that as the original Outlander was sold in Japan for a few years with the same moniker. It's now making a return, but in China as a new EV created by the local GAC Mitsubishi Motors joint venture.

The 2022 Airtrek is the latest model to get a split headlight setup with the LED daytime running lights positioned at the very top of the bumper while the main headlight cluster is mounted below, shaped like a "7." The layout is in line with recent Mitsu products and gives the compact crossover a bold front fascia. The quirky headlights flank a closed-off grille with hexagonal indentations across three gray bars. Look closer and you'll notice the front camera is mounted right under the logo, and there's a big radar sensor installed lower on the bumper.

The side profile reveals a two-tone look for the alloy wheels to complement the main white color of the body with a black roof. Interestingly, the 2022 Mitsubishi Airtrek gets pop-out door handles and wears a fairly large "EV" badge on the front doors. The plastic body cladding around the wheel arches denotes its crossover traits, while the roof boasts a sunroof as the images show a top-spec version.

Moving at the back, those taillights remind us of a Skoda Karoq and Mitubishi's idea was likely to mimic the shape of the headlights. The "EV" logo appears once again on the tailgate where it's joined by the make and model written in Chinese. The front grille's gray finish continues at the rear for the plastic trim of the bumper where three stacked reflectors have been mounted on each side.

The interior is quite simple in the sense that most controls have been swallowed by the large touchscreen. A big digital instrument cluster has also been fitted and it comes with augmented reality tech for the navigation system. For only a compact crossover, the Airtrek is impressively roomy in the back thanks to its dedicated electric platform with a completely flat floor and a long wheelbase.

 Let's talk specs. Mitsubishi's press release is coy on details, but its Chinese website reveals the zero-emissions crossover is 4630 millimeters (182.3 inches) long, 1920 mm (75.6 in) wide, and 1728 mm (68 in) tall, with a wheelbase stretching at 2830 mm (111.4 in). The Airtrek weighs 1,900 kilograms (4,189 pounds) and gets a 69.9-kWh battery pack with enough juice for 520 kilometers (323 miles) in the local CLTC cycle. Local media reports the electric motor is good for 181 horsepower (135 kilowatts).

The 2022 Mitsubishi Airtrek is slated to go on sale in the People's Republic next year.