Mitsubishi slapped its badge on the Renault Captur and called it a day after it unveiled the “new” ASX last month. It will put more effort into the small crossover for the ASEAN markets where it plans to sell the production version of the XFC concept. Unveiled in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), Vietnam’s most populous city, the vehicle is billed as “the best friend for an exciting life” with a “silky and solid” design. It is called
Marketing jargon aside, it has an all-Mitsubishi design as opposed to the ASX’s distinctly French DNA. It features L-shaped LED headlights with louvre-like daytime running lights repeated at the rear for a lighter signature where the taillights are identical. Bright hexagonal shapes are located on both ends of the XFC concept while the side profile displays cameras instead of traditional mirrors.
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The interior follows recent trends by adopting side-by-side screens, but thankfully, there are still separate controls for the climate settings. They are mounted on the touch capacitive panel on the center console where we also see the “floating” gear selector and stop/start button. The flat-bottomed steering wheel hosts hexagonal touch buttons to mirror the controls mounted on the HVAC module and door cards.
Interestingly, the front seats and rear bench sections feature a contrasting yellow finish that has also been used for stitching throughout the cabin. The XFC Concept appears to have a completely flat floor with plenty of room for three rear passengers who have access to touch panel-mounted climate controls. Mitsubishi says the small crossover has class-leading interior space and large cargo volume behind the seats.
Technical specifications aren’t provided, but we do know that this is Mitsubishi’s first vehicle to feature a “wet” driving mode that enables “safe driving even on roads flooded by sudden rains.” Other selectable driving modes in the XFC Concept are: Normal, Gravel, and Mud.
Later production versions will obviously be toned down, so don’t expect those flashy lights and side cameras to survive. Consequently, we can say the same thing about the two screens mounted on the ends of the dashboard as they display the footage captured by the camera. In the road-going model, Mitsubishi will likely install air vents. The concept’s 20-inch wheels seem like overkill for a small crossover, and the touch controls will probably be replaced with regular buttons.
Mitsubishi will have the production model for sale in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) markets – including Vietnam – from fiscal year 2023, so sometime between April 2023 and March 2024. If it is going to be a commercial success, availability will be increased. In other regions outside ASEAN.