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The Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer wants you to ski

And you may have to fly to Switzerland to do so

We wonder if this requires snow-covered surfaces. PHOTO FROM MITSUBISHI

What you see here is Mitsubishi’s main vehicle display at the ongoing Geneva Motor Show. It is called the Engelberg Tourer concept. There are at least two mountains in Germany called Engelberg, but this vehicle apparently got its name from a ski resort in Switzerland. And that’s because the Japanese automaker wants to convince people that its new concept SUV knows no boundaries and that it can travel even to zero-traction places blanketed in snow.

Is this going to be the next-generation Pajero? PHOTOS FROM MITSUBISHI

The Engelberg Tourer is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that runs on a 2.4-liter gasoline engine complemented by the brand’s Twin Motor system. In full-electric mode, it has a driving range of more than 70km. With both the internal-combustion engine and the electric motors functioning, it can cover a distance of some 700km on a single tank of fuel and a fully charged battery.

The sci-fi-esque elements may not make it on the production version should they make this. PHOTOS FROM MITSUBISHI

The real story here, however, is that Mitsubishi is merely using the Engelberg Tourer concept to showcase its so-called Dendo Drive House, which will soon be a commercially available energy ecosystem that connects an EV or a PHEV to your house as well as to solar panels. The system features a bidirectional charger that allows it to juice up your electrified vehicle using solar energy during daytime, and then power your home using stored energy in your vehicle at nighttime.

This is a visually exciting SUV that looks futuristic. PHOTOS FROM MITSUBISHI

Mitsubishi intends to introduce its DDH vehicle-to-home energy system first in Japan and then later in Europe within the year.

We totally loathe snow-white interiors. Just saying. PHOTOS FROM MITSUBISHI

As for us, we honestly don’t care about the environment-friendly Dendo Drive House system. We just want Mitsubishi to produce the Engelberg Tourer sometime in the near future. It looks like a badass digital-age vehicle. Something tells us the exterior design will be used on the next-generation Pajero.



Vernon B. Sarne

Vernon is the founder and editor-in-chief of VISOR. He has been an automotive journalist since July 1995. He became one by serendipity, walking into the office of a small publishing company and applying for a position he had no idea was for a local car magazine. God has watched over him throughout his humble journey. He writes the ‘Spoiler’ column.



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