2022 Mitsubishi Airtrek: China-only electric SUV revives old nameplate

The covers have come off the new Mitsubishi Airtrek at the 2021 Guangzhou Auto Show this week, more than six months after the Japanese manufacturer previewed its electric SUV with a pair of shadowy teaser images.

Reviving a name once found on the first-generation Outlander in the Japanese market, the Airtrek is making a return – but as an electric crossover for China, developed under the GAC-Mitsubishi Motors joint-venture.

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Despite sharing the Airtrek nameplate with its Outlander-based ancestor, the new electric version has nothing in common with the latest-generation version recently launched in Australia.

Instead, the SUV is heavily related to the GAC Aion V, an electric crossover revealed in 2020. However, although the two models share an identical side profile, the front and rear of the Airtrek has been completely redesigned over its joint-venture sibling.

As with other Mitsubishi vehicles, the Airtrek adopts the brand’s ‘Dynamic Shield’ front-end design, with LED daytime running lights positioned above the main headlight cluster – surrounded by a curved chrome ‘shield’ design and a large grille.

At the rear, the L-shaped tail-lights and prominent ‘EV’ badging – both similar to the Outlander PHEV – also work to help the Airtrek stand out as a Mitsubishi product.

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The interior of the Airtrek features a free-standing infotainment display, with the available digital instrument cluster capable of providing augmented reality for the built-in navigation system, while the floating centre console showcases a rotary gear shifter and a number of large storage compartments.

Thanks to its generous 2830mm wheelbase, the Airtrek places a focus on rear space – with its dedicated electric vehicle platform and completely flat floor also helping in this department.

According to Mitsubishi’s local website, the Airtrek measures in at 4600mm in length, 1910mm in width and 1690mm in height – placing it in a similar position to the 110mm longer but 48mm narrower Outlander.

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Equipped with a 70kWh battery pack, the Airtrek is capable of a 520km driving range under the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) testing standard, with dedicated electric underpinnings allowing the batteries to be mounted on the floor for “ideal front-rear weight distribution” and a lower centre of gravity.

Although Mitsubishi is yet to confirm official power figures for the Airtrek, local media reports the electric motor produces around 135kW – an identical figure to its GAC Aion V stablemate.

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The 2022 Mitsubishi Airtrek will go on sale exclusively for the Chinese market in early 2022, with international markets likely to see the continued prioritisation of plug-in hybrid SUVs – such as the Eclipse Cross PHEV and Outlander PHEV – before a global electric SUV is introduced, most likely in the form of a Nissan Ariya-based model.