2007 Mitsubishi Concept ZT

By Marty Padgett

Marty Padgett

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2007 Mitsubishi Concept ZT

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Mitsubishi may have walked away from its Diamante sedan and wagon in the U.S., but that’s not stopping the company from showing a concept at this year’s Tokyo show patterned very much after the departed four-door.

The Concept ZT sports the dimensions of a big front-drive sedan, like the old Diamante did, before it was retired after the 2003 model year. The Concept ZT’s overall length is just 0.5 inches shorter than the ’02 Diamante’s, but its wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer, at 110.8 inches. Even the style of the four-door concept, conservative to a fault, is very reminiscent of the Diamante — although it’s crafted on an aluminum space frame as a weight-saving measure.

Where the Concept ZT differs dramatically is under the hood, where a green-minded powertrain takes the place of a big V-6. The ZT uses a version of the newly developed Mitsubishi clean diesel engine, a 2.2-liter four-cylinder that’s coupled to a “Twin Clutch SST” semi-manual transmission. The engine is good for 188 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

The drivetrain also uses Mitsubishi’s new S-AWC all-wheel-drive system to apportion power to the wheels with the most traction. Anti-lock brakes and stability control are integrated into the system.

Technology stuffed into the ZT cabin includes a lane-departure warning system, all-around driving monitors, parking cameras, and a pop-up hood to improve pedestrian safety in case of an accident.

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