If the Mitsubishi ASX looks somewhat familiar to you, it should, because here in the U.S. it is marketed as the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. This year at the Geneva Auto Show,->ke228 Mitsubishi->ke58 decided to take the ASX->ke3613 and put together a concept with an emphasis on adventure and appeal to outdoor enthusiasts. I might be coming on a little strong about the emphasis here because, in all reality, this concept->ke169 is more about some accenting paint on the outside and some minor interior modifications.

I’m not trying to bash on the concept, it is certainly interesting to look at, and some of the modifications could be offered on the ASX (or the Outlander Sport->ke1397 here in the U.S.) if there is enough public appeal given to the models. Mitsubishi didn’t hint at the possibility at all, but that’s normally the way things go with concepts like this.

So, let’s take a look at this unique concept and see what made it special enough that Mitsubishi wanted to bring it to the Geneva Auto Show.

Continue reading to learn more about the Mitsubishi ASX Geoseek Concept.

Exterior

The most noticeable thing about this concept is the solid tone, pearl grey finish that has been applied to the body. Normally this kind of color would be considered outlandish on a car, but it really kind of works for some reason. To create an interesting color contrast, Mitsubishi applied bright orange paint to the fins on either side of the radiator grille up front. That grille is also has a gloss black mesh, with a plate in the middle displaying the name of the concept. Down below a chrome-looking skid plate pulls the front end together.

To the sides, we see more orange accents starting with a small portion at the top of each wheel arch painted orange. The accenting continues with a bright orange finish on the trim attached to the bottom of the doors, as well as the side view mirror housings, centers of the roof rack rails, and the outer edge of the wheels. To the rear, the underside of the hatches overhang is painted orange, and down below the rear diffuser also takes on the orange paint treatment. A basket has been added to the roof for carrying “bicycles or camping gear.”

Interior

On the interior, there is more orange accenting everywhere you look, or as Mitsubishi put it, there are orange accents in “strategic areas to present a casual and sporty image akin to outdoor sporting accessories.” I’m not sure if that is what I would call it, but It looks like the orange accenting has been applied to the vent surrounds on the dash and around the circular gauges on the instrument cluster.

Other orange accenting includes stripes on the door trim, the handle on the E-brake, and the stitching on the outsides of the floor mats. The seats are said to be covered with “highly functional covering materials” that aid in temperature control on the sides. The center inserts on the seats are made of a high-quality suede-like fabric with a funky embossing on them. The seats are also held together with bright orange stitching.

Drivetrain

Mitsubishi didn’t mention anything about any drivetrain modifications, so it’s safe to say that Geoseek concept features one of the powertrains from the current production models. That means it has either a 1.6-liter diesel unit, 1.6-liter gasoline unit, or a 2.2-liter diesel mill. The model shown in the pictures clearly has a manual transmission, so it is likely the 1.6-liter diesel unit, as that is the only powertrain that is offered with four-wheel drive and a manual transmission. Presumably, since this concept was aimed out outdoor enthusiasts, it’s only logical that this concept be four-wheel drive.

If this model does have the 1.6-liter diesel as I suspect, that means this concept has 112 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque. Reaching 62 mph from a stop comes in 11.5 seconds with a top speed of 111 mph. That’s certainly nothing to write home about, and with the ridiculous basket on the roof, it will probably be a bit slower too.

Conclusion

I have to say that I like the bold approach of going with a grey finish and bright orange accents, but to me, this concept is still just another model that was quickly designed to take up space at Mitsubishi’s booth. The way I look at it, Mitsubishi had more space than it could fill, so it came up with a quick concept to throw in there. I get it, but if Mitsubishi had taken more time, it could have done a lot more to the concept that would make it appeal to outdoorsy people even more.

To be quite honest, the random orange accents on all of the trim pieces reminds me of something I used to do to my cars when I was younger to “customize” them. One of the first things I would do is pull off every removable piece of trim – like the vent surrounds – and give them an interesting finish to contrast the interior. The tan interior on my 1991 Pontiac Grand Prix ending up with glass black accents everywhere. That is probably why I’m not digging this concept as much as I would if Mitsubishi took more time with it. A lot of stuff done here is something my younger self would have done a long time ago, and to be honest, it’s kind of out of style these days. I’ll give Mitsubishi an A for effort, but that’s as far as I’m going to go with it.