Back to the Future – Reimagining the Mitsubishi i for Europe
Yet a genuinely affordable city car is conspicuously absent. If Mitsubishi wants to rebuild a meaningful presence in Britain, it needs more than SUVs and pick-ups; smaller, accessible models could bring the badge back to everyday buyers.
TNY Design Studio imagines how Renault's new electric Twingo might give the Mitsubishi i a second life.
The Mitsubishi i arrived in Japan in 2006 as a kei car, measuring just 3,395mm long and 1,475mm wide. Yet its rounded, almost futuristic body concealed some remarkably clever engineering.
By positioning a 659cc three-cylinder petrol engine ahead of the rear axle, Mitsubishi could push the wheels towards the corners, achieve a 2,550mm wheelbase and create surprisingly generous space for four occupants.
Rear-wheel drive, sophisticated De Dion rear suspension and a four-speed automatic made the i rather more interesting than the average city car. Britain even received the turbocharged petrol version in 2007, priced at around £9,000, although it remained a rare sight.
More importantly for Europe, its unconventional packaging provided the perfect foundation for the electric i-MiEV, which would later underpin the Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-Zero. (Image credit: Mitsubishi)
A Twingo-based i could inherit Renault's 27.5kWh LFP battery and 82PS motor, delivering up to 163 miles of WLTP range. That's a considerable improvement over the original i-MiEV's 16kWh battery, 67PS motor and 93-mile NEDC range, although the testing standards differ.
Practicality could improve too. Where the i-MiEV offered just 166 litres of boot space due partly to its rear-mounted powertrain, the Twingo provides up to 360 litres with its independently sliding rear seats pushed forward. A revived i could offer similar flexibility without sacrificing its city-friendly dimensions.
From the rear, our Mitsubishi i rendering retains one of the original car's most distinctive features: its high-mounted rear light clusters, now reimagined as slim vertical LED strips alongside the rear window. We've deliberately kept the tailgate and surrounding bodywork clean, preserving the simplicity that made the first-generation i so appealing.
There's also a logical place for it in Mitsubishi's European range. The Renault Clio-based Colt measures 4,053mm long, while the new electric Twingo is just 3,790mm, leaving a 263mm difference between the two.
A revived i could comfortably sit beneath the Colt, offering an affordable, four-seat electric city car without competing directly with its larger sibling. With Mitsubishi already relying on Renault for several European models, extending that relationship into the smallest segment seems an entirely plausible next step.
Renault's new Twingo is set to provide the foundations for a growing family of affordable electric city cars across the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. The next-generation Dacia Spring and Nissan Pixo are both set to draw on the same architecture, with TNY having previously explored both models through our own Design Studio renderings.
Could Mitsubishi be the next brand to join this expanding family?
Our entry-level Mitsubishi i rendering imagines how an especially affordable version might look. Finished in non-metallic paint, with simple wheel trims, unpainted plastic mirrors and simplified lighting, it deliberately avoids unnecessary decoration.
For Mitsubishi, a revived i wouldn't need to be complicated or expensive. A straightforward, affordable electric city car could fill a noticeable gap in its European range, bringing back some of the originality and small-car ingenuity that made the first generation so interesting.
The original Mitsubishi i was a small car with big ideas, proving that clever engineering could make even the tiniest vehicles feel innovative. Its electric successor arrived ahead of its time, helping to lay the foundations for an industry-wide shift towards electrification.
Nearly two decades later, the market looks very different. Affordable electric city cars are finally beginning to gain momentum, and Mitsubishi already has access to the technology through its relationship with Renault.
A revived i wouldn't need to reinvent the electric car. It would simply need to be affordable, practical and distinctive, much like the original. For a brand rebuilding its European presence, perhaps looking back at one of its smallest creations could be a very sensible way forward.
Legal & Image Credits
TNY Design Studio is an independent editorial project. The 2028 Mitsubishi i EV designs are speculative renderings created by The New Yardstick and are not official Mitsubishi products or announcements. Proposed specifications and platform sharing are illustrative and subject to change.
Mitsubishi, Renault, Nissan, Dacia, Peugeot and Citroën names and trademarks remain the property of their respective owners. The historical Mitsubishi i-MiEV photograph is credited to Mitsubishi Motors. All concept renderings and design sketches are original TNY Design Studio illustrations.
© 2026 The New Yardstick. All rights reserved.
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