The North American International Auto-show is just passed, but the chatter about profit still looms in this country.  Last we heard, the talk about some of the production plans for the Lancer in 2010 hinted at Mitsubishi scoping a new design of a 4-cylinder diesel to bring to its Lancer and Outlander SUV.

Suspicion is that Mitsubishi intends to be “right there” when Nissan and Honda attempt to grab their share of the fuel-efficient diesel market in North America. This is a departure from the Detroit show’s “Prototype X”, which features a turbo-charged version of the Lancer’s new 2.0-liter MIVEC 4-cylinder engine, sporting 152 hp @ 6000 rpm and 146 lb.-ft of torque at 4250 rpm. The current model (2008) also offers a slightly less potent version (143/143) for those areas that require stricter emissions.

Enter the Performance Diesel development team. The new engine will consist of a lightweight aluminum, common-rail fuel injection system, and a set of Piezo fuel injectors. Emissions are expected to be comparable to gasoline through the use of a DPF +Nox trap catalyst system.

Forced induction will be handled by a new variable-geometry / variable diffuser turbocharger. All of that “lingo” means that the turbo’s internal vanes will be computer controlled and optimized for performance. For the driver, it means a very wide range of boost control, quick response, and a minimum of “turbo-lag”. Additionally, they intend to include a variable diffuser that electronically varies the flow from the compressor to the intake. Sounds to me like the mating of efficiency and power, all under one sexy looking hood! Like you, I’m waiting to see some real-world numbers for this bad boy.