As Mitsubishi shifts its global lineup toward utility vehicles and electrified cars, it will pull the plug on the Lancer Evolution at the end of the nameplate's current generation.

“Mitsubishi Motors does not have any plans to design a successor with the current concept, as a high-performance four-wheel drive gasoline-powered sedan,” spokeswoman Namie Koketsu said, describing the car as having “icon” status. “Mitsubishi Motors will explore the possibilities of high-performance models that incorporate electric vehicle technology.”

Dropping the Evo was foreshadowed last fall when President Osamu Masuko unveiled a new mid-term business plan that would deprioritize in-house sedans and explore sourcing them through joint projects with the Renault-Nissan Alliance. He said Mitsubishi's strength lies in pickups, crossovers and SUVs.

The loss of the Evolution shrinks an already small lineup for U.S. dealers, who battle a dearth of fresh offerings, especially in the sedan segment. It also marks a departure for Mitsubishi, which once built a reputation as a purveyor of tech-savvy performance cars such as the Evolution, Eclipse and 3000GT.

Mitsubishi, riding record profits after years of losses, aims to lift global sales 29 percent to 1.43 million vehicles in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017, from the 1.11 million it expects to have sold in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014.

The article Mitsubishi to end Lancer Evolution production, another potential setback for U.S. dealers first appeared at Automotive News.

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