Mitsubishi
43 articles in this category
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In 1989, Mitsubishi released a new model called the Eclipse. It was a sporty, affordable, front-wheel drive semi-successor to the Mitsubishi Starion. The Starion line was split in two, with the Eclipse taking the affordable sports hatchback segment to compete with the Toyota Celica and Honda Prelude, while the new Mitsubishi 3000GT, introduced the following year, moved upmarket to compete with the Toyota Supra and Nissan 300ZX. Built in Normal, Illinois, in collaboration with Chrysler, the Ecl
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Rumor has it that Mitsubishi is working on a return of the Lancer Evolution as a high performance sedan and hatchback. The car could be one of the first results for Mitsubishi of joining the Alliance with Nissan and Renault. The new Lancer Evolution would use the alliance's modular CMF platform, shared with the next generation Renault Megane RS. Under the hood would be the powertrain from the Megane, a turbo-charged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder producing up to 341 horsepower. While the Renault w
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Mitsubishi dealers are living in interesting times. After a tumultuous fall in sales after the recession, the last year and a quarter has given Mitsubishi double digit gains in sales. Sales for 2018 rose 14 percent and so far this year, sales are up an astonishing 17.6 percent. The question for Mitsubishi is where do they go from here? With two small crossovers, a large one, and a subcompact car, the next logical answer for their dealers is adding a mid-size pickup to the mix. Mitsubis
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Mitsubishi is starting to find its footing thanks to the alliance it formed with Nissan towards the end of 2016. The company last year that it plans on "launching 11 new and redesigned models" for the U.S. Two of the models have go on sale this year, the Eclipse Cross and Outlander Plug-In Hybrid. But what about the other nine? Motor Trend has learned some details on a fair number of vehicles in the cards. Outlander: Redesign coming in 2021 and will use the underpinnings of the Nissan Ro
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Mitsubishi's lineup in the U.S. is very thin, but that will change soon as the Japanese automaker introduces the new Eclipse Cross and Outlander PHEV crossovers. This is part of an effort to boost sales 30 percent for the U.S. by 2020. While the focus for the U.S. will be on crossovers, Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko hinted that other products could be in the pipeline if they leverage their alliance with Nissan-Renault. In an interview with Automotive News, Masuko said the opportunity t
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Mitsubishi has unveiled a new three-year strategic plan called 'Drive for Growth'. The Japanese automaker wants to increase unit sales and revenue by 30 percent - about 1.3 million vehicles sold in the case of the former. It also plans on improving profit margins from 0.3 to 6 percent. To pull this off, Mitsubishi will be working on reducing costs in development and manufacturing, along with investing $5.3 billion for new products and revamping key markets. In terms of products, Mitsu
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There are a small group of people who want Mitsubishi to do a follow-up to the Lancer Evolution. The good news is that Mitsubishi is considering it. The bad news is that it will be awhile as the company has some other issues it needs to work out. According to Motoring, Mitsubishi global boss Trevor Mann said a performance model was on the table for future products. “In terms of the brand, I think it would be interesting to bring something back that’s a bit more sporty in the future. Yo
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Mitsubishi is planning to announce a blueprint on how it plans to rebuild itself in September, but the company's Chief Operating Officer Trevor Mann dropped some breadcrumbs of what could be included. Speaking with Automotive News, Mann explained that the United States, China and Southeast Asia would play key roles in Mitsubishi's recovery. For the U.S., Mann hinted that Mitsubishi could tap help from Nissan or Renault on a new sedan (our guess would be compact or midsize). There is also ta
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We have been wondering what kind of impact the Mitsubishi and Nissan alliance would bring to the table. According to a report from Automotive News, it looks like delays for a couple of key products for the diamond star brand. Speaking with supplier sources, Mitsubishi has pushed back the redesigns of the Outlander and Outlander Sport crossovers. Originally, Mitsubishi was planning to launch the next Outlander "in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019", while the Outlander Sport would follow
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There will be one less compact car on sale come August. Motor1 has learned from Mitsubishi Motors North America’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, Don Swearingen that production of the Lancer compact sedan will end this August. Of course. you are probably saying to yourself that Mitsubishi was still building the Lancer?! The answer is yes. Will Mitsubishi have a replacement for the Lancer, especially considering the partnership with Nissan? Swearingen said no. He told A
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Only a few months after Nissan announced it would buy a controlling stake in Mitsubishi Motors, the deal is now official. Nissan will pay 237 billion yen (about $2.29 billion) to purchase a 34 percent stake into Mitsubishi. As part of this deal, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn will become Chairman of the Board. Osamu Masuko will remain Mitsubishi Motors CEO and President. "I welcome Nissan's willingness to provide strategic, operational and management support as our new lead shareholder. As p
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Progress seems to be going on with Nissan taking a 34 percent stake in Mitsubishi Motors. Japanese business paper The Nikkei reports that Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn will become the chairman of Mitsubishi Motors once the deal is set. Sources tell the Nikkei that current chairman and president Osamu Masuko has been asked to stay on as president. When reached for comment, spokespeople at Mitsubishi and Nissan declined to comment. However, Masuko has confirmed that he was asked to stay on as president
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Mitsubishi's fuel economy mess in Japan isn't getting any better. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Japanese automaker continued to improperly test the fuel economy of their vehicles a month after admitting that it had manipulated fuel economy figures on their Kei cars. This accusation comes from a new report from Japan's transport ministry. “We cannot help but feel concerned that these points haven’t been improved,” said Naoki Fujii, head of the road transport bureau at the ministr
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Mitsubishi Motors brought in investigators to answer a question; why did they manipulate fuel economy figures on a number of their models? The results of the investigation were announced yesterday and it was a combination of various decisions and factors that led to it. The investigation criticized the company for "not having the manufacturing philosophy of an automaker". A key example comes from the company not rallying their workers to help them back on track after two major scandals. Inst
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Ever since Mitsubishi admitted to falsifying fuel economy figures on a number of vehicles in Japan, the automaker has been clear that this didn't extend to other markets. Nissan is double checking this claim. Automotive News reports that Mitsubishi's possible largest shareholder is looking into Mitsubishi's claimed fuel economy numbers in other markets to see if this scandal extended outside Japan. This is part of Nissan's due diligence review before finalizing plans to buy a 34 percent stak
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On Friday, Mitsubishi Motors announced that it will set aside 50 billion yen (about $480 million) this fiscal year to compensate buyers for inflated fuel economy figures. Bloomberg reports that the Japanese automaker admitted that 20 vehicles sold in Japan within the past ten years had false fuel economy data. Mitsubishi said in a statement they used “desktop calculations” instead of running actual field tests and used the false data on the twenty models built from 2006 to this year. They al
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If there is one thing we have learned with previous scandals in the automotive, it is that it will get worse before becoming better. Such is the case with Mitsubishi and their fuel economy scandal. According to Reuters, various Japanese outlets are reporting that the inflated fuel economy numbers extend much further than the four models originally announced. The Asahi newspaper says the Japanese automaker falsified fuel economy figures on three additional models, while the Yomiuri newspaper
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Tetsuro Aikawa, Mitsubishi Motors' president and COO will be stepping down from the company next month. In a statement released by the company, Aikawa will resign on June 24th, the same date of Mitsubishi's annual shareholders meeting. Ryugo Nakao, the executive vice president for quality and product strategy will also be stepping down at the same time. Automotive News reports that Akiawa stepped down for two key reasons. The first was that he was the director of the r&d division tha
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In under 24 hours, the rumor has become reality. Nissan will acquire 34 percent of Mitsubishi Motors for 237 billion yen (about $2.17 billion). This makes Nissan the single-largest shareholder in the automaker. Speaking at a press briefing announcing the deal, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said this alliance will cover purchasing, common platforms, joint manufacturing, technology development, and target shared cost savings. The alliance will also contribute management expertise to help Mitsubishi
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We weren't expecting this: Nissan, the automaker who discovered the manipulation of fuel economy figures at Mitsubishi Motors, is currently in the final stages of buying a controlling stake into the company. According to reports from NHK and the Nikkei Asian Review, Nissan will spend roughly 200 billion Yen (about $1.8 billion) to acquire over 30 percent interest in Mitsubishi Motors. This would make Nissan the largest shareholder in the company, surpassing Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which
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The past couple days have been crazy at Mitsubishi with executives possibly stepping down, the EPA ordering retest of vehicles, and the U.S. branch telling dealers there are no inconsistencies in the tests for the U.S. models. Let's get you up to date. On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) requested details from Mitsubishi on its U.S. vehicle lineup to check for discrepancies. The EPA also requested Mitsubishi to retest their U.S. lin
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Last week, Mitsubishi admitted that it had manipulated fuel economy figures for 625,000 vehicles sold in Japan. But today, the scandal has only grown as the Japanese automaker revealed that it used fuel economy testing methods that were not compliant with Japanese regulations since 1991. Reuters reports that Mitsubishi was compiling data for fuel economy tests using U.S. standards ( focuses on higher-speed, highway driving) and not Japanese standards (focuses more on city driving). Since
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Mitsubishi Motors has admitted today to manipulating fuel economy tests for 625,000 vehicles sold in Japan. The manipulation involves four kei (small-capacity engines and compact dimensions) cars; Mitsubishi eK Wagon, Mitsubishi eK Space, Nissan Dayz, and Nissan Dayz Roox. Out of the total 625,000 vehicles, the majority of the vehicles are the Nissan models. "The wrongdoing was intentional. It is clear the falsification was done to make the mileage look better. But why they would resort
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Mitsubishi is playing to its strengths to help it rebound in the U.S. That includes the introduction of three crossovers with electric powertrains. Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko tells Automotive News the company will channel their limited resources into creating a more compact lineup mostly made up of crossovers and SUVs. "We are strong in SUVs and four-wheel drives. And that is what we would like to focus on as core models in the U.S. market. We have changed direction. We are going to all
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The popularity of crossovers with consumers is continuing to rise and Mitsubishi wants to make sure they aren't left behind. Speaking with Automotive News, Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko revealed that the Japanese automaker is working a new five-seat crossover that will slot in between the Outlander and Outlander Sport. The new crossover will take some styling ideas from the eX concept shown at the Tokyo Motor Show and compete with the likes of the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage. Production is
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Mitsubishi hasn't had the best of luck of trying to find a partner. Back in February, we learned that talks between it and Renault had fallen apart for a new midsize sedan. Mitsubishi shelved those plans and reportedly began talks with Nissan. We also learned that Mitsubishi moved up the replacement for the Lancer. Now Mitsubishi has begun working on the Lancer replacement in-house while it still looks for a partner. “We are talking with a potential partner at this time, (but) at the sam
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The current Mitsubishi Pajero (the Montero to us) hasn't changed much since it was first introduced back in 2000 - the last major changes happened in 2006. Now we know Mitsubishi is working on a new Pajero that will be due in out a few years and coming to the U.S. We got some idea of what the model will look like with the GC-PHEV Concept shown in Tokyo and Chicago. Autocar recently spoke with Lance Bradley, head of Mitsubishi Motors UK who revealed what the intent of the next Pajero will be.
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The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution will be bowing out at the end of 2015, but the Evolution name could be coming back on a high-performance hybrid crossover if the base model proves to be popular. Autocar spoke with boss of Mitsubishi, Tetsuro Aikawa who said “In the future, we would like to launch such a vehicle with Evo characteristics. In Japanese, when you pronounce ‘Oh’ [in Evo], it means ‘king’. So we would like to launch this type of car, featuring EV and PHEV technology, which is the ultim
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Mitsubishi is putting on a bold face with the introduction of the 2016 Outlander at the New York Auto Show. The Outlander boast over 100 changes with the hope of improving where it stands in the marketplace. The most noticeable change is the front end as it adds a black and chrome grille, along with LED position lights. New 18-inch wheels, rear bumper, and LED taillights finish off the exterior. Inside, Mitsubishi changed out the steering wheel, added new seating surfaces, display audio system
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A couple weeks back, we reported that a Mitsubishi executive says talks between them and Nissan/Renault has stalled, but didn't go into details as to why. But Automotive News has shined a light as to possibly why and where it stands now. According to a source at Mitsubishi, the company ended talks with Renault about using the midsize Latitude/Samsung SM7 sedan built in South Korea because the Yon suddenly appreciated. This is turned undercut the plan's profitability when paired against the U.S.
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Back in late 2013, Mitsubishi announced a new partnership with Nissan to create a new midsize sedan for the North American marketplace. But at the NADA conference this weekend, a Mitsubishi executive says the plan has hit an impasse. “I told them that the plan has stalled. And I said that’s really all I can tell you at this time,” said Don Swearingen, executive vice president of Mitsubishi Motors North America to Automotive News. Its unclear whether the sedan part of the partnership or if anot
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After seven years of not really introducing new products and posting losses and declining sales, Mitsubishi is making a comeback in the U.S. The automaker expects to make a to make an operating profit of $27 million, and boosted sales projections to 116,000 vehicles for the fiscal year that ends next March. "One of the important efforts inside the company has been turning North America from red ink to black. Finally we can realize that," said Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko. Makuko credits
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We've been reporting on the departure of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution for the past year or so. But the big question of what would replace it has been up in the air. But a new report from Autocar says that a SUV would take its place, at least in spirit. “It will not exist as we know it. It will be replaced in spirit by an SUV with high performance,” said Kanenori Okamoto, Mitsubishi's product boss. This new SUV will apparently incorporate lessons learned from the MiEV Evolution III, which b
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The end of era is coming soon. Automotive News reports that Mitsubishi has planned the departure of the Lancer Evolution at the end of this generation. The company hasn't given a date to that though. “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. Mitsubishi Motors will explore the possibilities of high-performance models that incorporate electric vehicle technology,” said Mitsubishi spokes
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Mitsubishi North America is getting a new president and CEO. Starting March 1, Ryujiro Kobashi will take over from Yoichi Yokozawa, 49, who has been in charge since April of 2011. Kobashi has been with the automaker since 1983, holding various positions throughout the company. Before being named Mitsubishi NA's president, Kobashi was the corporate general manager of the NA office at Mitsubishi's headquarters in Japan, where he kept an eye on the regional operations for the US, Canada, and Mexico
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Mitsubishi told its dealers yesterday at the NADA Convention about a plan to reintegrate the brand's tired lineup. The lynchpin to this plan is a new midsize sedan that will come out of a new partnership between Mitsubishi and Nissan/Renault. Don Swearingen, Mitsubishi Motors North America executive vice president tells Automotive News that the two are still in negotiations about the new sedan. "We abandoned a huge market and we have to find a way to fill those customer's needs. Many of those
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 14, 2013 A new report from Motor Trend says the next Lancer Evolution will be much different than the one we currently have. The report says that Mitsubishi is working on a new plug-in hybrid drivetrain and platform that will consist of electric motors in the front and back for the all-wheel drive system, a battery pack mounted under the rear seats, and a gas engine. Sources close to project say engineers are considering a 1.1L inline-
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 25, 2013 The rumors of what will be happening with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution have been flying for the past few years. They have ranged from the model being killed off to morphing into a hybrid model. One thing is for certain, it's going to be awhile before we see a new Lancer Evolution. CarAdvice had the chance to talk with Mitsubishi managing director of product projects and strategy Ryugo Nakao. Nakao said for the time being, t
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 5, 2013 In a surprise move, Mitsubishi has announced they are teaming up with Nissan-Renault to build two new sedans; a new midsize sedan that would be sold in the U.S. and Canada, and a compact sedan that will be sold globally. The partnership will also look new projects which include products, technology and manufacturing capacity. “Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors have jointly benefited from several collaborations in the past, most rece
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com May 13, 2013 Mitsubishi could be introducing a new subcompact sedan as part of an effort to help bolster their presence in the U.S. Automotive News reports that Mitsubishi dealers were shown rendering of the sedan at the brand's regional dealer meetings back in April. Mitsubishi told the dealers that the sedan could be arriving sometime in 2015. When asked about this, Mistubishi declined to confirm the timing or whether dealers in the U.S. w
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com March 19, 2013 Mitsubishi is mounting a comeback in the U.S. The brand which only sold 57,790 vehicles last year, a 27% drop in sales compared to 2011, has big plans that involves more marketing and beginning to fill the holes in the lineup. Masatoshi Hasegawa, executive vice president of corporate planning for Mitsubishi Motors North America told Automotive News the brand is looking at a new midsize sedan and a larger crossover. "We are l
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 12, 2012 When the news broke of Suzuki leaving the U.S., there was chorus of people who said this; “How long does Mitsubishi have in the U.S.?” This a good question considering the evidence. Mitsubishi sales through October have dropped 29% to 50,103 vehicles. Mitsubishi’s market share has also dropped from 0.7% to 0.4% in the same period last year. Also, Mitsubishi’s dealers lead all automakers in the U.S. with backlogged inventory.
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 24, 2012 We do appreciate when a CEO of an automaker is completely honest and frank. But there are times when we're just wondering if a CEO's comments are crossing a line. Case in point, the new CEO of Mitsubishi Australia, Mutsuhiro Oshikiri. "The product is old ... and the prices are too high." Oshikiri became the new CEO of Mitsubishi Australia just ten weeks ago and is eager to get a better grasp of what the brand needs to do for b
