Mitsubishi News

mikevegas06

Thanks for the info.

Wow. I'm surprised that the Galant is still using that four speed and gets 30 on the highway. A five speed auto would've really hep with the mileage.

Have any ideas of what will be manufactured at the Normal plant? Also, I'm assuming (hopefully, I'm wrong) that the Eclipse will get cut after 2010/2011, have you heard anything about that?

psychogun

I'm surprised that the Galant is still using that four speed and gets 30 on the highway.

Actually, with changes in shift mapping (transmission shifts into highest gear as soon as possible, holds high gear as long as possible), gear ratios (longer gearing), and engine characteristics (timing, A/F ratio, etc) , this type of gas mileage is not that hard to achieve. However, power delivery and engine flexibility (delivery of torque over the rev range), and hence, driving enjoyment tend to suffer.
None the less, the Galant's mechanicals, styling, and packaging are hopelessly outdated.

Have any ideas of what will be manufactured at the Normal plant? Also, I'm assuming (hopefully, I'm wrong) that the Eclipse will get cut after 2010/2011, have you heard anything about that?

Mostly just speculation. As I've posted, unfortunately the Concept RA has been pronounced DOA. This does not mean that the Eclipse as a name-plate is dead too.
Per Autonews, the Normal factory is expected to produce both PS platform and GS platform vehicles side by side. No specifics are known though.

I think we'll know more after the Tokyo and L.A. Auto shows.

psychogun

Concept PX
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/30/tokyo-preview-mitsubishi-concept-px-miev-come- s-with-a-plug-ext/

Baby Outlander
http://www.theage.com.au/drive/motor-news/spied-mitsubishis-baby-offroader-20090- 930-gcka.html

iluvmysephia1

appears to be approximately Kia Sportage-sized, eh? Interesting new possible offering from Mitsu there.

oldfarmer50

I think small, fuel efficient vehicles with performance potential is the wave of the future. If Mitsu can produce a light weight (under 3000 lbs.) vehicle that get 30+ mpg. I think they will have a place in America for a long time. A line like the Lancer where they have everything from a stripped down version up to a high performance version like the EVO is just what will sell.

I just hope they do it here in America at the Normal plant.

mikevegas06

"I just hope they do it here in America at the Normal plant."

Amen to that.

mikevegas06

Article from wired.com


The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has long been a sweet ride, and now comes word from Japan that the tarmac terror may soon come with a cord.

Mitsubishi is rolling into the Tokyo Auto Show — always a showcase of the purposefully weird and wonderful — with an attractive plug-in hybrid based on the Outlander called the Concept PX-MiEV. Yeah, yeah, we know. Another SUV with batteries and an electric motor, kinda like the hybrid Escalade.

But it you look a little deeper and read the tea leaves, you can glimpse the Evo’s plug-in future.

Britain’s Autocar magazine says Mitsubishi may use the drivetrain in the upcoming Lancer Evo XI. This will be great news for the tuner crowd, a group that has long adored the Evo series.

The drivetrain in the Concept PX features a pair of 81-horsepower electric motors driving the front and rear wheels. A conventional 1.6-liter gasoline engine producing 114 horsepower provides additional power to the front wheels, and it also serves as a generator for the lithium-ion battery. Tuning the system to boost performance could be as easy as flipping a switch since the AWD system is fully electric.

Autocar says the PX is good for 140 mpg, but as a commenter noted below (and we’ve updated here), Britain uses the Imperial gallon. Car & Driver puts the figure at 117 mpg on this side of the pond.

There’s another reason to believe we’ll see such a system in the next-gen Evo: the electric motors in the Concept PX uses Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) active yaw control all-wheel drive system. It’s an off-the-shelf unit taken directly from, you guessed it, the current Evo (shown in the main pic).

Autocar says Mitsubishi hopes to have the plug-in technology on the market by 2013 and cites unnamed “company insiders” saying it could be directed at the next-gen Evo. Should such a car appear, it would go a long way toward making eco-friendlier cars that are a blast to drive. Building hybrids that are as fun as they are efficient is a sure way to make them popular with consumers.

iluvmysephia1

wow, that's the coolest Mitsu story I've read in a while, being a current '08 Lancer GTS owner and lover of the EVO. Very nice, I love this new technology being applied to the EVO. By the time my '08 Lancer GTS is ready to trade in in 2013 I may be able to buy a new Lancer GTS with hybrid technology driving it.

iluvmysephia1

for market.

http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037414_mitsubishi-previews-new-com- - - - pact-crossover



The base engine for the smaller SUV will be a 136 hp 1.8L 4-cyl. motor producing 206 pound-ft. of torque. Combined with Mitsubishi's Twin Clutch SST gearbox and an AWD system. Class-leading power output because it has a turbocharger and high-efficiency combustion system.

No word on a U.S. release date yet but the compact crossover should debut locally soon after the international launch.

mikevegas06

The hp and torque numbers indicate the engine might be diesel. Got anything on that?

iluvmysephia1

my guess would be that the 136hp 1.8L 4-cyl. would be a direct-injection gasoline engine. But Mitsu hasn't disclosed that much information yet. Or I haven't found said information yet if they have. But I will!

This little pup looks great in concept sketch form. They are on a roll that I really like lately in their design studio. Man, my '08 Lancer GTS, looking at it from the front, just scowls at you...like it's saying "what d'ya want, ta race or somethin'?"

I absolutely love this Lancer GTS. Never had a car treat me so well(in many different ways)than this 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS. And this new smaller SUV looks like it has that type of front on it, too.

chelentano

http://www.mitsubishi-motors.ru/news/43/

this site says that it Mitsu will start selling it in Japan in Feb 2010.
It will be then introduced in Europe at Geneva auto show in March.

it is in fact turbodisel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Concept-cX

interior pict

exterior pict

mikevegas06

Chelentano. Thanks for the info. The interior looks retro 80's. Remember that movie TRON? I know it's just the concept and they'll tone it down for production. It just made me chuckle. The joystick/gearshift did look plausible to me though.

This car makes since to me. It's slotted under the Outlander but just above the Sportback in terms of size.

Does Mitsu actually make diesels of that size or do they outsource it to PSA.

chelentano

i actually love the interior, it does look si-fi, but unfortunately they will probably tone it down.
I thought this car is much smaller then Sportback : 161" long: it's a size of Scion. I wish they make it bigger.
The 4N1 diesel engine is Mitsubishi build, there is an article in Wikipedia.

iluvmysephia1

is a great thing. I am even more intersted now in this mini-SUV when you say it's Scion-sized. I love small rigs. My '08 Lancer GTS is about as big a car that I really want. Love it, though!

iluvmysephia1

Why it's a Rally Red Mitsubishi Eclipse! Whoo-hoo it's lookin' good.

toomanyfumes

Hopefully they keep 'em rolling out.

oldfarmer50

"...Rally Red Mitsubishi Eclipse..."

That's my car...without that silly spoiler of course.

mikevegas06

"That's my car...without that silly spoiler of course..."

Yeah. That's a whole lot of spoiler.

Has your wifey been driving it any? The weather is changing, she might want to put some miles on it before winter sets in.

oldfarmer50

"...Has your wifey been driving it any?..."

Mrs. farmer drove it exactly once. Proclaimed it "Too much car for me" and now only rides in it. I get my teasing in by taking corners at 60 that she takes at 30 in her PT Crusier.

As for winter, I've just bought a new (to me) 22 year old van which will be my winter beater and spring farm hauler. The Eclipse will never go out in the snow and salt.

oldfarmer50

Mitsubishi's October sales down 48% to under 3900 units.

This is really bad.

iluvmysephia1

all I can say about your post just above is :sick: .

Poo!

fushigi

Definitely not good. I have my eye on a 2010 Outlander but they aren't due out for another week or more and even then I won't buy right away.

mikevegas06

Hopefully, the new models like the i MiEV and it's gasoline powered twin the i car will help turn things around or at least stop the bleeding. I'm not sure what's taking the gasoline powered i to get here though. Seems like they would introduce it first (like in 2010 for the 2011 model year) and then release the electric version (in 2011 for the 2012 model year).

oldfarmer50

I for one can't understand why Mitsu doesn't sell more cars. I am very happy with my Eclipse. I recently sat in a Dodge Challenger and the new Camaro and they didn't have any more room despite being much larger and very much heavier. Other cars I've driven just can't compare when it come to the smooth power of a Mitsubishi product.

Everyone I know who owns any Mitsubishi vehicle raves about it.

So what's the problem? Do they not spend enough ad money or is it the media bashing? I wonder.

toomanyfumes

I wonder why they don't sell more either. The Outlander is a cool, unique small SUV and the Lancer is one of the best looking small cars out there.

stever

wonder why they don't sell more either.

Not enough dealers?

Australia has about 21.4 million people and "200+" Mitsubishi dealers.

The US has about 304 million people and "500+" Mitsubishi dealers (that was in '07).

Then again, Subaru "only" has about 600 US dealers. Can't find a number for Suzuki off-hand.

mitsfan

I think it goes beyond dealers. If they only sold 3900 car for the month of October that means 3900 div -- 500 = averages 8 cars per dealer per month. How can you pay your sales people, parts people and even keep your service dept open, not even counting overhead with that kinda of volume.The Mitsubishi plant in Normal has to be all but done since most of those volumes sold did not even hardly include the Gallant ,Eclipse and Endeavour. This is very sad for all us Mitsubishi owners

psychogun

mitsfan is correct, the dealer network is more of a result than cause of Mitsubishi's poor sales.
Mitsubishi's main problem is that their ad/marketing/PR budget is minuscule. When is the last time you've seen a Mitsubishi ad on TV? For me it's months. For consumers it's out of sight out of mind.
Mitsubishi's second problem is their lack of brand recognition (both in terms of "what" and "how good"). Say Mitsubishi to the average Joe and they will say TV, A/C, or "damn [non-permissible content removed] plane that attacked Pearl Harbor" (seen just recently on an autoblog comment. I also apologize if I offended anyone with the preceding statement). I am not kidding here.
Thus, not only is Mitsubishi not known by consumers as an automaker, those that do know about them have a negative perception of the brand. This perception is further compounded by the survey-based studies from J.D Power, CR, and others the media eagerly shoves down consumers throats.
If Mitsubishi wants to sell more cars, they need to ramp up advertising, get a stellar PR agency that can distance the company from the past, and improve the customer experience at the dealership (both sale and service).

stever

When is the last time you've seen a Mitsubishi ad on TV?

A decade, but I killed my TV. I notice that there's currently a Mazda ad in the right sidebar here (obviously they need to buy a bunch of ads from Edmunds).

It's been 60 years since WWII, so I really have to wonder if Pearl Harbor is much of a factor (if people have heard of Mitsu, they still probably don't know that they made the Zero).

The last batch of PR problems was the sex discrimination case that cost Mitsu a small fortune, both in cash and goodwill. But I hear even less of that than the "Japanese" comments.

I dunno - the conglomerate is so big maybe they're just too unwieldy (just now learned that they own Nikon; had no idea).

You'd think that the 5/60, 10/100 warranties would help but you don't hear much about them either - it's always Hyundai.

Maybe the cars seem too boy-racer for most people? And the cheapest Lancer is still thousands more expensive than a base Versa or Accent (ignoring size and feature content). Iluvmysephia1 is always posting links to their concept and electric cars. Maybe it's going to take one of those "halo" cars to finally get some traffic into the showrooms. Or a free D40 in every glovebox.

toomanyfumes

I think the lack of brand recogniton is definitely a factor. When I tell people I have and Outlander, they haven't heard of them, or know nothing about them. The Lancer EVO is respected, but there's a limited market for that sort of car. The Galant/Eclipse/Endeavor are decent vehicles, but aren't new or better than their competitors to bring people to the dealerships.

iluvmysephia1

cost on the 2010 Outlander. Most use satellite radio companies to get their traffic reports. And once the free trial period runs out you have to pay a monthly fee.

Mitsubishi is an exception. Instead of satellite radio providers, it’s using RDS traffic data, broadcast over the air in most major metro areas and used by some aftermarket nav devices, for its improved, next-generation nav system that first appears in the 2010 Outlander. The result with this Mitsubishi Electric system—which will follow in the Lancer family next year—is much like the subscription services; you get color-coded maps that highlight congestion, and the nav system itself has dynamic rerouting functions.



http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038615_new-mitsubishi-nav-system-i- - - - - ncludes-free-traffic-service

toomanyfumes

Nice review of the 2010 Outlander GT

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/20/first-drive-2010-mitsubishi-outlander-gt-is-a- -cuv-we-can-live-w/

iluvmysephia1

Outlander GT. All of the following would be great to have.

Techno geeks will be thrilled by all the gizmos Mitsu's packed into the new Outlander GT. For starters is the brand's new FUSE handsfree "media gateway," a direct shot across SYNC's bow. With FUSE you get full voice recognition access to all your tunes, whether it be contained on an iPod, CD or a USB stick. Phone integration is handled via Bluetooth 2.0 and can support multiple phones. You also get a 40-gig hard drive that instantly rips tunes the second you insert a CD. The Navigation system is quite good (both to look at and in terms of user friendliness) and now has real time traffic updates. Our favorite feature was actually the "Environment" button, which not only included an altimeter (useful when climbing from Palm Spring's 750 feet above sea level to the surrounding mountains' 6,300 feet) that logged previous elevations but displayed them as a chart, so you can see how high up you've been. Necessary? Not at all, but we loved it.

fintail

Gaping maw of a mouth and upset looking eyes. I suspect those will eventually become traits that let one pinpoint the date of a car. Do designers think it looks intimidating?

stever

More of the Darth Vader look eh?

I don't much care for this trend.

toomanyfumes

I like the front of my '07 better myself. I thought I'd get used to it but I still don't like it much. It seems to work better on the Lancer.

chelentano

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2612/4035775173_2eb764ed7e_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2681/4035775723_6284df021d_o.jpg
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t150/returner128/EvoXwagon.jpg

toomanyfumes

Looks like a squished Outlander! :shades: Pretty cool, actually.

anythngbutgm

Not bad. That third one is downright sinister looking. AWD and a stick please :shades:

mitsfan

Mitsubishi Motors Announces November Sales
CYPRESS, Calif., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) today announced November 2009 sales of 2,925. This is a decrease of 24.4% from last month's sales of 3,867 (October 2009). The November total includes the initial early sales of the new redesigned 2010 Outlander.

The company's car sales are down for the year a total of over 46-percent.

In addition, sales of the cars made at the company's plant in Normal are down a larger percentage than the company's import models.

The Lancer remains the company's most popular model.

The normal plant now makes the Galant sedan, Eclipse Coupe, Eclipse Spyder convertible and Endeavor crossover

It sad to say but I can't see their only USA Normal IL Plant Surviving next year. The Lancer is the only car carrying Mitsu in the USA, if you can call it carrying.

mikevegas06

"It sad to say but I can't see their only USA Normal IL Plant Surviving next year."

Like yall pointed out earlier, Mitsu has got to step up the advertising. I finally have been seeing some Outlander commercials over the past few days. I like the look. It only seems to look bad in that brown color IMO.

About the Normal plant, maybe they'll start building cars off of the Lancer platform there. Who knows how much longer the Galant, Endeavor, and Eclipse are gonna be around.

stever

Story on how most of the automakers' sales stacked up last month:

Automakers See Glass Half-Full After Flat November Sales (AutoObserver)

Suzuki sales were even worse than Mitsubishi's, if that makes anyone feel better.

iluvmysephia1

but only so much, steve. Yep, advertise Mitsubishi! Advertise-advertise-advertise!

stever

How about a tie-up with another storied automaker? The stories told in North America are more like nightmares though.

"Mitsubishi Motors of Japan is reportedly discussing a high-level tieup with the PSA Peugeot Citroën group of France as the shakeout in the world auto industry continues apace. This dramatic new alliance could see the French company take a majority 30 to 50 percent shareholding in struggling Mitsubishi."

Mitsubishi and Peugeot Talking Tieup (Inside Line)

Looks like there could be some overlap, in the small cars at least.


See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

nippononly

Mitsubishi has been undone by its former alliance with the Pentastar crew (hence no competitive model in the super-important midsize segment - the Galant is a complete unknown and doesn't compete well in any area that I can see - or in midsize crossovers) and Hyundai's rapid surge in North America.

Hyundai has the same warranty, WAY better brand recognition (both good and bad, but improving all the time), and is right in the thick of things with a decent entry model (where is Mitsubishi's Accent?), a great RWD sport coupe and a near-lux sedan, in addition to a well-received midsize sedan and small and large crossovers.

Ironically, the only thing that doesn't sell like hotcakes (although it still sells well) at Hyundai is the compact sedan, the only segment where Mitsubishi also sells well and indeed where it has made its name with the Evo.

But Subaru is going to continue to drain away Evo customers with its other Subaru models (and more and faster WRX trims). The competition is coming at Mitsu fast and furious (:-P) , and it has nothing to make it stand out except the Evo. Sales down 46% this year? That's TWICE the overall market's downward trend, and even worse than the 2 companies that spent part of the year in bankuptcy!

Unless they can pack a power punch with a whole line of new electric vehicles (thanks iluv for the continuing updates there) that catches peoples' interest, I think Mitsu is doomed in the U.S. in the next five years or so.

But Suzuki has to give up first. ;-)

iluvmysephia1

the Hyundai Accent and Toyota Yaris.

The new Mitsubishi Colt.


Mitsubishi has just announced that the subcompact is coming to the U.S. This is a good move that needed to happen about a year ago.

I like it in white with the blacked-out wheels shown here.

nippononly

How funny! You answered my question (where is Mitsubishi's Accent? the same evening! :-)

Looks good, but this is getting to be a very competitive field in the U.S. (thank goodness)!

mikevegas06

Wow. Great post iluvmy...

The Colt pictured looks to be the Ralliart model. Got any specs on it? I'm guessing that it has something no bigger than a 1.6L mill in gasoline form.

Nippononly, keep talking maybe and Mitsu and PSA are listening.

mikevegas06

Found the European specs on the Colt. Over there, the engines are petrol (gasoline) and range from 1.1L (74 hp and 74 lb/ft torque) to 1.5L turbo (147 hp and 155 lb/ft torque). The mileage is measured differently across the pond, but it at least give us some idea of what it can do here. It's rated UK rated MPG is 32/49.