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2016 Mitsubishi Outlander First Drive

"There is a golden hour between life and death. If you are critically injured you have less than 60 minutes to survive. You might not die right then; it may be three days or two weeks later – but something has happened in your body that is irreparable." That quote is from Dr. R. Adams Cowley, widely viewed as the father of modern-day trauma medicine. It's an apt description of the straits Mitsubishi finds itself in here in the United States. The company's golden hour has been a long time coming, but with the death of the Lancer Evolution, and a stable that consists of the ancient Lancer, the lamentable Outlander Sport and the abhorrent Mirage, the 2016 Outlander marks the start of this vital 60 minutes. It was with this in mind that we shipped out to San Francisco to test the company's latest compact CUV. Technically a facelifted version of the crossover that debuted at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, Mitsubishi made over 100 changes as part of this refresh. The exterior changes strip away some of the Outlander's boring, conservative elements in favor of a new design language called "Dynamic Shield." Most of the work is from the A-pillars forward, where an assertive chrome-lined grille, restyled headlights, and a new hood are found. Larger LED taillights sit in back, along with chrome elements. As is the fashion nowadays, LED running lights have been added as standard, while the GT gets LED low beams and halogen high beams, as well. The cabin receives similarly small upgrades, updated materials, and a new navigation system. Plastic is the dominant surface, although it's no better or worse than the stuff usually encountered in this segment. Mitsubishi added piano-black accents on the bottom half of the leather-wrapped steering wheel and around the touchscreen navigation system, to class up the cabin. The cloth seats on the entry level models have also been updated, although the leather on the mid-range SEL and top-of-the-line GT we drove is unimpressive. The same can be said of the seats themselves, which are wide and unsupportive, particularly if you suffer from lower back issues, as your author does. You'll get eight-way powered adjustments on the SEL and GT, although lesser trims get by with manually-operated, six-way adjustability. Neither of those setups include lumbar adjustments. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes, at least, regardless of trim level. A standard third-row of seats has long been one of the Outlander's strongest points.

Japan may aid carmakers facing U.S. tariff threat

TOKYO — Japan is considering giving carmakers fiscal support including tax breaks to offset the impact from trade frictions with the United States and a sales-tax hike planned for next year, government sources told Reuters on Wednesday. Going into a second round of trade talks with the United States on Sept. 21, Japan is hoping to avert steep tariffs on its car exports and fend off U.S. demands for a bilateral free trade agreement that could put it under pressure to open politically sensitive markets, like agriculture. "If the trade talks pile pressure on Japan's car exports, we would need to consider measures to support the auto industry," a ruling party official said on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity of the matter. The auto industry accounts for about 20 percent of Japan's overall output and around 60-70 percent of the country's trade surplus with the United States, making it vulnerable to U.S. action against Japanese exports. Japan's biggest automakers and components suppliers fear they could take a significant hit if Washington follows through on proposals to hike tariffs on autos and auto parts to 25 percent. Policymakers also worry that an increase in the sales tax from 8 percent to 10 percent planned for October 2019, could cause a slump in sales of big-ticket items such as cars and home. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has twice postponed the tax hike after the last increase from 5 percent in 2014 dealt a blow to private consumption, which accounts for about 60 percent of the economy. To prevent a pullback in demand after the tax hike, the government may consider large fiscal spending later when it draws up its budget for next year, government sources said. "One option may be to greatly reduce or abolish the automobile purchase tax," one of the government sources said. The government is also considering cuts in the automobile tax and automobile weight tax to help car buyers, the source added. Reporting by Izumi Nakagawa and Tetsushi KajimotoRelated Video: Image Credit: Getty Government/Legal Isuzu Mazda Mitsubishi Nissan Subaru Suzuki Toyota Trump Trump tariffs trade

Mitsubishi ASX is French for Outlander Sport

Mitsubishi has revealed the Euro-version of the same Outlander Sport model that debuted with updates earlier this year at the New York Auto Show. No, the French do not call it the Royale Sport (with cheese), but rather the ASX.
The crossover has received a range of aesthetic and engineering tweaks, including revised interior fabrics. Designers have also abandoned the old rotary knob switch for the vehicle's all-wheel-control system in favor of a pushbutton interface, though the largest change to the recipe comes in the form of a reworked multi-link rear suspension. Powertrain options remain unchanged, however, with a total of three engine mills on deck, including a 1.6-liter gasoline engine with 115 horsepower mated to a five-speed manual transmission in two-wheel drive configuration.
Those hunting up a little more traction can step up to a 1.8-liter diesel with 147 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque paired with a six-speed manual and the buyer's choice of either a two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive system. A low-CO2 1.8 diesel is also available with 114 horsepower. You can check out the full press release below for more information.