2003 Mitsubishi Galant Es Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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A realistic approach to fixing Mitsubishi

There are going to be a lot of words written about what Nissan needs to do with Mitsubishi in the coming months and years in the interest of turning the brand around. After Nissan's purchase of a controlling stake in the diamond star brand, there's been more interest in Mitsubishi thanks to the potential of platform sharing and plenty of cash from Nissan-Renault to get the juices flowing again. But, while some have been doing their best to advocate for the return of the 3000GT, Evolution, and even the Starion - Many of these posts forget the reality of the market we live in today. As much as we like to look back fondly at the sports coupes of the '90s, a byproduct of the insane cash flows all the Japanese manufacturers had at the time, the reality of today puts a much greater emphasis on what is most-boring; Crossover SUVs, alongside mid-size and compact sedans. We do need to ask a fundamental question, how much Mitsubishi is enough to be able to continue to call the cars Mitsubishis? Aside from slight product revisions and reconfigurations, Mitsubishi (at least in North America) has been largely dependent on the same GS platform and 4B1 engines that date back to their long-time partnership with Chrysler (and Hyundai) in the mid '00s. Admittedly, the chassis and engines have served the company well, underpinning a wide variety of vehicles sold around the world, and seeing quite a few revisions to at least attempt to keep products competitive. But, the GS chassis is old, heavy, and severely out of date - and when matched to the underpowered 4B1 series engines - make for largely uncompetitive offerings in the market. While something like the Outlander Sport is indeed interesting compared to a Honda CR-V, it is by no means the smart choice in the segment. So, going forward, unless Mitsubishi has had a skunkworks of sorts developing their chassis and engine replacements over the past few years, what exactly are they planning to do for their bread-and-butter models? I think the straightforward answer is without a doubt the Nissan North America parts bin. With so many of their models selling well, and for the most part, are reasonably well-reviewed, it would be quite simple to adapt the chassis and powertrain to Mitsubishi's liking to create a high-volume alternative to what is currently available now.

Mitsubishi previews diesel hybrid pickup concept, next-gen EV for Geneva

Mitsubishi has a long history of tidy little pickup trucks, and the Japanese automaker is apparently looking to extend that heritage in a bolder, bigger way with the Concept GR-HEV, a "sport utility hybrid truck."
The future-think show star, slated to be unveiled at next month's Geneva Motor Show, is actually tipped to be a much larger effort - Mitsubishi says it's applying its hybrid technology to a one-ton truck for the first time. The GR-HEV is powered by a complex powertrain composed of a diesel engine and electric motors, which the company believes is better suited to the sort of heavy-duty work required in the segment. The concept also employs full-time four-wheel drive and a development of Mitsubishi's Super All-Wheel Control system (which governs things like stability and brake force control along with an active center differential) as seen on the production Lancer Evolution.
In related news, Mitsubishi has also confirmed that it will show a next-generation electric showcar at Geneva dubbed Concept CA-MiEV. With this new concept (inset photo), the company says it is looking to build on the learnings of its i citycar and take EVs out of their limited urban roles. To that end, the CA-MiEV boasts "next generation EV systems and high density batteries" that give it a range of 186 miles.

Final edition Mitsubishi Evo X arrives next June as 5MT GSR

Jalopnik recenly held an online Q&A session with Don Swearingen, an executive vice president at Mitsubishi Motors North America. If you're into Mitsu you should peruse the whole thread because questioners jumped all over the subject map, asking about getting the Delica here (not going to happen) and a new Montero (another concept presaging production is coming to the Chicago Auto Show next year), the company's fleet vehicle stance (they kill residuals, Mitsu isn't interested), and a Mirage racing series (right now it doesn't make sense). But for any enthusiast, every question not dealing with a new Lancer Evolution XI is merely a side dish. On that note, Swearingen took his turn ringing the death knell for the Evo series, saying "There are currently no plans for an Evo XI," which is kinder than his words at the LA Auto Show when he told Motor Trend, "Its time has come and gone." Nevertheless, he gave us a few more details on the final edition Evo Special Action Model that Automotive News reported on three months ago: it will be a GSR five-speed with "More horsepower, some suspension tuning, and some bits pieces that are still being finalized. Around 2,000 units will be available." Those of you hoping for a spiffier interior or a massive curb weight diet won't take much solace from that, but the 2,000 or so buyers who get to drive the hommage to The Once and Future King probably won't mind.