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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 But, the GS chassis is old, heavy, and severely out of date - and when matched to the underpowered 4B1 series engines - make for largely uncompetitive offerings in the market.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 Outlander PHEV van variant coming to Europe

Mitsubishi's Outlander Plug-in Hybrid SUV will be hitting our shores this fall. Across the Pond, however, it's heading into more no-nonsense territory. That's because the Japanese automaker is making a commercial van variant of the plug-in hybrid for the UK. Mitsubishi will start selling a model called the Outlander PHEV GX3h 4Work in the UK, Motoring Research says. Like the SUV, the model will pair a 2.0-liter gas engine with an electric motor and will have an all-electric range of 32 miles. The difference is that the back seats will be taken out and the glass will be blacked out. Hardcore, we say. The model will be priced at 36,905 British pounds (about $61,000), though buyers are eligible for a government grant worth 7,381 pounds ($12,200). Mitsubishi plans to start selling the Outlander PHEV stateside in Fall 2015. The company said earlier this summer that the US version will be substantially different from the current version, with updates for everything from exterior and interior styling to powertrain efficiency improvements. The model had some battery-melting issues last year in Japan, though Mitsubishi ramped up its production once those problems were solved. Mitsubishi representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the commercial-van variant from AutoblogGreen, but we expect to be hearing more about it soon.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV arrives in UK with 'no' price premium

For UK buyers who are interested in a plug-in hybrid SUV, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV just got a little bit sweeter. The reason is that the base model of the vehicle will be available with or without a plug for the same price at the base diesel model. "If it's not going to save people money, they won't buy it" - Mitsubishi UK's Lance Bradley According to Cars UK, the price for the Outlander PHEV will be GBP28,249 (about $47,000 US) after a government grant of GBP5,000. In other words, the plug-in SUV actually costs GBP33,249 ($55,000) but thanks to pro-EV regulations, buyers can choose the powertrain they want, not the one they can afford. The managing director of Mitsubishi UK, Lance Bradley, told BusinessCar that it just makes sense to price the two vehicles at the same level. "There are some clever cars in the market but they're all too expensive," he said. "There should be a clear cost benefit because if it's not going to save people money, they won't buy it. The Outlander PHEV has an all-electric range of 32 miles, a top speed of 75 miles per hour in EV mode and a towing capacity of over 3,000 pounds. The SUV invades Britain in May and is scheduled to arrive in the US in 2015. Mitsubishi Motors North America's Melvin Bautista told AutoblogGreen that the UK price equivalence doesn't mean anything for the US, and that the company hasn't even begun the pricing for the vehicle in the US. The way the vehicles are packaged in the UK is also be different than how things work in the US, so we can't read anything into the UK price. Another factor is that, at the time when the PHEV launches in the US, the standard gasoline version will be undergoing a light facelift, which will also be applied to the PHEV model. This isn't the first time an alternative-fuel powertrain vehicle has cost the same as the old-fashioned gas model. The 2013 Lincoln MKZ could be had with a 2.0-liter hybrid or a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder for the same price.