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2016 Mitsubishi Outlander has fresh design and a bump in refinement

Mitsubishi hopes to have the delivered the big finish to this year's New York Auto Show, with its new midsize, three-row Outlander. The company seems oddly emphatic in pointing out that the SUV is "not just a cosmetic 'refreshing'" at the top of its press release; we thinks you doth protest too much, Mitsu. The real freshness starts with the exterior styling, which is said to break ground on a new design language for the brand. The half-chrome, half-blacked out front fascia is certainly the most eye-catching part of the SUV, though taut, conservative details make up the rest. We don't expect a lot of love-it / hate-it comments based on this Mitsubishi (though you guys do surprise us sometimes). But however the company may draw attention to the "over 100 engineering and design improvements" made to the SUV, what's under the hood feels familiar. No mention is made of the 2016 engine lineup, so we expect the 2.4-liter four and 3.0-liter V6 to carryover unchanged from last year. There is a new CVT, however, said to come with improvements to acceleration and "shift feel." Other updates include a more composed chassis, rigid body structure and improved levels of NVH thanks to sound insolation and noise-deadening glass. Pricing and new technical specs (such as they might be) are soon to be out in the near future. In the meantime, feast your eyes on the new Outlander's style in our gallery from the show floor. Mitsubishi Motors New 2016 Outlander Makes World Debut at the 2015 New York International Auto Show The 2016 Outlander showcases Mitsubishi's new design language for the first time on a production vehicle The new Outlander features over 100 engineering and design improvements The 2016 Outlander marks a new era for the Mitsubishi brand relating to style, refinement and overall driving experience Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) today unveiled the new 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander seven-passenger crossover at the 2015 New York International Auto Show. The 2016 Outlander is the first Mitsubishi production vehicle to showcase the brand's new design language. The 2016 Outlander is not just a cosmetic "refreshing," however, and features an unprecedented number of important engineering and design improvements that increase the level of refinement and overall driving experience. The 2016 Outlander is a segment-leading vehicle that will appeal to buyers wanting value, quality and safety.

Mitsubishi mulling Mirage sedan for US [w/videos]

Mitsubishi is bringing the Mirage hatchback to the US this fall, carrying a price tag of $12,995, not including the $725 destination charge. Mitsunori Kitao, COO of Mitsubishi Motors Thailand Co., says that the Japanese automaker might consider releasing the sedan version of the Thailand-built compact - called the Attrage in Thailand and the Mirage G4 in the Phillipines - if the little hatchback takes off in the US market, Automotive News reports.
Weight is a key concern with importing the sedan. The non-US Mirage hatchback weighs just 1,900 pounds, but its naturally aspirated 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine makes just 79 horsepower and 78 pound-feet of torque, which can only manage a 0-62 miles-per-hour time of 11.2 seconds. The heavier sedan would take even longer.

Mitsubishi's first US chairman since 2007 charged with revitalizing brand

Have a look at Mitsubishi North America's vehicle page and you'll find seven cars in four model lines: i-MiEV electric hatch, Lancer sedan, Lancer Evolution and Sportback, Outlander and Outlander Sport, and Galant sedan. The Galant has 3.9 tires in the automotive grave, and the only hope for mainstream excitement, the Eclipse coupe and Spyder, had hemlock poured down their crankcases last year. Increasing the quotient of bleak, the Lancer isn't due for a refresh until 2014, the coming Outlander PHEV will sell in miniscule numbers when it does arrive, a little sports car has been nixed and the only other Mitsu being considered for our landmass is the Colt, which, for its stellar fuel economy numbers, looks like a car designed by Pikachu. There's also that matter of declining NA market share in a rising overall market, Mitsubishi's piece of the total pie currently hovering around the 0.4-percent mark according to Automotive News.
The company has decided to do more about it, reassigning Executive Vice President and Head Officer of the Headquarters Product Projects & Strategy Group Gayu Uesugi to be the new chairman of Mitsubishi Motors North America. It will be the first time in five years that someone has filled the chairman position at MMNA.
The hope is that with Uesugi's 35 years with the company, his experience in the company's global product plan and his success in emerging market strategy, he's the man to "[develop] a product plan and growth strategy for the US market" that will put things right. Or at least better. He will work with Yoichi Yokozawa, who has been CEO of MMNA since last year. There are more details on the move in the press release below.