Mitsubishi Montero on 2040-cars

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Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV production restarts after five-month delay

Back in March, production of both the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid and the all-electric i-MiEV ground to a halt over a pair of incidents where overheated lithium-ion batteries caused vehicle fires. Following the rocky start, The Japan Times is reporting that production of the Outlander PHEV has recommenced following the five-month stoppage.
The battery fires were tracked down to a supplier issue before more than 4,300 vehicles were recalled in June, but Mitsubishi received heavy criticism from the Japanese government for the delayed recall. According to the report, though, that hasn't slow down enthusiasm for the plug-in crossover - Mitsubishi has received close to 18,000 for the Outlander PHEV. To keep up with demand, the automaker is planning to double production to 4,000 units a month.

Consumer Reports: Ford Fusion fun but flawed; Mitsubishi i-MiEV slow, chintzy [w/videos]

Waiting for a Ford compliment from Consumer Reports these days is like waiting for a low-cost new product from Apple. So we weren't really expecting a glowing review of the 2013 Ford Fusion when CR got its hands on the car. The institute's crew bought three different versions of the Fusion (Hybrid, 1.6-liter EcoBoost and a Titanium with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost) to put through its barrage of tests, and while we aren't too surprised by some of the findings, they're still interesting nonetheless.
CR praises the Fusion for its "eye-catching" design and says that the sportier Titanium trim level is the best-handling midsize sedan they've ever tested, but that's about where the good news ends for Ford. The Fusion Hybrid also posted the best-ever fuel economy CR has recorded in a midsize sedan, but the only problem is that their number was 39 miles per gallon combined - far less than Ford's 47 mpg rating for city, highway and combined. As expected, CR also dinged the Fusion for its MyFord Touch, but some of the other gripes about the car include a cramped cabin and poor fit and finish.
Other Ford products tested this time around include the Focus Electric and C-Max Hybrid. Like the Fusion, CR's observed fuel economy of 37 mpg for the C-Max fell well short of Ford's advertised 47-mpg rating, and both cars were criticized for the use of MyFord Touch. CR notes that the Focus Electric's interior is also cramped, with the battery pack taking up a lot of cargo space.

Mitsubishi readies trio of hybrid utility concepts for Tokyo

Mitsubishi has announced a trio of concept cars it will bring to the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, set to kick off later this month. The three concepts all sport new, edgy styling that is quite a departure from the Mitsus we see here in the states.
First up, we have the Concept GC-PHEV, which we're guessing is the middle vehicle in the photograph up top, as it's supposed to be a larger SUV - think Outlander for this one. From a powertrain standpoint, it sounds quite impressive. A 3.0-liter, supercharged, MIVEC V6 syncs up with an electric motor and a plug-in battery pack, while an an eight-speed automatic transmission dispatches power to all four wheels.
Next, we have the Concept XR-PHEV. We're taking a step down from the GC here, as the XR is meant to compete in the compact-crossover market, which means this could pre-sage the next Outlander Sport. Like the GC, though, it takes advantage of a hybrid powertrain, with a turbocharged, 1.1-liter direct-injection engine providing the grunt. The front-driver also sports a lightweight motor and battery, although specific details about both are scarce. We're thinking the XR-PHEV is the smaller, red vehicle on the right of the image up top.