2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Se on 2040-cars

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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.

Junkyard Gem: 1992 Mitsubishi Expo LRV

Chrysler did reasonably well selling first-generation Mitsubishi Chariots in North America with Dodge/Plymouth Colt Vista badging during the 1980s, and so Mitsubishi Motors decided to take a shot at selling the second-generation Chariots with its own company's badges when those vehicles went into production in 1991. Those vehicles were known as Mitsubishi Expos here, with sales beginning in the 1992 model year and continuing through 1995. Here's one of those ultra-rare first-year Expos, found in a Colorado self-service car graveyard recently. The Chariot line had split into two in its home market by that time, with the regular four-door wagons still called Chariots and a shortened three-door version given the RVR name, which stood for Recreational Vehicle Runner (actually ßVR, with the Cyrillic first character). In the United States, the Chariot was sold as the Expo Wagon while the ßVR was dubbed the Expo LRV. The LRV's door setup is a bit odd. On the driver's side, there's just one door. On the passenger side, there's a sliding rear door (with interlock to prevent it from tearing off the fuel-filler door if it's open). In right-hand-drive markets, Mitsubishi put the slider on the left side while keeping the fuel filler on the right. Chrysler sold its own versions of the ßVR, of course. The Eagle version was known as the Summit Wagon. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Dodge and Plymouth dealers sold the ßVR as the Colt Vista. Since this is the base-model Expo LRV for 1992, it has the 1.8-liter SOHC 4G93 engine, sending 113 horsepower and 116 pound-feet in the general direction of the front wheels. The all-wheel-drive and Sport versions got a 2.4-liter 4G64 rated at 136 horsepower and 145 pound-feet. The emissions sticker tells us that this car was sold new in California. It was built in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. This one has the optional four-speed automatic, which cost $670 extra (about $1,460 in 2023 dollars). Not even 100,000 miles passed beneath this Expo's wheels during its 31-year career. Why is it in this place, then? Here's the reason: a crash that mangled the left front suspension. The ignition key dangles from the kind of lanyard used by car auctions, so we can assume this car got totaled instantly by the insurance company and had no chance of being sold to any customer other than a junkyard. The MSRP for this car was $11,537, or about $25,132 today.

FCA withdraws its offer to merge with Renault

UPDATE: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles released a statement confirming that it has withdrawn its merger offer, saying "it has become clear that the political conditions in France do not currently exist for such a combination to proceed successfully." The full statement can be read below our original story, which continues below. Fiat Chrysler has withdrawn its $35 billion merger offer for Renault, the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. A source said that FCA had informed Renault it had withdrawn the offer after Renault's board of directors failed to reach a decision on the merger during a meeting that ran late into the night Wednesday. Instead, the board granted the French government's request to postpone its vote. The government wanted time to persuade Renault's reticent alliance partner Nissan. Renault's board issued a press release that said simply that it was "unable to take a decision due to the request expressed by the representatives of the French State to postpone the vote to a later Council." WSJ reported that Nissan's two members on Renault's board were balking, while the rest of the board favored the merger. The French government wouldn't it back the deal unless Nissan agreed to maintain its role in the Renault-Nissan alliance, sources said. Nissan had received little advance warning of the merger proposal and was balking. Apparently the French government thought Nissan could be brought around if given more time. "We should take our time to make sure that things are done well," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told French television on Wednesday. When the French requested a delay and Renault's board granted it, FCA withdrew. The French state, which owns 15% of Renault, had also been seeking more influence over the merged company, firmer job guarantees and improved terms for Renault shareholders in return for blessing the $35 billion tie-up. The merger would have created the world's third-biggest automaker with combined sales of 8.7 million vehicles per year, and was intended to cut costs as the parties develop electric and autonomous vehicles. Read Fiat Chrysler Automobile's full statement below: FCA withdraws merger proposal to Groupe Renault June 5, 2019 , London - IMPORTANT NOTICE The Board of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. ("FCA") (NYSE: FCAU / MTA: FCA), meeting this evening under the Chairmanship of John Elkann, has resolved to withdraw with immediate effect its merger proposal made to Groupe Renault.