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Mitsubishi NA gets new president and CEO

Last week, we told you that Mitsubishi will be getting a new global president, with Osamu Masuko stepping aside in favor of Tesuro Aikawa. The executive changes at the Japanese automaker are hitting closer to home, now, with official word that Mitsubishi Motors North America is getting a new president and CEO, as well. Effective March 1, Ryujiro Kobashi will take over for Yoichi Yokozawa, 49, who has been in charge since April of 2011. Yokozawa is headed back to Japan, where he will assume a spot in the company's corporate planning offices.
Kobashi, 53, has been with Mitsubishi since 1983 when he was fresh out of college. Previous to taking the top job in North America, he was installed as corporate general manager of the NA office at Mitsubishi's headquarters in Japan, where he coordinated regional operations for the US, Canada and Mexico. Before that, he held posts in planning, marketing, advertising and public relations for the company.
Kobashi takes over the company's North American operations at a pivotal time, when the region is finally showing signs of life after a prolonged period of stagnation. As Automotive News notes, Mitsubishi only sold 62,227 vehicles in the US in 2013, but that figure still represents an eight-percent increase. Its crossovers, the new-for-2014 Outlander and the two-year-old Outlander Sport have been selling relatively well, and the affordable Mirage subcompact is a new arrival at dealers.

Brand new cars are being sold with defective Takata airbags

If you just bought a 2016 Audi TT, 2017 Audi R8, 2016–17 Mitsubishi i-MiEV, or 2016 Volkswagen CC, we have some unsettling news for you. A report provided to a US Senate committee that oversees the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and reported on by Automotive News claims these vehicles were sold with defective Takata airbags. And it gets worse. Toyota and FCA are called out in the report for continuing to build vehicles that will need to be recalled down the line for the same issue. That's not all. The report also states that of the airbags that have been replaced already in the Takata recall campaign, 2.1 million will need to eventually be replaced again. They don't have the drying agent that prevents the degradation of the ammonium nitrate, which can lead to explosions that can destroy the airbag housing and propel metal fragments at occupants. So these airbags are out there already. We're not done yet. There's also a stockpile of about 580,000 airbags waiting to be installed in cars coming in to have their defective airbags replaced. These 580k airbags also don't have the drying agent. They'll need to be replaced down the road, too. A new vehicle with a defective Takata airbag should be safe to drive, but that margin of safety decreases with time. If all this has you spinning around in a frustrated, agitated mess, there's a silver lining that is better than it sounds. So take a breath, run your fingers through your hair, and read on. Our best evidence right now demonstrates that defective Takata airbags – those without the drying agent that prevents humidity from degrading the ammonium nitrate propellant – aren't dangerous yet. It takes a long period of time combined with high humidity for them to reach the point where they can rupture their housing and cause serious injury. It's a matter of years, not days. So a new vehicle with a defective Takata airbag should be safe to drive, but that margin of safety decreases with time – and six years seems to be about as early as the degradation happens in the worst possible scenario. All this is small comfort for the millions of people who just realized their brand-new car has a time bomb installed in the wheel or dashboard, or the owners who waited patiently to have their airbags replaced only to discover that the new airbag is probably defective in the same way (although newer and safer!) as the old one.

New Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs coming to Frankfurt

Mitsubishi is following the unveiling of the heavily refreshed 2016 Outlander at the 2015 New York Auto Show with the European debut of the plug-in hybrid version at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show. The PHEV goes on sale there in September, and a rally-prepped PHEV Outlander is taking part in the Baja Portalegre 500 in Portugal in October. Rumors suggest that the updated plug-in model might come to the US in early 2016. Mechanically, the Outlander PHEV retains separate motors to power the front and rear wheels, but the company has some revisions for the system to make it more efficient. Emissions are cut thanks to reduced engine friction, and acceleration is reportedly quicker, too. In large part, the 2016 PHEV carries over all of the styling and mechanical updates of its non-electrified sibling. That includes the completely new front end that mixes chrome and gloss black for a more interesting look. The plug-in gets a few design cues of its own, including a different shape for the lower bumpers, less chrome down the sides, and some body-color trim. It also rides on a set of two-tone 18-inch wheels. Inside, there's a four-spoke steering wheel and brown, and black leathers are available. Previously offered on the Japanese model, European customers now get access to the Outlander PHEV's vehicle-to-home power system. The tech allows owners to plug in their CUV and provide electricity to their house from the vehicle's battery. Mitsubishi Motors Lineup at 2015 International Motor Show (IAA) Tokyo, August 31, 2015 Improved Outlander PHEV with Dynamic Shield debuts in Europe Tokyo, August 31, 2015 - Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC)'s revamped 2016MY Outlander PHEV, due to go on sale in Europe in September, will make its European debut at the 66th International Motor Show (IAA)*1 Alongside the new Outlander PHEV, MMC will be exhibiting the rally version of the Outlander PHEV to compete in the Baja Portalegre 500 cross-country rally*2 and several production models in a total lineup of 15 vehicles (13 on press days, for more information please see the last page). *1: To be held at the Messe Frankfurt exhibition grounds in Frankfurt am Main, Germany from September 15 through September 27. For more information please access http://www.iaa.de/en/press-room/ (English) *2: A cross-country rally due to be held in the eastern part of Portugal from October 22nd through October 24th.