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Mitsubishi to add new crossover to US lineup

With crossovers of all sizes enjoying immense popularity with consumers, Mitsubishi is making a grab for some of the action with a third CUV offering. The as-of-yet unnamed vehicle is set to slot in between the baby Outlander Sport and the full-size Outlander, CEO Osamu Masuko told Automotive News ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show. Aimed squarely at the crossover-crazy US and European markets, this new vehicle will likely enter production two years from now. That should mean an auto show debut at Paris or Los Angeles in 2016, or at some point in early 2017. The new vehicle would duke it out with the redesigned Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tuscon. If it sounds like this new CUV would cannibalize some of its little brother's sales, you'd be right. To prevent this, Mitsu will tweak the sizes of the vehicles it currently offers. "The Outlander is growing in size, while the Outlander Sport is getting smaller, so it opens a space for the new SUV," Masuko told AN. "We need something to fit in between." Having a three-tiered CUV lineup might help Mitsubishi, which has enjoyed 26 percent sales growth through September this year. According to AN, over half of Mitsu's current sales come from the Outlander and Outlander Sport. Adding a third CUV would capitalize on a US market that's clamoring for light trucks and crossovers. Before the third model debuts, the next step for the brand will be the arrival of a plug-in hybrid Outlander. You can look for our review on that next year. Featured Gallery Mitsubishi eX Concept View 34 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Crossover Economy Cars osamu masuko

i-MiEV doesn't survive Mitsubishi's updated EV plan

Mitsubishi will increase the number of electrified models in its lineup through the end of the decade, but the company's focus on crossovers will mean the axe for the aging i-MiEV. The flurry of new or updated models will begin arriving as soon as next year, and the automaker will offer nearly all of them in plug-in hybrid or electric versions, according to Automotive News. Rather than dedicated EVs like the i-MiEV, Mitsubishi will instead offer gasoline and electrified variants of a future lineup with three sizes of crossovers. The company will follow the current trend of coupe-like CUVs with its own version, including a plug-in hybrid option, between the Outlander Sport and Outlander sometime after the autumn of 2017, Automotive News reports. A new Outlander with a PHEV model will come after 2017, and a next-gen Outlander Sport with an EV trim will arrive around 2019. There won't be a Lancer replacement. "We are strong in SUVs and four-wheel drives. And that is what we would like to focus on as core models in the US market," Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko said to Automotive News. Mitsubishi already offered a preview of its next-gen CUV design language with the eX Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. The compact crossover evolved the styling of the refreshed Outlander's X-shape grille, and it featured a floating roof that created the appearance of a wraparound greenhouse. Power came from an electric motor at the front and rear axle and a 45-kWh lithium-ion battery. In the nearer term, the wait for the Outlander PHEV will finally end because the long-delayed plug-in crossover will launch in the US around the middle of next year. Earlier rumors suggested a possible arrival around April 2016, but the vehicle was previously reported to come here as early as the fall of 2014.

Mitsubishi shows off MiEV Evolution III for Pikes Peak

In May 2012, Mistubishi unveiled a completely unexpected version of the i-MiEV electric jellybean to challenge the climb up Pikes Peak, the MiEV Evolution. In 2013, the company unleashed the MiEV Evolution II. For 2014, well, you can probably guess. Say hello to the MiEV Evolution III. The latest, ahem, evolution of these cars features redesigned chassis and bodywork as well as a 50 kW boost to the electric motors, up to 450 kW, which translates to a 67 horsepower increase up to 603 hp. Two of these bad boys will tackle the 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) later this month in the Electric Modified Division at the hands of drivers Greg Tracy and Hiroshi Masuoka. The race starts at 9,390 feet and ends at 14,110 feet above sea level and takes place June 29. Mitsubishi hasn't yet managed to win the EV category in. The first Evolution crashed during practice and last year Masuoka came in second in the EV division while Tracy came in third. The 2013 winner was Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima in the Monster Sport E-Runner. Will the third time be the charm? Mitsubishi Motors to Compete in the 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for Third Consecutive Year Pair of advanced MiEV Evolution III all-electric racecars to compete Mon, Jun 02, 2014 - Cypress, California - Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) will compete in the Electric Modified Division of the prestigious 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) with a pair of technologically-advanced MiEV Evolution III 100% electric-powered purpose-built racecars in the 92nd running of the "Race to the Clouds" on June 29th near Colorado Springs, Colorado. First run in 1916, the annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a treacherous 12.42-mile/156 corner road course through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado commencing at an elevation of 9,390 feet and finishing at 14,110 feet – nearly 3 miles above sea level. The Pikes Peak race is the second oldest motorsports event in the United States after the Indianapolis 500. "Pikes Peak is an excellent laboratory for testing our advanced MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) technology," states Don Swearingen, executive vice president Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.