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10 automakers shack up in Detroit hotel to talk Takata airbags

Since Takata has decided not to take the lead concerning potential issues with its airbag inflators, the automakers have. Perhaps that's unsurprising, since it's the automakers, not Takata, that will take a beating on the dealership floor if consumers decide its models are a health hazards. The Detroit News reports that Toyota, Honda, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru met in a hotel conference room near the Detroit Metropolitan Airport last week to sort out a way to understand the technical issues involved. So far, faulty airbag inflators have been ruled the cause of five deaths and 50 injuries around the world, but neither Takata nor investigators understands exactly why the inflators are malfunctioning. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently asked Takata to issue a national recall, Takata declined, citing a minuscule failure rate and the fact that it's still investigating the issue. Toyota and Honda then made an industry-wide appeal for "a coordinated, comprehensive testing program" that would pinpoint the problem inflators and get them replaced, and that's what the Detroit meeting was about. Numerous issues, however, will make this a long row to hoe: simply getting the parts to replace the nearly 20 million inflators in cars recalled around the world so far - even working with other suppliers - will take a years, but more importantly, no one knows if the replacement inflators currently being installed will suffer the same issue. Answers will hopefully come quickly with Takata, the ten automakers and NHTSA all independently investigating the problem.

Mitsubishi XR-PHEV Concept is a chronicle of an Outlander Sport foretold [w/video]

Mitsubishi's current Outlander Sport has done a yeoman's job since it came on the market for the 2011 model year. The affordable crossover has been one of the few bright spots in the perennially troubled automaker's lineup - it's the brand's best seller in the US and sales are up nearly 40 percent this year. The subcompact CUV has become an increasingly important part of the Mitsubishi lineup, which is why you should pay attention to this XR-PHEV Concept - it's said to presage the next-generation model.
Stylistically, this is a pretty bold little CUV, with a striking face framed by bold zig-zags of chrome that underline the narrow headlamps and frame the massive lower fascia. The profile has a dramatically tapered greenhouse with bold sheetmetal contours and a funky blacked-out A-pillar that emphasizes the hood's height. The rear end is no less dramatic, with dual-pane rear tailgate with a particularly fast rake.
As shown here, the XR-PHEV (pronounced "Cross Runner") is a four-seat CUV that motivates its front wheels through a turbocharged 1.1-liter, three-cylinder engine with 134 horsepower paired with a 120-kW electric motor. In pure-electric mode, the 14-kWh battery is said to be good for 52 miles of cruising range and the combined fuel economy bogey is 66 miles per gallon on Japan's lenient testing cycle.

2016 Mitsubishi Outlander confirmed for New York debut

Mitsubishi is putting a lot of work into updating its lineup this year after strong sales growth in 2014. In addition to bringing the Concept GC-PHEV (pictured above) to the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, the Japanese brand is already spilling the beans about its plans for the New York Auto Show. "All of our 2016 model year vehicles will be refreshed with our new brand identity, starting with the 2016 Outlander, which will make its world premiere at the New York International Auto Show in April," Mitsubishi Motors North America Executive Vice President Don Swearingen said at the Chicago show. The future Outlander has already been spied testing in Europe. However, the launch of the plug-in variant has reportedly been pushed back until some time around April 2016. In the meantime, the Mitsubishi is showing the Concept GC-PHEV from an earlier Tokyo Motor Show in the Windy City. The company promises the vehicle's chunky design suggests its future design language, which is rumored to preview a future Montero. Under the hood, the GC-PHEV has a supercharged V6 and plug-in hybrid making 335 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic gearbox with power going to all four wheels. The GC-PHEV also has some sci-fi features to go with its next-gen looks, including something called the Tactical Table. While the name sounds like a high-tech way to play board games, the system lets occupants share information from a smartphone with the vehicle and other passengers. The concept includes an augmented reality windshield and collision mitigating braking, as well. Related Video: MITSUBISHI MOTORS CONCEPT GC-PHEV MAKES NORTH AMERICAN DEBUT AT THE 2015 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW Futuristic, full-size crossover concept provides a glimpse at the brand's new design language applied to a large SUV Features a powerful yet highly efficient supercharged V-6/electric motor plug-in hybrid, 8-speed automatic transmission and full-time Super All-Wheel Control all-wheel drive Features technology that Mitsubishi is working towards incorporating into production vehicles Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) today unveiled the futuristic Mitsubishi Concept GC-PHEV at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show. The full-size SVU concept provides a glimpse at the brand's new design language applied to a large vehicle.