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A realistic approach to fixing Mitsubishi

There are going to be a lot of words written about what Nissan needs to do with Mitsubishi in the coming months and years in the interest of turning the brand around. After Nissan's purchase of a controlling stake in the diamond star brand, there's been more interest in Mitsubishi thanks to the potential of platform sharing and plenty of cash from Nissan-Renault to get the juices flowing again. But, while some have been doing their best to advocate for the return of the 3000GT, Evolution, and even the Starion - Many of these posts forget the reality of the market we live in today. As much as we like to look back fondly at the sports coupes of the '90s, a byproduct of the insane cash flows all the Japanese manufacturers had at the time, the reality of today puts a much greater emphasis on what is most-boring; Crossover SUVs, alongside mid-size and compact sedans. We do need to ask a fundamental question, how much Mitsubishi is enough to be able to continue to call the cars Mitsubishis? Aside from slight product revisions and reconfigurations, Mitsubishi (at least in North America) has been largely dependent on the same GS platform and 4B1 engines that date back to their long-time partnership with Chrysler (and Hyundai) in the mid '00s. Admittedly, the chassis and engines have served the company well, underpinning a wide variety of vehicles sold around the world, and seeing quite a few revisions to at least attempt to keep products competitive. But, the GS chassis is old, heavy, and severely out of date - and when matched to the underpowered 4B1 series engines - make for largely uncompetitive offerings in the market. While something like the Outlander Sport is indeed interesting compared to a Honda CR-V, it is by no means the smart choice in the segment. So, going forward, unless Mitsubishi has had a skunkworks of sorts developing their chassis and engine replacements over the past few years, what exactly are they planning to do for their bread-and-butter models? I think the straightforward answer is without a doubt the Nissan North America parts bin. With so many of their models selling well, and for the most part, are reasonably well-reviewed, it would be quite simple to adapt the chassis and powertrain to Mitsubishi's liking to create a high-volume alternative to what is currently available now.

Recharge Wrap-up: Fiat 500X emissions, Japan EV sales down

The Fiat 500X exceeds EU emissions limits, according to environmental lobby group DUH. In dyno tests, DUH found NOx emissions in the diesel-powered 500X to be 11 to 20 times the limit with a warm engine, but closer to the limit with a cold engine. Testing of vehicles from Fiat and other automakers "point towards defeat devices," says DUH campaigner Axel Friedrich. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) offered no comment in response to the accusations. Read more from Reuters. A UK study finds that about 20 percent of the benefits from fuel efficient vehicles are negated by a tendency for people to drive them more. The study, which covers the years 1970 to 2011, finds a significant "rebound effect," when consumers use more of a cheaper energy source. It suggests these drivers drive more not because of the fuel efficiency, but because of the lower operating costs. "Until now, we didn't know the size of this effect for British motoring," says Dr. Lee Stapleton, Research Fellow for the University of Sussex Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand. "We found evidence of a significant, long-term rebound and expect our results to be of interest for public policy." Read more at Green Car Congress. Japanese EV sales have declined for the first time ever. Sales of electric vehicles slid 22 percent in 2015, leaving them at the same levels as 2012. Low gasoline prices are to blame, as well as the late arrival of the updated Nissan Leaf, which caused potential customers to hold off on their purchase. This allowed the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV to take the lead as Japan's best selling EV. The Toyota Prius Plug-In came in third place in EV sales, with the BMW i3 close on its heels. Read more from EV Sales. Featured Gallery 2016 Fiat 500X: First Drive View 34 Photos Related Gallery Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Concept-S: Paris 2014 View 12 Photos News Source: Reuters, Green Car Congress, EV SalesImage Credit: Copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / AOL Green Fiat Mitsubishi Nissan Emissions Fuel Efficiency Electric recharge wrapup

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV delayed until early 2016 in US

The Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid has been a noteworthy success for the Japanese brand with over 33,000 sales sold worldwide as of the summer of 2014. Unfortunately, the electrified crossover has seen continual delays for its planned North American debut. The latest news about the model pushes back its launch even more. The Outlander PHEV now isn't slated to go on sale in the US until roughly April 2016, according to Mitsubishi North America Executive Vice President Don Swearingen in Automotive News. Dealers are clamoring for the plug-in hybrid crossover, though. "That is going to be a vehicle that really sets us apart from the competition," said Ryan Gremore, 2015 chairman of the Mitsubishi National Advisory Board, to AN. Multiple postponements have plagued the Outlander PHEV in arriving to the US. It was once rumored to launch here in the fall of 2014, but a battery shortage pushed the date to 2015. Subsequently, a California mandate to fit a sensor to monitor degradation of the lithium-ion batteries caused another delay until late 2015 or early 2016. In foreign markets, the Mitsubishi CUV plug-in offers a 12-kWh battery and electric driving range of about 30 miles. However once sales actually begin, the US version is supposed to be completely different with a retuned hybrid system, which could alter these figures. The styling and interior are also supposed to see a change, possibly like the attractively reskinned PHEV Concept-S from the 2014 Paris Motor Show.