1991 Mitsubishi Galant Vr-4 Sedan 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport shows its big, new face in America

The 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport initially showed us its new sheetmetal at the Geneva Motor Show, but we got a chance to check out the vehicle in the flesh at the company's research and development center in Ann Arbor, Mich., today. Nearly everything we learned about the Outlander Sport (known as the ASX in other markets) before applies to the North American version of the vehicle. However, one aspect we were uncertain of was the continued presence of the manual transmission. We asked, and Mitsubishi is officially dropping the stick shift version of the Outlander Sport with this update. It was previously only available on the base trim level, exclusively paired with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Mitsubishi was one of the last holdouts to offer a manual transmission option in the small crossover market, and now they're officially out. Three-pedal versions of the Outlander Sport represented just 2% of total model sales, so the business case just wasn't there anymore. We confirmed that the powertrains from the 2019 model year car will carry over to the 2020 Outlander Sport, which means you'll have the choice between the 148 horsepower 2.0-liter or the 168 horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder. Both engines are paired to a CVT. Of course, all-wheel drive will also continue to be available optionally. The big changes are in the styling that Mitsubishi thinks will make it stand out among competitors. Looking at the crossover directly in the face gives us a real truck-like and rugged vibe. This is where Mitsubishi put most of its eggs, appealing to folks who want a tougher looking vehicle. To our eyes, the execution comes off as a bit haphazard, lacking in cohesiveness with the sheer number of things going on. There's gray satin plastic, piano black plastic and flat black plastic all hanging out next to each other. Then the "shield" sort of juts outward at us, standing in stark contrast with the shiny reflective surfaces on either side of it. Judge for yourself, but the previous design was slick and much simpler than this mash up. Mitsubishi kept things relatively subdued out back, and we like the evolution of the taillights and rear bumper here. There isn't much to speak about down the sides other than a different wheel design and a small fake vent added. One could argue the interior was the Outlander Sport's sorest point, but sadly Mitsubishi chose to neglect this part of the car.

Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes also under diesel emissions scrutiny

The controversy over Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal isn't limited to the US. In Europe, where diesel engines are far more popular, the issue is shining a harsh light on the NEDC emissions test. As already known, the evaluation does a poor job of reflecting real-world production of NOx, and it appears a significant number of automakers are affected. The Guardian in the UK has been reporting on real-world test results from a company called Emissions Analytics. After the latest round of checks, vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi were found to generate far more NOx than they should. The newspaper also published similar results for Renault, Nissan, Hyundai, Fiat, Volvo, Jeep, Citroen, VW, and Audi. On average, the figures are about four times over the limit of producing the pollutant. Unlike VW and its defeat device, these automakers aren't actually breaking the rules. The vehicles perform up to the NEDC lab test for emissions, but those results simply aren't translated to the street. "The VW issue in the US was purely the trigger which threw light on a slightly different problem in the EU - widespread legal over-emissions," Nick Molden from Emissions Analytics said to The Guardian. A big fight to decide the future of this issue appears to be on the horizon. Automakers claim that they can't meet the next round of tightening emissions regulations and are asking for compromises. Although, spokespeople for Mercedes and Honda told The Guardian that the brands would be in favor of the stricter rules. Meanwhile, some European governments began backtracking their support of diesels well before this scandal came to light. The added scrutiny certain hasn't helped the future of the oil-burner. Related Video:

'Nothing is blocking' Nissan alliance talks, says Renault chairman

TOKYO — Nothing is blocking discussions between Nissan and Renault over the future of their alliance and the two companies will have "important talks" on Tuesday and Wednesday, the French automaker's chairman said in Tokyo. Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Renault SA chairman Jean-Dominique Senard touted the Franco-Japanese alliance, which has been discussing ways to revamp the relationship. The companies had initially set Tuesday as a deadline to hammer out a deal. However, the discussions have taken longer than originally expected due to Nissan's concerns about how its intellectual property rights can be protected as Renault forges new ties with China's Geely, sources have told Reuters. Renault last week unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its businesses, saying it would set up a joint venture with Geely for gasoline engines and hybrid technology and spin off its electric vehicles unit next year. It wants Nissan to invest in the new electric unit. The companies are also renegotiating their equity ties, which currently see Renault owning a controlling 43% of Nissan and the Japanese company holding only a 15% non-voting stake in Renault. "Nothing is blocking" the discussions, he told reporters after the event, declining to say when the alliance members would reach a deal and adding "you will be informed on time." "As the chairman of this alliance, I've never lived such a warm atmosphere within the alliance and this bodes well for the future."   Green Mitsubishi Nissan Renault