1 Owner Clean Carfax Turbo Evo Navigation Rockford Fosgate Punch Premium Sound on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mitsubishi Pajero successor still years away, but plug-in hybrid tech likely

You might not know it from looking at today's Mitsubishi showrooms, but the struggling Japanese automaker has a pretty enviable reputation for producing robust off-roaders. Its Pajero SUV built a solid reputation worldwide on the back of its durability in harsh climates, earning it consideration alongside the likes of venerable explorers like the Toyota Land Cruiser and Land Rover Range Rover. Unfortunately, the Pajero eventually succumbed to one particularly harsh climate - the North American truck market. After enjoying a long run, Mitsubishi finally pulled the plug on the SUV's Montero twin after the 2006 model year. Blame evolving consumer tastes, low brand visibility, a lackluster marketing budget, or the need for updated product - in fact, go ahead and blame all of the above.
Despite its age, the current fourth-generation Pajero (itself arguably an extensive rework of the previous model) has been carrying a lot of water for the brand in other parts of the world since its debut in 2006. So it's pretty well time for a new one. Problem is, its replacement is still a ways off. That's according to Australia's Go Auto, which has learned that the next-generation Pajero could still be three years away, if not longer.
According to Go Auto, the next model will be a much-changed beast, with design targets including a major weight loss and increased efficiency to go along with more luxurious appointments. In order to make gains in fuel economy, the plug-in hybrid technology that the company has already introduced for its new Outlander crossover will likely be a part of the SUV's development program.

Question of the Day: Most heinous act of badge engineering?

Badge engineering, in which one company slaps its emblems on another company's product and sells it, has a long history in the automotive industry. When Sears wanted to sell cars, a deal was made with Kaiser-Frazer and the Sears Allstate was born. Iranians wanted new cars in the 1960s, and the Rootes Group was happy to offer Hillman Hunters for sale as Iran Khodro Paykans. Sometimes, though, certain badge-engineered vehicles made sense only in the 26th hour of negotiations between companies. The Suzuki Equator, say, which was a puzzling rebadge job of the Nissan Frontier. How did that happen? My personal favorite what-the-heck-were-they-thinking example of badge engineering is the 1971-1973 Plymouth Cricket. Chrysler Europe, through its ownership of the Rootes Group, was able to ship over Hillman Avanger subcompacts for sale in the US market. This would have made sense... if Chrysler hadn't already been selling rebadged Mitsubishi Colt Galants (as Dodge Colts) and Simca 1100s as (Simca 1204s) in its American showrooms. Few bought the Cricket, despite its cheery ad campaign. So, what's the badge-engineered car you find most confounding? Chrysler Dodge Automakers Mitsubishi Nissan Suzuki Automotive History question of the day badge engineering question

Aggressive new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Concept-S coming to Paris

Already a hit in the rest of the world, the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid is not coming to the US until late next year. That gives Mitsu plenty of time to upgrade the SUV to the next-generation model, and we might be getting a glimpse of what the US-speck Outlander PHEV will look like at the Paris Motor Show in early October. Take a look at the new "Sporty and Sophisticated" Outlander PHEV Concept-S that Mitsubishi is teasing in two dark images today. Mitsubishi says that what's being teased here is simply part of a "special package" that "magnifies the Outlander PHEV's unique driving experience." But, the last time Mitsubishi showed off an Outlander PHEV concept – at the 2012 Paris show – the production model ended up looking quite a bit like the show version. With aggressive lines all over the front fascia and bold strokes across the rear, the new concept certainly looks a lot better than the current model. We don't expect all of this auto show pizazz to make the final cut, but we like the direction that Mitsubishi is going here, extending the design language from the Outlander XR PHEV and GC-PHEV concepts from last year's Tokyo show. We should know more when we get to Paris on October 2nd. Until then, click on the images to get a better view and check out Mitsubishi's press release below. Mitsubishi Motors Europe issued the following news release at 6:00 pm on September 2, 2014. Paris, September 2, 2014 - Two years after it premiered its successful Outlander PHEV plug-in hybrid electric Twin Motor SUV/crossover at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has elected the "Mondial de L'Automobile" again – this time to unveil another PHEV vehicle: Outlander PHEV Concept-S. Sporty & Sophisticated The Outlander PHEV Concept-S is a concept model MMC proposes as a special package of the Outlander PHEV production model that has a refined interior and exterior design that magnifies the Outlander PHEV's unique driving experience. The Outlander PHEV Concept-S takes "Sporty and Sophisticated" as the theme for its design. This refined design expresses the unique combination of spirited 4x4 performance from its twin-motor PHEV system, soothing silent running, and superior on-road performance.