2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Es Sedan 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Our best look yet at the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi's has been busily clawing its way back from the brink of irrelevancy in the US market for several years. One of its most important models in that mission is the Outlander CUV, and as we can see from these spy photos, it's upcoming refresh is coming along nicely.
The Outlander was last redesigned for model year 2014, so it does feel a smidge early for a refresh. That said, thanks to a rather polarizing front fascia, we aren't totally surprised that Mitsu has gone to work so soon. Based on these spy shots, we wouldn't be totally surprised if the new Outlander borrowed the more attractive face of Outlander PHEV Concept-S, which was shown back in September during the Paris Motor Show.
It's impossible to tell if the rear of the car will borrow the huge, vehicle-spanning taillights of the Concept-S, but like the front end, we'd expect a fairly significant change to the back of the new Outlander. Our spies also captured a few shots of the cabin, although we don't see any dramatic differences from the current vehicle, aside from some different trim pieces.

Self-driving Mitsubishis could use adapted missile technology

Mitsubishi is a big company made up of many different divisions and subsidiaries. Yeah, we tend to focus on Mitsubishi Motors, but the sprawling company also manufactures steel, builds televisions – we all knew someone in the 1990s with a hulking Mitsubishi "big screen" – and even screws together fighter jets and the missiles they carry. According to a report from Automotive News Europe, Mitsubishi Motors is hoping to leverage the capabilities of its sister companies to catch up to the competition and get driverless cars on the road by 2020. That means adapting millimeter-wave radars, sensors, and cameras built for missiles to automotive uses. As Mitsubishi sees it, having the development work done on this tech – albeit for a radically different application – gives it a big advantage over the competition. "All we have to do is to put together the components that we already have," Katsumi Adachi, the chief engineer for Mitsu's auto equipment division, told ANE. "None of our competitors have such a wide array of capabilities." As ANE goes on to explain with the help of Tokyo-based IHS analyst Goro Tanamachi, this is no plug-and-play application. That's largely because of the different economics of the automotive and defense industries. In the former, the bean counters have a tremendous say. There are cuts and cost reductions and all sorts of other stuff designed to maximize profit margins. The defense industry, though, is the land of sparing no expense – that, according to Tanamachi-san, could make adapting missile tech to autonomous vehicles a possible, but potentially very pricey proposition. "Cost-cutting requests are much more severe in autos than aerospace," Tanamachi-san told ANE. "I wonder if it's possible for them to bring down the cost of the systems to the levels manufacturers can use for cheap, low-end cars." Related Video: X

Fiat introduces new Fullback pickup

Fiat has unveiled its first foray into the mid-size pickup truck market, the Fullback, at the Dubai Motor Show. It's not an entirely new product, confirming earlier reports. It's closely related to the Triton pickup (also known as the L200) that Mitsubishi builds in Thailand for markets in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Moreover, it's not likely ever to make it to North American showrooms. Riding on a 118-inch wheelbase, it measures 208 inches long, 71 inches wide and 70 inches tall. Those are identical measurements to the Mitsu, and give it roughly similar dimensions to the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon we get here. The Fullback can carry up to 2,300 pounds, and is powered by a 2.4-liter turbo diesel engine available in either 150- or 180-horsepower states of tune, and mated to a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. Fiat Professional will roll out the Fullback in markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, where it will compete against the likes of the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, and Volkswagen Amarok. FIAT PROFESSIONAL DEBUTS NEW FULLBACK PICK-UP TRUCK AT THE DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW - New FIAT Professional pick-up truck to be named Fullback – a name derived from the cornerstone position in rugby and American football - Available in the UK in autumn 2016, the FIAT Fullback will combine a practical double-cab body style with a spacious load area and competitive payload of 1,045kg - Powered by a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine, with 150hp or 180hp outputs, the FIAT Fullback will have four-wheel drive as standard, combined with a manual or automatic transmission - More details, including pricing and final specifications, will be announced closer to the launch of the FIAT Fullback in the UK FIAT Professional has unveiled the all-new FIAT Fullback pick-up truck at the 2015 Dubai International Motor Show. The new, medium-duty pick-up will join the award-winning FIAT Professional range in autumn 2016 and will be available only with a practical double cab body style configuration in the UK making it an ideal vehicle for both commercial and leisure time activities. Measuring up to 1,780mm in height, 1,815 mm in width and 5,285mm in length, with a wheelbase of 3,000mm, the new FIAT Fullback will offer a competitive payload of 1,045 kg and will be powered by a 2.4-litre, aluminium, turbo-diesel engine with a power output of either 150hp or 180hp.