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Mitsubishi HQ raided by the Japanese government

Mitsubishi's fuel economy scandal continues to grow, and the Japanese government wants answers. According to Reuters, the Japanese Transport Ministry raided the company's headquarters and a factory in Nagoya today. This raid comes soon after the company revealed that a number of its SUVs were also being sold with incorrect fuel economy ratings. The Japanese government issued a stop-sale on those vehicles a few days ago. This raid also follows an internal investigation conducted by Mitsubishi to discover how this fuel economy scandal happened, and how the practices that led to it were able to continue for 25 years. The internal investigation revealed a few contributing factors that all fell under issues with the company's culture. There was significant pressure throughout the company to reach fuel economy targets and missing them wasn't readily accepted. Questioning decisions of management was also discouraged, and it seemed the different divisions of the company weren't working well together. The findings of this raid have yet to be revealed, but it will be interesting to see how they compare with those of the internal investigation. The Japanese Transport Ministry seems intent on preventing a repeat of this with another company considering that, according to Reuters, it "sent documents to other automakers to enforce compliance with rules for calculating mileage ." Related Video: News Source: Reuters via Automotive News EuropeImage Credit: Julien Amado / Autoblog Quebec Government/Legal Green Mitsubishi Fuel Efficiency investigation

VW was 2018's top-selling automaker — but

TOKYO — Volkswagen Group has held on to its position as the world's top-selling automaker for the fifth year in a row, although the German group was edged out again by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance in the light-duty vehicles segment. Renault SA, Nissan Motor Co Ltd and Mitsubishi Motors Corp together sold 10.76 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in 2018, according to Reuters' calculations after new data released on Wednesday. The group doesn't sell heavy trucks. Nissan said on Wednesday it sold 5.65 million vehicles last year, down 2.8 percent on the year. Mitsubishi reported an 18 percent rise in sales to 1.22 million units while Renault sold 3.88 million units, up 3.2 percent on the year. Volkswagen's deliveries rose 0.9 percent to a record 10.83 million last year, including its MAN and Scania heavy trucks, the German company said earlier this month. Excluding heavy trucks, it sold 10.6 million units. Toyota Motor Corp retained its third spot, announcing on Wednesday that it had sold 10.59 million vehicles last year including its Toyota and Lexus brands, along with minicars made by subsidiary Daihatsu and light and heavy trucks produced by its truck division Hino Motors Ltd. Excluding Hino trucks, Toyota sold 10.39 million units last year. The automaker has said it expects to sell a total of 10.76 million vehicles in 2019. Many automakers are trying to boost sales volumes to achieve economies of scale and reduce costs amid soaring investments needed to develop next-generation technologies, including self-driving cars and electric vehicles. This has been a focus of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors group, which is looking to share more vehicle parts and consolidate production platforms to trim R&D and manufacturing costs, while raising profitability. The alliance, which brought Mitsubishi Motors into its fold in 2016, is currently in crisis with its former Chairman Carlos Ghosn arrested and indicted on charges of misconduct. Nissan has also been indicted, and Renault appointed new top management last week. Related Video: Earnings/Financials Mitsubishi Nissan Toyota Volkswagen

Mitsubishi Mirage will reportedly get the axe in 2025

The Mitsubishi Mirage, the car that everyone loves to hate, might not be long for the U.S. market. Reports have it exiting stage left by the end of 2025 with no successor in the works. The compact has the ignominy of being the cheapest new car available in the U.S., with an MSRP starting at $17,340 including destination charges. The report comes from an unnamed source who spoke to Automotive News. However, Mitsubishi spokesperson Jeremy Barnes declined to comment on whether the Mirage is getting the axe in two years. "It's a vehicle that we still see as having a role in our portfolio at this time," Barnes told AN. "It fulfills the role of an entry-level vehicle." The Mirage comes in either hatchback or sedan profiles and is powered by a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder making 78 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque. While it is often panned for its low power and basic interior, the Mirage does offer a brand spanking new car with a 10-year,100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Also, it comes standard with features like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth, remote keyless entry, power windows, cruise control, and USB port – none of which are necessary to go from point A to point B but are nice to have. Plus, it's rated at 39 mpg combined and comes in fun colors. While options like the Nissan Versa and Kia Rio still exist, Cox Automotive reported that the only car to actually sell below $20,000 in July was the Mirage. Nevertheless, Mirage sales are down 44% in the first half of 2023. The list of affordable cars grows ever shorter, with options like the Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, and the excellent Honda Fit all having exited the market in recent years. Meanwhile, the average new car price has increased by 47.7% since the pandemic, partially due to supply chain issues. A recent iSeeCars study found that even the pool of late-model used cars below $20,000 has shrunken dramatically, from 49.3% of sales in 2019 to just 12.4% today. All this while the number of more expensive, larger and more luxurious cars continues to expand. Once the Mirage is gone, Mitsubishi will have, like Ford and GM, a zero-sedan lineup. Like many, Mitsubishi is preparing for an all-electric push, with plans to debut nine new BEV models globally by 2030.