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Mitsubishi had a shockingly good year in the U.S., and here's why

The year 2017 was a very good one for Mitsubishi in the United States. For the first time since 2007, the company sold more than 100,000 cars and crossovers here. Most of the credit goes to the Outlander, which sold just over 8,700 more examples this year than in 2016 for a total of 35,310. It was also the overall bestseller for the company in America. Its slightly smaller cousin, the Outlander Sport, was the second-best with 33,160 units, a number that barely changed from 2016. Also interesting to note is that each of Mitsubishi's crossovers roughly equaled the total number of traditional car sales, which include the last Lancers, Evos and i-MiEVs, as well as the Mirage hatch and Mirage G4 sedan. The Lancer actually did all right considering it was phased out in the middle of last year, selling over 12,000 units, almost as many as in 2016. Mirage hatchback sales dropped quite significantly at just over 6,000, but Mirage G4 sedan sales increased by roughly the same amount. Considering the weaker car sales, Mitsubishi has probably made the right decision to focus on expanding its crossover line with the all-new Eclipse Cross launching this year, and the newly available Outlander PHEV. This milestone also marks Mitsubishi's slow and steady gains lately. According to the company, this is the fifth year of increased sales in the U.S. And on a global scale, the company saw gains, too. Its sales topped 1 million worldwide compared with 934,000 in 2016. In China sales were up over 50 percent, and it also saw sales increases in the Germany, Russia, Japan, Australia, and many countries in southeast Asia. So it seems Mitsubishi is making a nice little turnaround for itself. Related Video:

Mitsubishi delays Outlander PHEV yet again for the US

Mitsubishi was so close this time. The company showed the US-spec version of the plug-in Outlander crossover at this year's New York auto show, with plans for it to go on sale in the summer or fall of 2016. But once again, the beleaguered green family hauler has been delayed. HybridCars learned from Mitusbishi public relations managers for both the US and Canada that the Outlander PHEV won't go on sale until next summer. No specific reasons for the delay were given outside of a need "to meet a level of competitiveness that will exceed customer expectations." While we hope for Mitsubishi's sake the company releases the best product it can make, we don't think the expectations of our market will be that high, since there are no plug-in hybrid SUVs in the Outlander's class and price range. Unfortunately delays have been a recurring problem for this model. We first thought it would arrive in 2014 after launching in Japan. But ever since the original announcement, problems including battery production issues and regulatory demands have prevented the Outlander PHEV's US introduction. In the meantime, Japan and Europe have had the crossover for a few years. The car has since been refreshed, and we were promised that updated model but no dice yet. HybridCars also points out that the Outlander PHEV has been the best-selling plug-in hybrid in Europe. We imagine it could be a major success here since it combines plug-in tech with the ever-popular crossover body style, but we won't know until next year. At least as long as it doesn't get delayed again. Related Video: News Source: HybridCARSImage Credit: Drew Phillips Green Mitsubishi Crossover Hybrid PHEV

Mitsubishi teases an electric SUV concept car for 2019 Geneva Motor Show

News from Mitsubishi comes pretty slow these days, but it looks like something new is arriving at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. Today, the Japanese automaker revealed a teaser for a vehicle called the Engelberg Tourer, set to debut in early March this year. Details are vague, but we'll break down what we know. Mitsubishi says it's bringing "more SUV, more EV, more technology and more style." We'll be the judge of that last one — the Eclipse Cross is evidence enough for apprehension about Mitsubishi "style." What we appear to be looking at is an electric crossover concept, similar to Mitsubishi's other recent crossover EV concept. This one looks a bit different from the front, though. Then there's the name: Engelberg Tourer. Admittedly, it's a peculiar name for a concept car, but Mitsubishi says it's named after a rugged Alpine town in Switzerland with a history of sporting success. A quick internet search doesn't turn up much in the way of automotive history there, but it does appear to have some rally and off-roading heritage. Based on the rugged look of the front-end, we imagine this SUV is designed for fun once you've left the pavement. The slick blue lighting up front hints at the concept's electric powertrain. In the teaser, the light bars up top look sleek and minimal compared to massive units we see on some off-roading machines. It appears as though Mitsu is planning to show off camera side mirror tech in this concept, too. We'll have more news on Geneva and this Mitsubishi concept in the lead up to the show at the beginning of March, so stay tuned. Related video: