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Carlos Ghosn was on verge of release — so prosecutors file new allegation

TOKYO — Japanese prosecutors added a new allegation of breach of trust against Nissan's former chairman Carlos Ghosn on Friday, dashing his hopes for posting bail quickly. Ghosn and another former Nissan executive, Greg Kelly, were arrested Nov. 19 and charged with underreporting Ghosn's income by about 5 billion yen ($44 million) in 2011-2015. They also face the prospect of more charges of underreporting Ghosn's income for other years by nearly 10 billion ($80 million) in total. The breach of trust allegations were filed a day after a court rejected prosecutors' request for a longer detention of both men. The new allegation only applies to Ghosn, and Kelly could still be bailed out. A request for bail by Kelly's lawyer is pending court approval, according to the Tokyo District Court, but his release will have to wait until next week since the request was still in process after office hours Friday. Prosecutors in a statement Friday alleged that Ghosn in 2008 transferred a private investment loss worth more than 1.8 billion yen ($16 million) to Nissan by manipulating an unspecified "swap" contract. Ghosn also profited by having the company transfer a total of $14.7 million to another company to benefit himself and that company's owner, who helped in the contract manipulation, prosecutors said. Shin Kukimoto, deputy chief prosecutor at the Tokyo District Prosecutors Office, refuse to say if the two transactions were related or how Ghosn illegally profited. He also declined to identify the collaborator or whether the transactions were made overseas. Ghosn and Kelly are only charged with underreporting Ghosn's pay over five years, in violation of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. They have not been formally charged with an additional allegation of underreporting another 4 billion yen ($36 million) for 2016-2018, for which their first 10-day detention was to expire Thursday. Prosecutors have been criticized for separating the allegations as a tactic to detain Ghosn and Kelly longer. They say Ghosn and Kelly are flight risks. The maximum penalty for violating the financial act is up to 10 years in prison, a 10 million yen ($89,000) fine, or both. Breach of trust also carries a similar maximum penalty. The conviction rate in Japan is more than 99 percent for any crime. Ghosn was sent by Renault in 1999 to turn around Nissan, then on the verge of bankruptcy, and he led its rise to become the world's second-largest automaker.

2022 Mitsubishi Outlander revealed with concept car looks and Nissan underpinnings

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander is a pretty big deal for the automaker. It marks the first time since 2014 that the brand's long-running small crossover has had a thorough overhaul and not just a big facelift. It also marks the first Mitsubishi model in the U.S. to take advantage of the company's recent induction to the Nissan-Renault Alliance. The result is a crossover that combines Mitsubishi styling and tuning with mechanical bits shared with Nissan. On the outside, the Outlander looks remarkably similar to the Engelberg Tourer concept shown at Geneva two years ago. It has the huge lower headlight units, strong character lines and distinctive upright rear pillar. Compared to the old model, the new Outlander is a bit larger. It's 0.6 inch longer, 2 inches wider and 1.5 inches taller. The wheelbase is longer by 1.4 inches. Mitsubishi claims that the extra wheelbase has added another inch each for front and rear legroom. Speaking of the interior, it also mirrors that of the concept with the full-width air vent design, and squared off dash, controls and even steering wheel center. The interior is particularly striking in the SEL Touring and SEL trims shown in the gallery with diamond-stitched leather. Those models also get real aluminum trim. Lower models get either cloth or suede accents with piano black trim. Another cool feature is that the various chimes and alerts were developed in collaboration with Bandai Namco. There's no indication of whether you can opt for sounds from "Pole Position" or "Galaga." You can see some of the Nissan influence poke through, as the infotainment screen (available in 8- or 9-inch versions), the shifter and other odd buttons and switches can be found unchanged in vehicles such as the Rogue. That's not a bad thing, though, and they look right at home. The Outlander also boasts the unique feature of having a third row of seats. Various premium amenities will be available, too, such as a 12.3-inch instrument panel, 10.8-inch head-up display, three-zone climate control, heated rear seats, Bose sound system and a panoramic sunroof. Under the skin, the Outlander uses a shared platform developed by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Though not explicitly specified, it should be the platform that also underpins the Rogue as well as the Sentra. The engine is another shared item, with the only offering for now being the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque.

Mitsubishi reveals Delica D:5 off-road van and 'concept' crossovers ahead of Tokyo Auto Salon

It's easy to forget Mitsubishi still makes some cool vehicles. If you look past the mirage however, you'll find vehicles like the Delica D:5 van. Mitsubishi is on its way to the Tokyo Auto Salon with a concept version of this Delica, alongside an Outlander PHEV and Eclipse Cross, with both SUVs claiming the name "Street Sport." We're all weird, so it stands to reason that the off-road-looking Delica D:5 excites us the most. While the normal Delica D:5 is now more of a van with SUV ride height, this one comes with a full suite of plastic body cladding for protection around the front and rear of the van. A heavy-duty roof rack and row of LED lights up top give it the roof of a true overlander. Some bars on the sides and bright red mud flaps hint even further that this should be taken off the pavement. What Mitsu doesn't talk about is an upgraded suspension. Granted, the Delica D:5 already looks lifted and ready for some moderate trail work, but a full-on rock crawler van would have been epic. The standard all-wheel drive system with four-wheel drive lock will have to do for now. For cars sold in the states, Mitsubishi brought some tarted-up versions of the Outlander PHEV and Eclipse Cross. Both SUVs feature similar design language, as they try to look sportier than their powertrains give away. Yellow accents along with blacked-out everything and some stickers are really the selling points here. Meaning, there isn't much, if anything, to get excited about with these "concepts." They're more sticker packages than anything, and don't give us much hope for anything fun coming stateside. For now, all we have are the individual pictures of each car. More will come once they officially break cover at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January. Related video: