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Junkyard Gem: 1989 Plymouth Colt E Hatchback

By the late 1960s, it had became clear to the suits at Detroit's Big Three that their companies needed to start selling subcompacts at home or risk losing large hunks of market share to the likes of Volkswagen and Toyota. Ford and GM developed the Pinto and Vega, but the much smaller Chrysler Corporation couldn't afford such an investment. Instead, the Chrysler Europe-built Hillman Avenger and Simca 1100 crossed the Atlantic and were given Plymouth Cricket and Simca 1204 badges, respectively, while ships full of Mitsubishi Colt Galants with Dodge badges headed east out of Japan. Those were Dodge Colts, sales of which began here in the 1971 model year. The Cricket and 1204 faded into well-deserved obscurity, but American car shoppers loved the Hemi-powered Colt. The Plymouth Division eventually got Colts of its own, and that's what we've got for today's Junkyard Gem. The US-market Colt jumped to the front-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Mirage for the 1979 model year, and that's when North American Plymouth dealerships (which had already been selling the Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste as the Arrow) got their own Mirages to sell. For 1979 through 1982, the Plymouth-badged Colt twin was known as the Champ, after which Chrysler decided that distinction just confused everybody. Then both Dodge and Plymouth (plus, starting in 1989, Eagle) offered near-identical Colts until just before the 1994 introduction of the Michigan-designed Neon. 1989 was the first model year for the more rounded sixth-generation Colt. By the time this car appeared in a showroom, Mitsubishi had been selling Mirages here for six years; this meant that American cars shoppers could choose among four mechanically-identical versions of the same car: the Dodge Colt, the Plymouth Colt, the Eagle Summit, and the Mitsubishi Mirage. All four versions had similar pricing, so it really came down to which badge you liked best and/or which company was offering the best rebates and financing deals at any given moment. The cheapest 1989 Plymouth Colt three-door hatch listed at $6,678 (about $16,340 in 2022 dollars), while the Dodge version cost… exactly the same amount. If you insisted on a sedan, however, you had to get the Summit or Mirage, because the Colt was available only in hatchback form for 1989. Meanwhile, Chrysler had been selling the Simca-derived Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon in the United States since the 1978 model year, with sales continuing all the way through 1990.

Mitsubishi teases updated 2025 Outlander with tweaks throughout

There's an updated Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV on the way for the 2025 model year, four years after the launch of the fourth-gen. Europe released a bit of information on their version in July, one "specifically developed for the European market." Despite hype that the electrified SUV "is based on the Japanese I-Fu-Do-Do concept of authenticity and majesty," the outline we can make out in the European teaser image suggests exterior lines won't stray far afield. Now Japan has released a few artfully shaded images of what buyers can expect, along with additional details. Set beside the Euro tease, the DRL and headlight image portends that the "more refined and sophisticated face" won't be much different than today's face, so figure on the usual headlight and taillight revisions plus some tweaks to character lines. The development team promises a "greatly improved" interior based on customer feedback. We'll guess that statement is focused on lower trims; we've called the cabins of upper trims one of the Outlander PHEV's strongest advantages. The interior design philosophy was dubbed "Majesty Phase 2 - Refinement and further quality," and we know it means upper trims will get ventilated seats semi-aniline leather for the first time. The infotainment touchscreen should grow to 12.3 inches, replacing the 8- and 9-inch screen on today's trims and matching the size of the digital instrument cluster. The automaker has worked with Yamaha for a couple of years on vehicle-specific audio systems, there should be one on the way for the Outlander PHEV with branded speaker grilles and multiple sound profiles. Looks like there's a larger battery on the way as well, extending pure-electric range past today's 38 miles powered by a 20-kWh pack; this larger unit might add V2L capability so that the Outlander can use its energy to power a home. Mitsubishi might upgrade output of the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder, or boost output from the two electric motors. Engineers are definitely retuning the handoff between the ICE and battery for more electric driving and a smoother transition. Suspension tweaks creating a ride "one class above the rest" are coming, and new colors and wheel designs are a given.

Mitsubishi recalling 166k cars, crossovers over stall risk

Mitsubishi is recalling 165,923 vehicles in the US because it's possible for the drive belt to detach from their engines, potentially causing a stall. Specifically, the campaign covers 2008-2011 model-year examples of the Lancer, Lancer Evolution (pictured above) and Outlander as well as the 2009-2011 Lancer Sportback and 2011 Outlander Sport. All of the affected models use some version of the brand's 4B1 four-cylinder engine.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the engine pulley can wear causing the drive belt to slip off. If this happens, the alternator, cooling fan and hydraulic power steering can all stop working, and obviously, any of those things could make driving unsafe. However, if the belt detaches, then a warning light should come on in the cabin.
To fix the problem, Mitsubishi dealers will replace the original belt with a redesigned rubber part and will inspect the pulley. If worn, it'll also be replaced free of charge.