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Mitsubishi Vision Ralliart Concept revealed at Tokyo Auto Salon

Mitsubishi has arrived at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon with a bevy of vehicles, but none more interesting than the Vision Ralliart Concept. We have fond memories of the Ralliart name on Mitsubishi models sold years ago, which gives us a glimmer of hope that a return to the sub brand could once again give us a Mitsubishi to get excited about as enthusiasts. That initial Ralliart return is in concept form and in the shape of the new Outlander. Mitsubishi is using the Outlander PHEV as the basis of this concept, but it appears as though nothing has been done to the powertrain to make it any more potent than the standard car. However, Mitsu has attended to it elsewhere. The Ralliart Concept gets large brake rotors and six-piston brake calipers to increase stopping power. It also features suspension changes. Mitsubishi doesn’t say exactly what itÂ’s changed beyond specifying that the comfortable ride “is further refined,” though. Lastly, Mitsubishi fitted 22-inch wheels with bigger tires to enhance cornering. Appearance-wise, the Vision Ralliart Concept gets unique front and rear bumpers, wider fenders in front and rear, a new front grille and big rear diffuser. Mitsubishi says that this car “embodies Mitsubishi Motors' vision for the new Ralliart and brings together the company's engineering and passion for Monozukuri challenges (craftsmanship).” How all of the above may translate into a production Outlander Ralliart model is still to be determined, and itÂ’s not yet clear if weÂ’ll ever see such a thing in the U.S. Beyond that concept, we also get a look at an Outlander Ralliart Style and an Eclipse Cross Ralliart Style. Both of these cars are full of red, white and black stickers/accents to give them the Ralliart look weÂ’d expect. However, the packages are limited to appearance changes only. Again, Mitsubishi gives no indication as to what its end game might be with these vehicles. On the off-road side of things, there's the Outlander Wild Adventure Style based on the PHEV. This model adopts a bunch of Mitsubishi accessories that make it a better vehicle for heading into the wilderness. It has items like all-terrain tires, bumper protectors, mud guards, a roof carrier, trailer hitch and additional garnishes all around to give it a sportier/outdoorsy look. If kei cars are more your style, Mitsubishi has also revealed the K-EV Concept X Style in Tokyo. ItÂ’s meant to preview a new generation of electric kei cars in Japan.

Nissan ex-chief Carlos Ghosn cancels hastily arranged Tokyo press conference

TOKYO — Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn on Friday abruptly canceled plans for what would have been his first press conference since his arrest in November, after journalists had been notified about a briefing just two hours earlier. Ghosn's lawyers called to cancel the event that was to be held at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ), but did not immediately give a reason for the abrupt change, an official at the FCCJ told Reuters.Automotive News cited a source as saying his family and media team staged a "last-minute intervention" to get him to call off plans to make his case at the press conference, fearing he would be faced with questions he couldn't answer without tipping his legal team's strategy, or that Japanese prosecutors would take a dim view of him publicly criticizing their actions and attempt to revoke his bail. A spokesman for the Ghosn family in Tokyo did not answer his mobile phone and did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. If the conference had not been canceled, Ghosn would have spoken as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hosts national leaders at the G20 leaders gathering in Osaka, including U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, who Ghosn's wife Carole have called on to raise the issue of her husband's treatment by Japan's courts. In May a Japanese court dismissed an appeal by Ghosn to ease a bail restriction that bans him from contacting his wife and rejected a subsequent request to allow him a one-off monitored meeting with Carole. His lawyers have argued that that condition violates Japan's constitution and international law on family separations. Ghosn's movements are also monitored and he is only allowed internet access from a computer at his lawyer's office that records the activity for the court. Once among the world's most feted auto executives, Ghosn is awaiting trial in Japan over charges including enriching himself at a cost of $5 million to Nissan, in a scandal which has rocked the industry and exposed tensions in the automaking partnership between Nissan and Renault SA. Since his initial arrest in November last year, Ghosn has been charged four times for crimes which also include underreporting his Nissan salary and temporarily transferring personal financial losses to his employer's books during his time at the helm of Japan's No. 2 automaker.

Nissan posts $6.2 billion annual loss and unveils plan to cut costs

TOKYO — Nissan outlined a new plan on Thursday to become a smaller, more cost-efficient carmaker after the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated a slide in profitability that culminated in its first annual loss in 11 years. Under a new four-year plan, the Japanese manufacturer will slash its production capacity and model range by about a fifth to help cut 300 billion yen from fixed costs. It will shut plants in Spain and Indonesia, leave the South Korean market and pull its Datsun brand from Russia as part of a strategy unveiled on Wednesday to share production globally with its partners Renault and Mitsubishi. "I will make every effort to return Nissan to a growth path," Nissan Chief Executive Makoto Uchida said, adding that the company had learned from its past mistakes of chasing global market share at all costs. "We must admit failures and take corrective actions," he said, adding that starting with top-level managers, the company had to break its inward-looking culture which in the past has stymied efforts to deepen cooperation with France's Renault. Uchida said improving the company's cash flow was its biggest challenge. He reiterated that Nissan's cash liquidity was good even though it had negative free cash flow of 641 billion yen in the year ended in March. Nissan declined to give any forecasts for its current financial year which started in April due to the uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic. It also declined to give details on how many jobs it was cutting. In what is Nissan's second recovery plan in less than a year, Uchida pledged a return to profitability with a core operating profit margin above 5% and a sustainable global market share of 6%. Nissan posted an annual operating loss of 40.5 billion yen for the year to March 31, its worst performance since 2008/09. Its operating profit margin was -0.4%. The automaker said on Thursday that it sold 4.9 million vehicles last year, up from an earlier estimate of 4.8 million. That was still the second decline in a row and a fall of 11% from the previous period but meant Nissan clung on to its position as Japan's second biggest carmaker, just ahead of Honda and a long way behind Toyota. Pandemic pressure Even before the spread of the novel coronavirus, Nissan's slumping profits had forced it to row back on an aggressive expansion plan pursued by ousted leader Carlos Ghosn. The pandemic has only piled on the urgency to downsize.