1986 Mitsubishi Starion Esi-r Coupe 2-door 2.6l on 2040-cars

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Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV's US debut pushed back yet again [UPDATE]

UPDATE: The story's been updated to include a response from Mitsubishi. Better late than never, the saying goes, and when it comes to the US debut of the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid, the key words are "better" and "late." The crossover's debut in the US has already been the subject of a number of delays, and it is will once again having its stateside debut pushed back by a few months, according to Green Car Reports. Instead of a springtime arrival, we're now looking at late summer. We already know that the first US Outlander is an updated model compared to the one currently sold in Europe and Japan, but the Japanese automaker is apparently still tweaking the model to make it better suited for US driving. That means an improved interior and better sound insulation for what will be the 2017 model-year Outlander PHEV, and will likely involve better performance for both drivetrain power and fuel efficiency. "We decided to bring in the Outlander PHEV along with the 2017 Outlander launch," Mitsubishi spokesman Alex Fedorak wrote in an e-mail to Autoblog. "Doing so will allow us to better equip the vehicle for the US market." We doubt major changes are in store, so it still looks like the plug-in Outlander will pair a 2.0-liter gas engine with two electric motors. The crossover PHEV can go about 32 miles on electricity alone, at least, it can on the more lenient European driving cycle. The Outlander PHEV was first slated for a 2014 US debut, but that was pushed back to 2015 because of a battery shortage. More recently, Mitsubishi said this past January that the US debut would take place in April 2016. Overseas, the model continues to make headway when it comes to global market share of plug-in vehicles. Through November, Mitsubishi moved more than 36,000 units of the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid worldwide. That puts it third among plug-in vehicles, trailing only the sales of the Tesla Model S and the Nissan Leaf electric vehicles, according to EV Sales. Featured Gallery Plug In 2014: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV View 12 Photos News Source: Green Car ReportsImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Green Mitsubishi Hybrid

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:

Nissan shares slide 5% after report Renault exploring stake reduction

TOKYO — Shares of Nissan Motor Co slumped 5% on Monday, their biggest fall in more than a month, following a report that top shareholder Renault may consider lowering its stake in the Japanese automaker. Bloomberg reported on Friday that Renault may consider lowering its Nissan shareholding as part of plans to separate its electric vehicle business. The French car maker has been pushing ahead with plans to split its electric and combustion-engine businesses in an attempt to catch rivals such as Tesla and Volkswagen On Friday, Renault said all options were on the table for separating the electric vehicle business, including a possible public listing in the second half of 2023. Any plans would be subject to approval from alliance partner Nissan, Renault finance chief Thierry Pieton said, adding the Japanese automaker was "in the loop" as Renault weighed up its options. Renault and Nissan have declined to comment on the report. Shares of Nissan fell to 509.8 yen in Tokyo, marking their biggest one-day decline since early March and underperforming an almost 2% drop in the Nikkei index. The car makers' two-decade-old alliance, which includes Mitsubishi Motors, was rocked by the 2018 ouster of alliance founder Carlos Ghosn amid a financial scandal. They have since pledged to pool more resources. In January they said they would work more closely together to make electric cars. They detailed a $26 billion investment plan for the next five years. But their unequal relationship has long been a source of friction in Japan. Renault owns 43.4% of Nissan, which in turn has a 15% non-voting stake in its shareholder. Renault bailed out Nissan two decades ago, but is now the smaller automaker by sales. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Earnings/Financials Green Mitsubishi Nissan Renault