1996 Mitsubishi Montero Ls 4x4 3.0 V6 2nd Owner on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Quick Spin Review | Why doesn't everyone make one of these?

The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV took a remarkably long time to get to the United States. It went on sale in Europe in 2013, and was originally planned to come to America the year after, but didn't arrive until late in 2017. Mitsubishi was also fortunate that, in the time it took to finalize the American model, the entry-level competition remained primarily sedans and sedan-like hatchbacks, with the exception of the Niro PHEV, a crossover smaller than Outlander, and closer to a traditional hatchback. So the question is, was it worth the wait, and is it worth considering against other plug-in hybrids? A mostly frugal and very smooth powertrain The big appeal of the Outlander PHEV is of course its plug-in hybrid powertrain. It comprises a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder, and two electric motors, one up front, one in the rear. This powertrain can function in three different ways. There's full electric mode, series hybrid mode (the gas engine acts like a generator, and propulsion is handled solely by the electric motor), and parallel hybrid (a clutch engages the engine to the front motor for additional propulsion assist). The Outlander switches automatically between these operational schemes depending on drive mode settings. For example, with a full charge you can press a button to keep it in EV mode, at least as long as there's enough battery power. Two other buttons can allow you to save the battery charge for use later, such as in town after a highway drive, and a charge button to replenish the battery level while driving. Because of this powertrain layout, the Outlander PHEV drives much like an all-electric car most of the time. It's nearly silent except when the engine kicks on, or when accelerating or decelerating hard. In the case of the latter, you can pick up a faint, futuristic whir from the motors. It feels very smooth thanks to a lack of transmission shifts. The throttle is responsive since there's no CVT adjusting ratios or a torque converter making responses a little slushy. And of course there's the instant torque that all electric motors provide, which makes the Outlander spunky around town. You can even adjust the strength of the battery regeneration by putting it from "D" for drive into "B." Then you can set the strength via the steering wheel paddles. Also impressive is the fact that the powertrain is still quite smooth and quiet when the engine fires up.

Mitsubishi's first US chairman since 2007 charged with revitalizing brand

Have a look at Mitsubishi North America's vehicle page and you'll find seven cars in four model lines: i-MiEV electric hatch, Lancer sedan, Lancer Evolution and Sportback, Outlander and Outlander Sport, and Galant sedan. The Galant has 3.9 tires in the automotive grave, and the only hope for mainstream excitement, the Eclipse coupe and Spyder, had hemlock poured down their crankcases last year. Increasing the quotient of bleak, the Lancer isn't due for a refresh until 2014, the coming Outlander PHEV will sell in miniscule numbers when it does arrive, a little sports car has been nixed and the only other Mitsu being considered for our landmass is the Colt, which, for its stellar fuel economy numbers, looks like a car designed by Pikachu. There's also that matter of declining NA market share in a rising overall market, Mitsubishi's piece of the total pie currently hovering around the 0.4-percent mark according to Automotive News.
The company has decided to do more about it, reassigning Executive Vice President and Head Officer of the Headquarters Product Projects & Strategy Group Gayu Uesugi to be the new chairman of Mitsubishi Motors North America. It will be the first time in five years that someone has filled the chairman position at MMNA.
The hope is that with Uesugi's 35 years with the company, his experience in the company's global product plan and his success in emerging market strategy, he's the man to "[develop] a product plan and growth strategy for the US market" that will put things right. Or at least better. He will work with Yoichi Yokozawa, who has been CEO of MMNA since last year. There are more details on the move in the press release below.

Junkyard Gem: 1986 Mitsubishi Cordia L

New Mitsubishi cars first showed up in the United States with Dodge Colt badging in the 1971 model year, and a broad range of Dodge- and Plymouth-badged Mitsubishis followed them across the Pacific in subsequent years. For the 1983 model year, cars bearing Mitsubishi badges finally appeared here, and there were four models available to start with: the Starion, Mighty Max, Tredia and Cordia. The sporty Starion and the sibling-to-the-Ram-50 Mighty Max pickup remain well-known to this day, but the Tredia and its Cordia platform-mate have all but disappeared from streets, junkyards and — for most of us — memories. I thought I'd never see another discarded Cordia again after spotting a first-year example nearly a decade ago, but then this '86 showed up in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service car graveyard recently. The Cordia and Tredia were the same car, mechanically speaking. The Tredia was a subcompact sedan priced to compete with the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, while the Cordia was a slick-looking liftback coupe that sought to lure potential buyers away from the likes of the Datsun 200SX, Toyota Celica and Isuzu Impulse. Both the Cordia and Tredia sold very well in Australia and New Zealand, but North Americans mostly ignored the Cordia and laughed at the Tredia. The last model year for both models in America was 1988. The Cordia was a cousin to the Galant and had the same front-wheel-drive layout. In 1986, Cordia engine choices were a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter 4G63 straight-four rated at 88 horsepower and 108 pound feet and a turbocharged 1.8-liter 4G62T straight-four with 116 horsepower and 129 pound-feet. This car has the 2.0. A five-speed manual transmission was base Cordia equipment, but the original purchaser of this car opted for the 380-buck automatic (that's 1,067 of today's bucks). The emissions sticker tells us that this is a California-market car rather than a "49-state" version. Surprisingly for a car like this in the middle 1980s, an AM/FM stereo radio was base equipment. That worked out well for those who enjoyed the great music of the era. However, if you wanted to play cassettes you had to pay extra. This setup with separate cassette deck was fairly common during the decade; the cost for the 1986 Cordia was $133 (about $374 in 2023 dollars). The paint is faded but the interior doesn't look terribly thrashed.