2001 Mitsubishi Galant Es Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Mitsubishi says it will make money from EVs

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is the lowest-cost plug-in vehicle available in the US. The spartan EV's small price tag shouldn't lead you to believe the company doesn't see dollar signs where there's a plug. Mitsubishi says that electric vehicles are one of the three profitable segments that have helped the company get back into the black. The other two are light trucks and crossovers. We suspect that the resounding success of the Outlander PHEV played a bigger role in this than the i-MiEV, but you never know. Mitsubishi Motors Corp president Tetsuro Aikawa told Automotive News that the company will keeps its focus on those three segments and ease back on sedans and performance cars. To that end, the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid will come to the US next April, many years after it went on sale in Japan and Europe. The vehicle will fit well with Mitsubishi's plans to shift its strategy to SUVs and CUVs here. Related Video:

Mitsubishi signals the return of its Ralliart performance line

Mitsubishi is reportedly reviving its long-dormant Ralliart performance line, giving longtime fans of the rally-inspired nameplate hope that some fun models may one day return to the Mitsubishi lineup as part of the company's efforts "toward the realization of Mitsubishi Motors-ness," whatever that means. Per Forbes, Mitsubishi dropped this nugget during an investor call in Tokyo on Tuesday. The return of Ralliart after more than a decade in mothballs would be a pleasant surprise for Mitsubishi fans, but don't expect this to indicate a return of the old-school Lancer Evolution lineup — or anything else with four doors and a traditional trunk, for that matter. Don't believe us? Check out Mitsu's own materials: After all, rallying is largely an off-road endeavor, and with modern consumers thirsting for high-riding crossovers and SUVs, it should come as no surprise that Mitsubishi's Ralliart revival will come from that direction. In better news, it appears that Ralliart's return will include new branded parts (and accessories, we imagine), which could mean that even non-Ralliart models will get some post-delivery love.  We also wouldn't be shocked (sorry) if the new vision for Ralliart is grounded (OK, we're not really sorry) in an electrification strategy. Ralliart? Perhaps more like Rall-e-art. As a matter of fact, from looking at Mitsubishi's presentation, the Ralliart news followed that of updates regarding the company's plug-in hybrid strategy. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mitsubishi could race in rallies again, but not with a new Lancer Evo

Mitsubishi could make a long-awaited comeback to the world of rally racing in the coming years. It's open to injecting more performance into its range, but its need for speed won't spawn a new version of the Lancer Evolution. Speaking to investors during a shareholder meeting held in Japan, company boss Takao Kato explained the first step towards making quicker, more exciting cars was reviving the Ralliart brand in May 2021. "We plan to expand [Ralliart] to a wide range of models as genuine accessories first, but we will also consider involvement in rallies," the CEO stated, according to Japanese publication Response. Crucially, a racing program has not been approved yet. How a potential return to rallying would be orchestrated remains to be seen. In the past, Mitsubishi's rally superstar was the Lancer Evolution (pictured), which retired without a successor in 2015. The firm's current range consists of crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks with the exception of the Mirage, which is likely too small to credibly turn into a rally car. While it's tempting to speculate a return to racing will bring the Evo back to the range, even without a Lancer to build it on, Kato doused cold water on the years-old rumors mapping out the nameplate's future. He stressed a next-generation Evo is not in the pipeline, even though Mitsubishi's shareholders are requesting one. "Electrification is expensive, and we're still not strong enough. We ended the previous fiscal year with a big deficit," Kato said. "First, we need to revive the company. Then, we'll look into putting out the cars fans are waiting for." His plans to revive the company include launching a number of mainstream models in rapid-fire succession. The Mirage, the Eclipse Cross, and the Outlander Sport recently benefited from an array of updates, most of which were reasonably well received, and the new Outlander was unveiled earlier in 2021 with dramatic improvements. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.