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2023 Mitsubishi Triton pickup unveiled, rally-bound model announced

Developed for global markets, the new Mitsubishi Triton made its debut with a rugged-looking exterior design, a more modern interior and a new frame, among other improvements. The brand will show off just how tough its new truck is by entering it in a grueling rally later in 2023. Sold as the L200 in some markets, the sixth-generation Triton is new from the ground up. It's bigger than its predecessor, built on a beefier frame, and it wears a more angular design characterized by a tall, upright front end, a boxier cab, and squared-off wheel arches. Buyers can select a single, club or double cab, and the truck's exterior appearance varies significantly depending on the trim level selected. Mitsubishi's press images show a nicely-equipped trim level aimed at private users; more basic trucks designed for commercial buyers are available, too. The same applies to the interior; what you get largely depends on what you paid for. Upmarket trim levels benefit from an almost SUV-like interior with a wireless device charger, USB-C outlets, a touchscreen-based infotainment system and Mitsubishi Connect compatibility. The truck hasn't forgotten its roots, however: all of the switches and knobs were designed to be comfortably used while wearing gloves. Power for the Triton comes from a new, 2.4-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine called 4N16 internally. It's offered in several states of tune. The base engine develops 146 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque, the mid-range version posts figures of 181 and 317, respectively, while the range-topping variant puts 201 horses and 347 pound-feet of twist under the driver's right foot. Rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission come standard, while four-wheel drive, a six-speed automatic transmission, or both can be added at an extra cost. Mitsubishi redesigned the suspension system with an eye on on-road comfort, though it stresses that its engineers didn't sacrifice the truck's off-road capacity. The front end carries on with double wishbones, while the back end gets lighter leaf springs and thicker shock absorbers. Several small but important changes round out the updates, including wider side steps and a repositioned engine oil pan drain plug. On sale now in Thailand, where it's manufactured, the new Mitsubishi Triton will gradually be launched in numerous global markets over the next few months. It will notably be available on the Japanese market for the first time in 12 years starting in early 2024.

Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida rules out closer capital ties with Renault

YOKOHAMA — Nissan is committed to its automaking alliance with Renault but will not look to deepen its capital ties with the French automaker any time soon, its new CEO said on Monday. On his first day in the new position, chief executive Makoto Uchida also pledged to repair profitability at Japan's No. 2 automaker and said setting realistic targets would be key toward that goal, as it tries to make a clean break from the leadership of former chairman Carlos Ghosn. "Closer capital ties with Renault are not a focus in the short term," he told reporters. Uchida became CEO of Nissan on Dec. 1, as the car maker tries to recover from a profit slump and draw a line under a year of turmoil after the Ghosn scandal. The ousted chairman is fighting financial misconduct charges in Japan. One of the new CEO's big tasks is to salvage ties with Renault, which have deteriorated since Ghosn's ouster as chairman of both companies. Renault holds a 43.4% stake in Nissan after it saved the Japanese automaker from financial ruin two decades ago, and has pushed for the two companies to merge. In rejecting a notion of a merger with Renault, Uchida, 53, echoes his predecessor Hiroto Saikawa, who stepped down in September. He added that the alliance must re-think how it can serve all of its three members, which also includes Mitsubishi Motors. "The alliance has to benefit each of its partners in terms of revenue and profit," he said. "We need to re-evaluate what has worked and what hasn't worked in the alliance in the past few years." The CEO called for Nissan to set "challenging but achievable" targets, adding that this and the launch of more new car models and vehicle technologies would be key to its financial recovery. Nissan is bracing for its lowest annual profit in 11 years and has slashed its dividend by 65%. Its struggles come at a time when car companies desperately need scale to keep up with sweeping technological changes like electric vehicles and ride-hailing. "Somewhere along the way we created a culture of setting targets which could not be achieved," Uchida said, adding that this had resulted in a focus on short-term results. "Years of this had led Nissan to its current "difficult situation," he said, using heavy vehicle discounting in the U.S. market as an example of how aggressive sales targets to grow market share had deteriorated the company's brand.

Mitsubishi rolls out new Pajero Sport in Thailand

Mitsubishi is launching the new Pajero Sport you see here, based on the latest Triton/L200 pickup introduced late last year. The new Pajero Sport (known as the Challenger in certain markets) replaces a model that's been on the market for seven years now. The midsize sport-utility vehicle is being introduced first in Thailand, but will be sold in about 90 countries around the world. Those will include Australia, Russia, and markets in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia – regions in which Mitsubishi has sold some 400,000 units of the previous Pajero Sport. Behind the imposing new Dynamic Shield front end sits a 2.4-liter turbo diesel driving all four wheels through a new eight-speed automatic transmission. The combination is said to be a good 17 percent more economical than the previous model's. Full specs have yet to be revealed, but it's expected to produce around 180 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. The new Pajero Sport also packs all the latest safety technologies, including automatic braking, blind spot monitor, and ultrasonic misacceleration systems. Rock-crawlers will also appreciate the off-road mode, hill descent control, and increased wading depth, all of which add up to make the Pajero Sport a very different kind of high-riding Mitsubishi than the new Outlander recently introduced on our side of the Pacific. Here in North America, truck-based SUVs are steadily losing ground to car-based crossovers. But overseas – particularly in the Asia-Pacific region and Australia – they're not only surviving, but thriving. In addition to this Pajero Sport, Ford recently introduced its new Ranger-based Everest, and Toyota the new Fortuner based on the HiLux. World Debut of the All-new Pajero Sport Mid-size SUV in Thailand Popular SUV's first full redesign in seven years to reach some 90 countries Tokyo, August 1, 2015 – Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) today announces the world premiere of first full-redesign of the Pajero Sport mid-size SUV in seven years in Thailand, where it is produced at Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co. Ltd.'s*1 Laem Chabang Plant. Sales start in Thailand from this fall, and MMC plans to introduce the all-new Pajero Sport sequentially in Australia, the ASEAN nations, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Russia and, as with its predecessor, to sell the new model in some 90 countries.