2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X on 2040-cars

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Renault shares hit six-year low on rumors of Nissan split

LONDON — Renault shares hit six-year lows on Monday after a media report that Nissan has accelerated secret contingency planning for a potential split from the French carmaker, the latest sign that the downfall of former boss Carlos Ghosn is roiling the 20-year alliance. At 1027 GMT, the shares were down 3.7%, languishing at the bottom of Paris' CAC 40 and the pan European STOXX 600 index. The plans include war-gaming a total split in engineering and manufacturing, as well as changes to Nissan's board, the Financial Times newspaper reported on Sunday citing several sources. Nissan's contingency planning has ramped up since the dramatic escape of Ghosn, the former head of the Renault-Nissan  alliance, from Japan in late December, it said. The tie-up has been in management turmoil since Ghosn's arrest in Tokyo in November 2018 on allegations of financial misconduct, which he denies. He was awaiting trial in Japan when he fled to Lebanon. "We firmly believe the relationship between (Renault and Nissan) and hence the Alliance is broken and is likely beyond the point of repair," Evercore ISI analysts Arndt Elinghorst and Chris McNally wrote in a note on Monday. They have an 'underperform' rating on the French car company. Renault was not available for immediate comment. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Earnings/Financials Mitsubishi Nissan Renault

Mitsubishi's crossover plan: New model coming to Geneva, Outlander PHEV finally on the way

Mitsubishi announced last night that it will be concentrating on crossovers for the foreseeable future (which includes leaving the Lancer behind). That future starts at this year's Geneva show, where the company will reveal a completely new small crossover. This new vehicle, the name of which Mitsubishi didn't reveal, is planned to reach dealers in early spring of 2018. It will feature a new version of Mitsubishi's All Wheel Control (AWC) all-wheel drive and a new turbocharged engine that we're told was designed completely in-house. We expect the new crossover to share cues with recent Mitsubishi concepts, including the eX Concept and Ground Tourer, since Mitsubishi's general manager of design strategy Kazuo Yano said they will set the tone for future Mitsubishis. Don Swearingen, executive vice president and COO of Mitsubishi in North America, said this new vehicle is the "best vehicle Mitsubishi has ever produced." That may not be the tallest order given the automaker's recent models, but it's definitely a good goal. As for the size of this new crossover, it will probably be comparable to the current Outlander Sport. The plan is that the Outlander Sport and Outlander will be changing sizes in the coming years. The former will shrink and the latter will grow, leaving space in the middle for the new small crossover. There will be an awkward overlapping period, though, since we're told both Outlander flavors are scheduled for a mild refresh sometime next year that won't include size changes. The resized Outlander models will come sometime after that refresh. (If we're lucky, one will get a new name to reduce confusion, especially with a new model sitting between them.) Speaking of Outlanders, we now know when we will finally get the Outlander PHEV, a variant that has been promised and re-promised for years now. A Mitsubishi PR representative said that the plug-in hybrid crossover will be on sale in the US sometime in the next fiscal year. (For reference, Mitsubishi's current fiscal year ends this March.) Swearingen said it will also make its official debut later this year. So after many, many delays, the US will finally see Mitsubishi's plug-in crossover. We'll see if it's as big a sales success here as it is in Europe. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mitsubishi eX Concept: Tokyo 2015 View 9 Photos Green Geneva Motor Show Mitsubishi Crossover Economy Cars Hybrid 2017 Detroit Auto Show

Mitsubishi launches, prices 2018 Outlander PHEV for U.S.

We've been waiting on this one a long time. Mitsubishi has been selling the plug-in hybrid version of its Outlander crossover for a while now, just not here in the U.S. It has seen popularity overseas, though, and is Europe's best-selling plug-in hybrid. It surpassed the 100,000 sales mark back in early 2016, thanks to Europe and Japan. Now, Mitsubishi is looking to electrify our shores, and will bring the all-new Outlander PHEV to the U.S. by the end of the year. The Outlander PHEV is powered by a 2.0-liter engine and two 60-kW electric motors, one situated at each axle, for a total estimated output of 195 horsepower. That makes it all-wheel-drive as well, using Mitsubishi's Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system borrowed from the Lancer Evolution, and it has already proven itself in off-road competition. A 300-volt, 12-kWh lithium-ion battery pack is located in the subfloor between the front and rear axles. It can be charged via plug (including DC fast-charging capability), or via the car's regenerative braking system (adjustable using paddle shifters). The vehicle features three different, automatically selected drive modes. EV Drive Mode makes use of the electric motors for all-electric driving. Parallel Hybrid Mode uses the gas engine to drive the front wheels, and provides added power from the electric motors as necessary (mainly at high speeds, where this mode is the most efficient). Series Hybrid Mode uses the gasoline engine as a generator to charge the battery and provide power to the electric motors, which are doing the propulsion work. There are also three driver-selected modes. Eco Mode reduces fuel and electricity consumption. Battery Save Mode conserves charge, operating in hybrid mode. Battery Charge Mode keeps the engine running to generate electricity and recharge the battery pack to make sure you'll have power for driving uphill or towing, for instance. EV driving range and fuel economy figures will be released soon, but Mitsubishi says it expects to exceed the premium competition (which offer about 14 miles of EV range). The Outlander PHEV is also big on technology. It offers a suite of safety systems, including blind spot and lane departure warnings, multi-view camera, adaptive cruise control, auto high beams, and forward collision mitigation. The vehicle offers a smartphone app that allows the owner to remotely control the charging schedule, climate control, lighting, vehicle settings, and monitor vehicle status.