A 2 Owner New Car Dealer Trade No Accidents Great Economical Commuter Car on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross refresh gives the crossover an Aztek-ectomy

As expected from spy shots, the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has received a styling refresh, and it changes the somewhat controversial rear end. It also brings some tweaks to the infotainment, and for markets outside the U.S. a plug-in hybrid. The big exterior changes are at the back. The Aztek-style split rear window is gone for a conventional single one. The taillights no longer bridge across the middle of the hatch. They do still extend up the rear pillars. The shape of the hatch looks a little different, too, and it helps reduce the stubby look of the Eclipse Cross's tail. From the front and sides, the new Eclipse Cross doesn't seem particularly different. But looking closer, you may notice that the upper lamps are slimmed down and given a steeper angle. They also appear to simply be daytime running lights, while the now larger lower lamps take over actual illumination duty. The main grille is also thinner. On the inside, the main change is to the infotainment system. The screen has grown to 8 inches over the old 7-inch system, and now features a new graphic interface and physical volume and tuning knobs. Not only that, it ditches the touch pad in the center console, opting instead for touchscreen interactions exclusively. To aid this, the screen also sits closer to the front occupants. Mechanically, U.S.-spec Eclipse Cross models are unchanged. They continue to get the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder making 152 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. It's paired with a CVT and front- or all-wheel-drive. For other markets, Mitsubishi will introduce a plug-in hybrid variant. Details for that will come later, but won't be especially relevant for the U.S., as the company said it has no plans to bring it here. Considering the availability of the Outlander PHEV in America, this seems like an odd decision, but perhaps Outlander PHEV sales haven't been strong enough to merit another PHEV model. The redesigned Eclipse Cross will go on sale in the first quarter of 2021. Pricing has not been announced, but expect it to stay close to the current car's base price of $24,190. Related Video:

Even Ferrari swept up in latest Takata recall expansion

The scope of Takata's deadly airbag problems continues to widen. Eight manufacturers announced recalls Friday that affect more than 12 million vehicles, according to documents filed with federal regulators. The automakers include Honda, which is recalling 4.5 million units, Fiat Chrysler with 4.3 million, Toyota with 1.65 million, and Subaru, which is recalling almost 400,000. Some of these cars include the Saab 9-2x and Pontiac Vibe that Toyota and Subaru made for General Motors. Mazda will recall 730,000 vehicles and Nissan has 400,000 affected units. The smallest numbers were posted by Mitsubishi, with 38,000 Lancers manufactured from 2006 to 2007, and as a noteworthy high-end manufacturer, Ferrari is calling back 2,800 vehicles. These are all US-market cars. Beyond America, the Japanese Transport Ministry has announced seven million additional vehicles will be recalled, which means 19.6 million vehicles across the globe are affected by recalls announced. The defects have been traced to an insufficiently manufactured airbag inflator, which lacks a drying agent that would prevent the inflators from deteriorating over time. Thirteen deaths have been linked to the faulty airbags, which have become unstable and are prone to exploding and showering vehicle occupants with lethal amounts of metal shrapnel. A private equity firm, KKR & Co., has been named in a possible buyout of the struggling Takata. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Shutterstock Government/Legal Recalls Ferrari Honda Mazda Automakers Mitsubishi Nissan Pontiac Subaru Toyota Saab Safety

The 100,000th EV sold in the US is... a Mitsubishi i-MiEV

The news here isn't that 100,000 EVs have been sold in the US, although that's quite the accomplishment. It's that the 100,000th car is a Mitsubishi i-MiEV - a car that takes nearly a full day to recharge on a standard outlet and can only travel about 62 miles per charge (according to the car's Monroney).
Jabs at the Mitsubishi aside, the fact that US dealers have moved 100,000 electric cars is made more impressive in that it's only been done since the latest generation of EVs arrived, typified by the Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus Electric and aforementioned i-MiEV. Chronologically, that means roughly the last two years. It's a number that we can only expect to climb, as EVs gain a stronger foothold among manufacturers and consumers.
Plug In America, an EV advocacy group, crunched the numbers for a contest called #PIA100K, to find the lucky buyer, who would be given a ClipperCreek Level 2 charger (which takes the i-MiEV's recharge time down to just seven hours). The winner, Rich Salmon of Grand Bay, Alabama, picked up his i-MiEV from Pete Moore Mitsubishi.