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Renault names new leaders as jailed Carlos Ghosn bows out

PARIS — Renault appointed Michelin boss Jean-Dominique Senard as its new chairman on Thursday, after Carlos Ghosn was forced to resign in the wake of a financial scandal that has rocked the French carmaker and its alliance with Japan's Nissan. Senard will become chairman immediately, the company said, with deputy chief executive Thierry Bollore taking over Ghosn's other Renault role as full CEO. The appointments may begin to ease a Renault-Nissan leadership crisis that erupted after Ghosn's Nov. 19 arrest in Japan and swift dismissal as Nissan chairman. Senard, 65, now faces the task of soothing relations with Renault's Japanese partner and resuming talks on a new alliance structure to cement the 20-year-old partnership. "It's important that this alliance remain extremely strong," Senard told reporters after a board meeting - citing the mounting investment demands of new vehicle technologies. "It is our compulsory duty to go forward together." Ghosn's exit also marks a clear end to one of the auto industry's most feted careers, two decades after he was despatched by former Renault boss Louis Schweitzer to rescue newly acquired Nissan from near-bankruptcy — a feat he pulled off in two years. After 14 years as Renault CEO and a decade as chairman, Ghosn formally resigned from both roles on the eve of the board meeting. Ghosn's arrest and indictment for financial misconduct has strained the Renault-Nissan relationship, threatening the future of the industrial partnership he transformed into a global carmaking giant over two decades. For two months, the tensions deepened as Renault and the French government stuck by Ghosn despite the revelation he had arranged to be paid tens of millions of dollars in additional income, unbeknownst to shareholders. Ghosn has been charged with failing to disclose more than $80 million in additional compensation for 2010-18 that he had agreed to be paid later. Nissan director Greg Kelly and the Japanese company itself have also been indicted. Both men deny the deferred pay was illegal or required disclosure, while not contesting the agreements' existence. Ghosn has denied a separate breach of trust charge over personal investment losses he temporarily transferred to Nissan in 2008. Ghosn had agreed in recent days to step down from Renault, Reuters reported on Tuesday — but only after the French government, Renault's biggest shareholder, called for leadership change and his bail requests were rejected.

Mitsubishi's rally-inspired Triton XRT previews next-gen pickup

The Triton pickup just might be the most interesting thing in Mitsubishi's lineup. The midsize pickup is available in approximately 150 countries, though the U.S. isn't among them. Overseas it's a serious contender against the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger, so the next version is very important for the company. As such, Mitsubishi is drumming up excitement for the next-generation pickup with the Triton XRT Concept, unveiled today at the Bangkok Motor Show. The truck features a more blocky, upright grille than the outgoing model, a trend we've seen on full-size pickups in the past few years. The bulked-up XRT features wears flared fenders, a snorkel and mud-terrain tires that likely won't be found on run-of-the-mill Tritons when the model debuts.  It's possible, however, that Mitsubishi plans to offer its own interpretation of an off-road rig similar to Toyota's TRD Pro line of trucks. The Triton XRT concept wears the logo of Ralliart, Mitsubishi's motorsports division that racked up many victories in the WRC and Paris-Dakar Rally. Mitsubishi recently relaunched Ralliart after over a decade of dormancy. Though initially Ralliart appears to be peddling only cosmetic upgrades, the Triton XRT could change that. Ralliart entered and won the Asia Cross Country Rally last year and plans to do so again for 2023. Helming the program was Hiroshi Masuoka, a Mitsubishi factory driver that won the Dakar Rally twice. While the dearly departed Lancer Evolution doesn't appear to be anywhere on the horizon, a truck-based Ralliart program might be just what Mitsubishi needs to rekindle the brand in enthusiasts' hearts. These days 4x4s and overlanders are arguably more popular with customizers than all-wheel-drive sedans, and Mitsubishi is well-poised to capitalize on that with its many off-road motorsports accomplishments. Unfortunately, the Triton has huge hurdles to overcome if it's to make it to U.S. shores. Foreign pickups are still subject to the Chicken Tax, a 25% tariff on trucks that aren't assembled in the U.S. Toyota and Nissan build their trucks in America to bypass the tax, but Mitsubishi doesn't have the manufacturing base to do that. Still, it's something Mitsubishi execs are trying to figure out, as our insatiable appetite for pickups isn't going away anytime soon. 

Mitsubishi planning to bring back Lancer as hybrid crossover

It looks like the Mitsubishi Lancer is about to undertake a daring transformation from a ten-year-old sedan to a crossover. The Eclipse has already shed its coupe roots and become the Eclipse Cross, and now it's the Lancer's turn to become a high-rider. The carmaker already teased its future plans with the e-Evolution concept last year (pictured above), again combining a previously successful Mitsubishi nameplate with new crossover intentions. Now, talking to AutoExpress, Mitsubishi's chief operating officer and chief designer both hint of the Lancer taking the shape of the e-Evolution. For Mitsubishi, the Lancer's segment still looks very viable in the next decade, but it doesn't necessarily want to fight the Ford Focus and the VW Golf with a conventional hatchback, let alone a three-box saloon. "We believe we have a solution that could fit the segment", said COO Trevor Mann. "[The segment's] numbers are still expanding in China, so there's appeal. And I think because the segment is so large globally, we've got to take a look at it." The chief designer, Tsunehiro Kunimoto said, "Just because it's C-segment, it doesn't mean it has to be a very conventional hatchback. Maybe we can create a new type of hatchback vehicle. We're thinking quite radically." It is also likely that the Lancer's eventual replacement will use hybrid technology and a Renault-Nissan Alliance platform — and an all-wheel-drive option would still be a nod to the Lancer Evo's heritage, at least partially justifying any use of the Evolution brand. Trevor Mann says the product timeline is largely set until 2025, and the existing crossovers in the portfolio, the Outlander and the Outlander Sport (known elsewhere as the ASX) will get replacements. The company is now directing its attention to the Lancer and the Montero, both of which have last had a major update over ten years ago. The Lancer was phased out in the U.S. last fall after a very long run. Related Video: