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2022 Mitsubishi Outlander revealed with concept car looks and Nissan underpinnings

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander is a pretty big deal for the automaker. It marks the first time since 2014 that the brand's long-running small crossover has had a thorough overhaul and not just a big facelift. It also marks the first Mitsubishi model in the U.S. to take advantage of the company's recent induction to the Nissan-Renault Alliance. The result is a crossover that combines Mitsubishi styling and tuning with mechanical bits shared with Nissan. On the outside, the Outlander looks remarkably similar to the Engelberg Tourer concept shown at Geneva two years ago. It has the huge lower headlight units, strong character lines and distinctive upright rear pillar. Compared to the old model, the new Outlander is a bit larger. It's 0.6 inch longer, 2 inches wider and 1.5 inches taller. The wheelbase is longer by 1.4 inches. Mitsubishi claims that the extra wheelbase has added another inch each for front and rear legroom. Speaking of the interior, it also mirrors that of the concept with the full-width air vent design, and squared off dash, controls and even steering wheel center. The interior is particularly striking in the SEL Touring and SEL trims shown in the gallery with diamond-stitched leather. Those models also get real aluminum trim. Lower models get either cloth or suede accents with piano black trim. Another cool feature is that the various chimes and alerts were developed in collaboration with Bandai Namco. There's no indication of whether you can opt for sounds from "Pole Position" or "Galaga." You can see some of the Nissan influence poke through, as the infotainment screen (available in 8- or 9-inch versions), the shifter and other odd buttons and switches can be found unchanged in vehicles such as the Rogue. That's not a bad thing, though, and they look right at home. The Outlander also boasts the unique feature of having a third row of seats. Various premium amenities will be available, too, such as a 12.3-inch instrument panel, 10.8-inch head-up display, three-zone climate control, heated rear seats, Bose sound system and a panoramic sunroof. Under the skin, the Outlander uses a shared platform developed by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Though not explicitly specified, it should be the platform that also underpins the Rogue as well as the Sentra. The engine is another shared item, with the only offering for now being the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV reportedly reaches the end of the road this year

It looks like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is completely out of juice. News outlet Nikkei reports that Mitsubishi will completely end production of its tiny electric car this year. While the i-MiEV had been discontinued in the U.S. for a few years already, it was apparently still on sale elsewhere. That didn't mean it was doing well, as Nikkei notes that global sales were only a little over 30,000 units over its lifetime. It's not hard to see why the i-MiEV struggled. While its kei-car size and funky styling made it a unique city car, it was compromised in other ways. It only made 66 horsepower and had an official range of 62 miles. While the limited range was augmented somewhat by DC fast charging capability, but it didn't take long for competitors to launch larger, more powerful, longer-range cars for not a whole lot more money. And the gulf between the i-MiEV only expanded over the years. According to Nikkei, the reason the i-MiEV went so long unchanged was a lack of funding and resources. But now that Mitsubishi is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the news outlet reports that there will be a successor to the bubbly EV co-developed with Nissan to be launched in 2023. Whether this next small electric Mitsubishi appears in the U.S. seems like a toss-up. We wouldn't have expected the kei-car based i-MiEV to have been brought here originally, simply because of the cost of making such a tiny car pass safety regulations, let alone appeal to American buyers that like size. Those issues haven't changed, and if anything, American buyers are even more keen on trucks and SUVs than before. But maybe if fuel economy and emissions regulations get stiff enough, Mitsubishi might see a benefit to offering a full EV here, even if it's an odd size. Related Video:

Nissan, Renault break up the Ghosn-style almighty chairmanship

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Japan's Nissan Motor and France's Renault said they would retool the world's top car-making alliance to put themselves on more equal footing, breaking up the all-powerful chairmanship previously wielded by ousted boss Carlos Ghosn. The removal of Ghosn, credited for rescuing Nissan from near-bankruptcy in 1999, had caused much uncertainty about the future of the alliance and some speculation the partnership could even unravel. The companies, together with junior ally Mitsubishi Motors, on Tuesday said the chairman of Renault would serve as the head of the alliance but — in a critical sign of the rebalancing — not as chairman of Nissan. "This is a very special day for the alliance," Renault SA's chairman, Jean-Dominique Senard, told reporters after a meeting at Nissan's Yokohama headquarters. He spoke to reporters along with Renault's chief executive, Thierry Bollore; Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa; and Osamu Masuko, CEO of the smaller Japanese alliance partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Those four executives will meet every month in Paris or Tokyo and oversee various projects, helping to make the companies' operations more efficient, they said. Nissan has said that Ghosn wielded too much power, creating a lack of oversight and corporate governance. It was not clear who would become Nissan's chairman, vacant since Ghosn was arrested in Japan in November. But the automakers gave no indication of any immediate change in their cross-shareholding agreement, one which has given smaller Renault SA more sway over Nissan. The alliance did not announce any changes in mutual stake holdings. The so-called Restated Alliance Master Agreement that has bound them together so far remains intact, they said. "We are fostering a new start of the alliance. There is nothing to do with the shareholdings and the cross-shareholdings that are still there and still in place," Renault Chairman Senard said. "Our future lies in the efficiency of this alliance," he told reporters at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama. Senard also said he would not seek to be chairman of Nissan, but instead was a "natural candidate" to be vice-chairman. Former Nissan chairman Ghosn was released on a $9 million bail last week after spending more than 100 days in a Tokyo detention center.