12 Mitsubishi I-miev 22 Miles Clean Carfax Be The First Owner Call Scott on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Nissan names Makoto Uchida as next CEO

TOKYO — Nissan named Makoto Uchida, the head of its Chinese business, as its next CEO, picking an executive known for close ties to top shareholder Renault and for a frank, straight-talking manner that has marked him as an outsider. By selecting Senior Vice President Uchida, Nissan's board has gone with someone slightly at odds with its traditional corporate culture. He joined the carmaker mid-career in 2003, a rarity in a country where top executives usually spend their entire working lives at the same company. Known for his unflagging work ethic and relentless focus on cost control, Uchida was described by one long-time associate who spoke on condition of anonymity as a "foreigner with a Japanese face" — direct and to the point in conversations. He will be joined by newly appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ashwani Gupta, currently COO of junior partner Mitsubishi Motors, in trying to find new ways to revive a business that has been struggling for months with plunging profits, management scandal and tensions with Renault. Japan's second-largest automaker has been shaken in particular by the arrest of former Chairman Carlos Ghosn last year on allegations of financial misconduct, which he denies, and the more recent departure of CEO Hiroto Saikawa after he admitted to being improperly overpaid. Whether the 58-year-old former theology student can deliver a miracle turnaround — particularly at Nissan's business in the United States — and repair ties with Renault will now be a focus for investors. "The biggest business challenge for Nissan is speeding up," the head of Nissan's nominations committee, Masakazu Toyoda, told a news conference. "Speedy decision making is a challenge that Uchida raised, and to this end he said that he wants to empower people as much as possible, so we decided to ask Uchida to take on the CEO role." One source close to Renault described the selection as "a victory for the alliance", saying that both Uchida and Gupta knew the business and were ready to help Nissan recover. 'ISN'T REALLY JAPANESE' Before his ouster, Ghosn had been working on a plan for a full merger of Renault and Nissan, but had met resistance in Japan, which is concerned about French influence in the alliance. The French government is a major Renault shareholder. Relations were further strained this year when Renault held abortive merger talks with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

2023 Mitsubishi Triton detailed with new frame, new diesel engine

The new 2023 Mitsubishi Triton is around the corner, and the Japanese company has outlined some of the many changes it's making to the truck. The more rugged-looking exterior design hides a new ladder frame, and the pickup will be powered by a new turbodiesel engine. Sold as the L200 in some parts of the world, the Triton needs to be a lot of things to a lot of different people; it can be seen towing cattle in Australia, performing rescue operations in the Alps and being used as a daily driver in rural Chile. Catering to these different audiences isn't easy, but Mitsubishi has largely retained the tried-and-true formula that has made the current-generation truck relatively popular. Mitsubishi kept the outgoing truck's tough body-on-frame construction, though it designed a new frame rather than making updates to the old one. It developed a new double-wishbone front suspension system but kept the rear leaf springs as a compromise between ruggedness and on-road comfort. And power for the next-generation Triton will come from a new turbodiesel engine designed to deliver "a higher output." 2023 Mitsubishi Triton View 3 Photos We'll need to be patient to find out what effect these changes will have on the Triton's ride quality, off-road capacity and towing figures, and technical specifications haven't been released yet. For context, the current-generation Triton's base engine on the Australian market is a 2.4-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder rated at 178 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. Buyers can choose between rear- and four-wheel drive and between a manual and an automatic transmission. Single-cab, club-cab and double-cab models are part of the range in Australia. The 2023 Mitsubishi Triton will make its global debut in Thailand on July 26 at 10 a.m. local time, which is 11:00 p.m. on July 25 in New York and 8:00 p.m. on the same day in California. The truck will be sold in numerous global markets, but the United States isn't one of them. Elsewhere, the Triton will compete in the same hotly-contested segment as the new Ford Ranger and the perennially popular Toyota Hilux. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Renault delays decision on merger with Fiat Chrysler

PARIS — Renault has delayed a decision on whether to merge with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, a deal that could reshape the global auto industry as carmakers race to make electric and autonomous vehicles for the masses. The deal still looks likely, but faced new criticism Tuesday from Renault's leading union and questions from its Japanese alliance partner Nissan. The French government is also putting conditions on the deal, including job guarantees and an operational headquarters based in France. The French carmaker's board will meet again at the end of the day Wednesday to "continue to study with interest" last week's merger proposal from FCA, Renault said in a statement. A Renault board meeting Tuesday to study the deal was inconclusive. The company didn't explain why, but a French government official said board members don't want to rush into a deal and are seeking agreement on all parts of the potential merger. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government policy, told The Associated Press the conditions outlined by France's finance minister still "need to be met." France and Italy are both painting themselves as winners in the deal, which could save both companies 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) a year. But workers worry a merger could lead to job losses, and analysts warn it could bog down in the challenges of managing such a hulking company across multiple countries. And a possible loser is Japan's Nissan, whose once-mighty alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi is on the rocks since star CEO Carlos Ghosn's arrest in November. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa cast doubt Tuesday on whether his company will be involved in a Renault-Fiat Chrysler merger — and suggested adding Fiat Chrysler to the looser Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance instead. Saikawa said in a statement that the Renault-Fiat Chrysler deal would "significantly alter" the structure of Nissan's longtime partnership with Renault, and Nissan would analyze its contractual relationships to protect the company's interests. If Renault's board says "yes" to Fiat Chrysler, that would open the way for a non-binding memorandum of understanding to start exclusive merger negotiations. The ensuing process — including consultations with unions, the French government, antitrust authorities and other regulators — would take about a year. A merger would create the world's third-biggest automaker, worth almost $40 billion and producing some 8.7 million vehicles a year.