1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse Gsx 65k Miles Rare Awd Turbo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mitsubishi Mirage sedan confirmed for US

The Mitsubishi Mirage easily takes the cake as the worst new car I've driven in the last year. Actually, make that the worst new car I've driven in several years (Side Note: when was the last time I drove a Smart Fortwo?). But regardless of what I, or my colleagues, think about the Mirage, it's selling decently – Mitsubishi has moved over 14,000 of them so far this year, which is actually higher than the company initially expected. And now, we've got official confirmation that the sedan version is headed our way. This isn't really shocking, considering earlier reports, but Motor Trend received further confirmation of the Mirage sedan's arrival during last week's Los Angeles Auto Show. There's no official timing as to when the sedan will arrive, and when I reached out for comment, a Mitsubishi spokesperson said of this report, "Yep. Confirmed." So, yeah, the Mirage sedan is headed our way. It'll probably come in somewhere around the low, low $12,995 price of the hatchback, and hopefully, it'll be better to drive than its more versatile hatchback sibling. And hey, if it can help Mitsubishi build sales momentum here in the US, then that's a win, right?

Mitsubishi reports an 89% drop in annual profit

TOKYO — Mitsubishi will focus on cutting fixed costs by 20% or more in the next two years after reporting an 89% drop in annual profit, its weakest performance in three years, and skipping its year-end dividend. The coronavirus crisis has exacerbated Mitsubishi's struggles in a year where Japan's sixth biggest carmaker was already battling falling sales in China and also southeast Asia, its largest market which accounts for one-quarter of sales. Mitsubishi also said on Tuesday it would focus on growth in ASEAN countries to survive the aftermath of the pandemic. "Before the virus we had been mulling which underperforming regions and vehicle segments to cut our exposure to," CEO Takao Kato told a results teleconference. "In the wake of the virus, we need to pick up the pace of making these changes. To stay competitive in a post-coronavirus market, we need to immediately shrink our area of focus to regions and segments in which we excel." Global automakers are struggling to cope with the crisis, which has pummeled car sales due to lockdowns in many countries. Many automakers have begun to restart vehicle factories, but anemic demand, supply chain disruptions and social distancing measures at factories are expected to limit output. Mitsubishi's operating profit came in at 12.8 billion yen ($119.21 million) for the year to end March, down from 111.8 billion yen a year ago, and its lowest since the year to end March 2017. Profits exceeded a consensus estimate of 9.4 billion yen profit drawn from 15 analysts polled by Refinitiv. The automaker did not give an earnings forecast for the current business year, and did not issue a year-end dividend, compared with 10 yen per share a year ago. The junior member of the automaking partnership between Nissan and France's Renault, sold 1.13 million vehicles globally in the year ended March, down 9%. Mitsubishi will focus on growth in southeast Asia as part of the alliance's plan for each company to expand in their regions of strength. Mitsubishi said it would give more details when it reports first-quarter results. The alliance is expected to announce a revamped strategy on May 27, when it will pledge to increase cooperation to improve joint operations to remain competitive. Related Video:

Mitsubishi's Tokyo-bound PHEV concept doubles as a boom box

Mitsubishi will unveil a futuristic concept car at the biennial Tokyo Auto Show opening in October 2019 that doubles as a boom box. Billed as a small SUV, the model remains under wraps for the time being, but a dark teaser image provides insight into what we can expect. Power for the yet-unnamed concept comes from a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain. At this point, we'd be surprised if Mitsubishi dared to unveil a concept that wasn't electrified to some degree. While full powertrain specifications are being kept secret, we know the design study features all-wheel drive, and it's capable of driving on electricity alone for relatively short distances – all of which sounds perfectly feasible for a company that sells the Outlander PHEV already.  Plug-in hybrid cars are often considerably heavier than comparable non-hybrid models because they gain a bulky battery pack, at least one electric motor, and yards of extra wiring. Mitsubishi promises its Tokyo-bound concept benefits from a downsized powertrain that's lighter than normal.  Evidently taken in a room with closed curtains, the teaser image shows a sloping greenhouse accented by what looks like a pair of speakers integrated into each roof pillar. Carbon fiber seemingly keeps weight in check, and part of the gasoline-electric powertrain is visible under a clear glass panel, which is a styling cue we'd normally expect to find on a supercar, not on a Mitsubishi SUV. All told, the Tokyo-bound concept looks like a forward-thinking display of the direction the Japanese firm's vehicle development teams will take in the coming years, not an accurate preview of an upcoming, production-bound model outdoors enthusiasts will be able to go off-roading in. We'll know for sure when the Tokyo show opens its doors on October 24.