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Nissan CEO plans to deliver 'raw details of the misconduct' to Renault

TOKYO/PARIS — Nissan Motor's CEO plans to meet one-on-one with the deputy CEO of automaking partner Renault in Amsterdam this week, sources told Reuters, amid tensions over the future of the alliance after Chairman Carlos Ghosn's arrest last month. The meeting would be the first face-to-face interaction between Nissan's Hiroto Saikawa and Renault's Thierry Bollore since Ghosn was arrested on Nov. 19 in Tokyo. It would take place alongside regular top-level, monthly talks between the partners and Mitsubishi Motor Corp that will be held over two days from Tuesday, according to one of the sources familiar with the matter. Saikawa, who took over from Ghosn as CEO last year, is planning to discuss at the meeting with Bollore possible changes to the partnership's management and operations with an eye to continuing the alliance, another source who is close to Nissan's management said. The talks in Amsterdam could provide Saikawa with an opportunity to try and convince Renault executives of the gravity of Ghosn's alleged misconduct discovered during an in-house investigation by the Japanese automaker. They are being held a day after Saikawa rebuffed a demand from Renault for an extraordinary shareholder meeting that would have offered the French car maker a chance to weigh in on Ghosn's replacement as chairman and on other Nissan board appointments. Mitsubishi Chairman Osamu Masuko said late on Monday he will attend the Amsterdam meetings via video conference. A Nissan spokesman said Saikawa would attend meetings with alliance partners in Amsterdam from Tuesday, but declined to comment on the possibility of the one-on-one meeting with Bollore. Ghosn was charged last week alongside alleged accomplice Greg Kelly and Nissan itself over the company's failure to declare $43 million in deferred income that Ghosn had arranged to be paid while chairman and CEO. Both men remain in custody. The scandal has shaken the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, with Saikawa calling for changes to weaken Renault's control as he moved to oust Ghosn in the week of his arrest. Renault directors were briefed last week on the Nissan investigation that led to Ghosn's arrest but reiterated their earlier decision to keep him in office as chairman and CEO. But the Renault board has yet to be given direct access to Nissan's findings, which are being closely held by Renault lawyers answering to Ghosn's long-standing chief of staff and head of legal affairs at Renault, Mouna Sepehri.

2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Quick Spin Review | Why doesn't everyone make one of these?

The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV took a remarkably long time to get to the United States. It went on sale in Europe in 2013, and was originally planned to come to America the year after, but didn't arrive until late in 2017. Mitsubishi was also fortunate that, in the time it took to finalize the American model, the entry-level competition remained primarily sedans and sedan-like hatchbacks, with the exception of the Niro PHEV, a crossover smaller than Outlander, and closer to a traditional hatchback. So the question is, was it worth the wait, and is it worth considering against other plug-in hybrids? A mostly frugal and very smooth powertrain The big appeal of the Outlander PHEV is of course its plug-in hybrid powertrain. It comprises a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder, and two electric motors, one up front, one in the rear. This powertrain can function in three different ways. There's full electric mode, series hybrid mode (the gas engine acts like a generator, and propulsion is handled solely by the electric motor), and parallel hybrid (a clutch engages the engine to the front motor for additional propulsion assist). The Outlander switches automatically between these operational schemes depending on drive mode settings. For example, with a full charge you can press a button to keep it in EV mode, at least as long as there's enough battery power. Two other buttons can allow you to save the battery charge for use later, such as in town after a highway drive, and a charge button to replenish the battery level while driving. Because of this powertrain layout, the Outlander PHEV drives much like an all-electric car most of the time. It's nearly silent except when the engine kicks on, or when accelerating or decelerating hard. In the case of the latter, you can pick up a faint, futuristic whir from the motors. It feels very smooth thanks to a lack of transmission shifts. The throttle is responsive since there's no CVT adjusting ratios or a torque converter making responses a little slushy. And of course there's the instant torque that all electric motors provide, which makes the Outlander spunky around town. You can even adjust the strength of the battery regeneration by putting it from "D" for drive into "B." Then you can set the strength via the steering wheel paddles. Also impressive is the fact that the powertrain is still quite smooth and quiet when the engine fires up.

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.