Call Fleet 480 421 4530! Sportronic A/t; Splitfold Seats; Cruise; Right Color! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mitsubishi teases next-generation Triton small pickup truck

Though Mitsubishi stopped selling pickup trucks in the U.S. in the '90s, the company never stopped selling them overseas. The Triton, or L200 as it's sometimes called, is in its fifth generation, which was introduced in 2014. Now it seems a sixth generation is on the way, as the company released a low-resolution teaser image of the latest pickup. It features many styling cues from recent Mitsubishi production and concept vehicles. It also probably isn't coming to America, but the odds of a U.S.-spec may actually be better than you might think. The teaser gives us a pretty good look at the new truck, despite the image quality and lighting. It has the "Dynamic Shield" front end, which is pulled straight from current models such as the Eclipse Cross and Outlander. The aggressive shape looks good on this larger body, as it's a little better proportioned when spread across the greater surface area. It looks like the whole body is sharp and angular to match it. But it's still definitely a conventional-looking pickup truck. Since this will be sold in many overseas markets where traditional trucks with traditional off-road capability is necessary, this will undoubtedly be a body-on-frame pickup with part-time selectable four-wheel drive. This is how the current model is constructed. And like the current model, there will likely be a turbocharged diesel four-cylinder available in many parts of the world. There's not much of a chance the new Triton will come to the U.S., but it's also not a 0-percent chance. The small truck market is strong right now, with the Toyota Tacoma and the combined Colorado/Canyon twins selling in six-figure numbers each year. It's strong enough that Ford has seen fit to finally bring the Ranger back to America, and for rumors to run rampant that FCA might reenter the fray with a Ram-badged truck under the fullsize 1500. Mitsubishi's U.S. dealers have also said they really want a pickup truck to sell. Granted, there are still the issues of passing emissions and safety regulations, and finding a way to deal with the Chicken Tax. So there's certainly opportunity here for Mitsubishi, but not without some difficulty. Related Video:

2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Luggage Test | Three rows, two tests!

Well, this is a first. Normally, three-row vehicles are so enormous that doing a luggage test with the third row lowered is a total "no kidding" proposition. I'd run out of stuff in my garage long before I'd fill up a Kia Telluride. As such, I only test the space behind the raised third row of three-row SUVs because that can actually be some useful information. The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander is not a typical three-row SUV, however. It's one of only two SUVs in the compact segment, along with the Volkswagen Tiguan, that offers a third-row seat. As I've already demonstrated, it's not much a seat, but its presence and the need to accommodate it does mean the Outlander has one of the largest cargo volumes in the compact segment.  As such, what we're getting here is the first Double Luggage Test© whereby I'll be treating the Outlander like both a compact SUV and a three-row one, testing it with both the third row raised and lowered. Right!? Pretty damned exciting.  Test 1! Here's what you get with third row raised. On paper, Mitsubishi says this is 11.7 cubic-feet, which is indeed the smallest three-row number I've come across while luggage testing. Congratulations Cadillac XT6, you're no longer last! Wait, hold that thought ... Thanks to those comically tall head restraints and the Outlander's D pillar shape, I could actually safely place the fancy bag on top without it flying forward or excessively blocking rearward visibility (the two reasons I don't load to the roof in these tests). You can see that visibility below right. Below left you can see the 12.6-cubic-foot Cadillac XT6, which could not fit the fancy bag as such (though, obviously, you could fit something). So, sorry XT6, you're in last again. Mwa mwa.  Ah, but what about under-floor space. There's indeed some available. It houses the cargo cover encased in a foam mold that also houses those comically tall headrests when not in use. Remove it all, and there is a decent amount of extra space unearthed, which could theoretically free up some extra space if you left the rigid floor open. That's not the same as vehicles like the Honda Pilot and Kia Telluride, though, which more obviously intend you to use the under-floor space in such a manner.  Test 2! With the third-row lowered and the second-row reclined to a natural position, this is the space available. The specs say it's 33.5 cubic-feet, which falls short of the class-leading Honda CR-V (39.2), Toyota RAV4 (37.5) and Hyundai Tucson (38.7).

2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Quick Spin

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is not new. It is also not sporty. Despite it all, the Outlander Sport is selling better than ever. Between 3,000 and 5,000 people take one of these crossovers home each month. That's good for Mitsubishi, a company clinging to life in the US market. But the Outlander's sales are a mere blip; that's about a week's worth of handshakes and signatures on Ford Escapes, at best. Until new product arrives, this is the stuff Mitsubishi has on the ground to sell, and the company has said it's committed to sticking around. That means I got to spend some time recently with a 2015 Outlander Sport SE with AWC (All-Wheel Control – you know, all-wheel drive). There are updates and changes for 2015, including an available 168-horsepower, 2.4-liter engine for ES and GT models, revised CVT, LED running lamps, thicker glass, better sound insulation, and electric power steering. But because I drove an E, I was locked into the 2.0 liter engine. It's the 4B11, a version of the GEMA engine, co-developed with Hyundai and DaimlerChrysler back in the Cretaceous. Driving Notes The most amazing thing I found after a week with the Outlander Sport is that it can bend the laws of physics. This is not a compact crossover so much as it's a time machine. Swing that door shut, and every trip takes place in 2008. Styling is pretty good. There's not a bad line on the Outlander Sport. It sits right on its relatively short wheelbase, and looks good doing it. I had low expectations for the powertrain. Most of my GEMA engine experienced comes from time with the Jeep Compass and Patriot, which are horrific NVH factories. Mitsubishi's version of this engine is more refined, and has a healthy 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. The CVT has been revised to mimic the action of a seven-speed transmission. Why bother? The simulacrum doesn't hold. It's the typical 70/30 CVT split: unobtrusive 70 percent of the time, slippy and weird the other 30 percent. That same 70/30 split applies to on-road behavior. Most of the time, the Outlander Sport drives decently. Those other times, it just wants you to chill. Structural rigidity isn't up there with the segment leaders. Road noise is still higher than I'd have liked. This car has the single worst infotainment system I have ever experienced. Totally refused to pair with my phone, ever. This is not an isolated case for a Mitsu with this headunit.