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Mitsubishi Mirage will reportedly get the axe in 2025

The Mitsubishi Mirage, the car that everyone loves to hate, might not be long for the U.S. market. Reports have it exiting stage left by the end of 2025 with no successor in the works. The compact has the ignominy of being the cheapest new car available in the U.S., with an MSRP starting at $17,340 including destination charges. The report comes from an unnamed source who spoke to Automotive News. However, Mitsubishi spokesperson Jeremy Barnes declined to comment on whether the Mirage is getting the axe in two years. "It's a vehicle that we still see as having a role in our portfolio at this time," Barnes told AN. "It fulfills the role of an entry-level vehicle." The Mirage comes in either hatchback or sedan profiles and is powered by a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder making 78 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque. While it is often panned for its low power and basic interior, the Mirage does offer a brand spanking new car with a 10-year,100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Also, it comes standard with features like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth, remote keyless entry, power windows, cruise control, and USB port – none of which are necessary to go from point A to point B but are nice to have. Plus, it's rated at 39 mpg combined and comes in fun colors. While options like the Nissan Versa and Kia Rio still exist, Cox Automotive reported that the only car to actually sell below $20,000 in July was the Mirage. Nevertheless, Mirage sales are down 44% in the first half of 2023. The list of affordable cars grows ever shorter, with options like the Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, and the excellent Honda Fit all having exited the market in recent years. Meanwhile, the average new car price has increased by 47.7% since the pandemic, partially due to supply chain issues. A recent iSeeCars study found that even the pool of late-model used cars below $20,000 has shrunken dramatically, from 49.3% of sales in 2019 to just 12.4% today. All this while the number of more expensive, larger and more luxurious cars continues to expand. Once the Mirage is gone, Mitsubishi will have, like Ford and GM, a zero-sedan lineup. Like many, Mitsubishi is preparing for an all-electric push, with plans to debut nine new BEV models globally by 2030.

Carlos Ghosn's son predicts surprises at ex-Nissan chief's day in court

PARIS — The son of former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn said in an interview published Sunday that people will be surprised when his father, detained since Nov. 19 for allegedly falsifying financial reports, recounts his version of events to a Tokyo court on Tuesday. Anthony Ghosn, 24, told France's Journal du Dimanche that his father — who will remain detained until at least Jan. 11 — will get 10 minutes to talk at the hearing, being held at his own request. "For the first time, he can talk about his version of the allegations against him," Anthony Ghosn said in the interview with the weekly paper Journal du Dimanche. "I think everyone will be rather surprised hearing his version of the story. Until now, we've only heard the accusers." The son has no direct contact with his father, and gets information via lawyers. He said his father, who for decades was a revered figure in the global auto industry, has lost about 10 kilograms (22 pounds) eating three bowls of rice daily, but he reads books and "he resists." Ghosn refuses to cave in, said his son, contending that he would be freed from detention if he admitted guilt to the prosecutor. "But for seven weeks, his decision has been quite clear ... He won't give in," Anthony Ghosn said, adding that he would be wearing prison clothes and handcuffs in court. Countering media portrayals, he insisted his father, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, is "not obsessed by money." "He always told us that money is but a means to help those you love, but not an end unto itself." Ghosn is charged with underreporting his pay by about 5 billion yen ($44 million) in 2011-2015, and faces a breach of trust allegation. He led Nissan Motor Co. for two decades and helped save the Japanese automaker from near bankruptcy. He remains head of France's Renault car company, which owns 43 percent of Nissan. Another Nissan executive, Greg Kelly, was arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Ghosn on the underreporting of income and was freed Dec. 25 on 70 million yen ($635,600) bail after more than a month in detention.Related Video:

Macron and Abe seek to avert messy Renault-Nissan breakup

TOKYO/PARIS – France and Japan's leaders met for bilateral talks to avert a diplomatic row over the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance on Friday following the surprise arrest of its Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Japan. With the carmaking alliance facing its biggest test after the ousting of Ghosn at Nissan and affiliate Mitsubishi over financial misconduct allegations, President Emmanuel Macron sat down with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires. Ghosn's arrest to face accusations including the under-reporting of income has triggered new attempts by Nissan to weaken Renault's control of the Franco-Japanese alliance, adding to challenges facing Macron at home. Macron, whose government has repeatedly pressed Japan to share evidence unearthed by Nissan's internal investigation into Ghosn, "restated his firm wish that the alliance should be preserved, along with the stability of the group," an Elysee official said after Friday's meeting with Abe. Abe said it was important to "maintain a stable relationship," according to a spokesman for the Japanese leader. "However, he said the future of the alliance is up to the private-sector shareholders. The government of Japan does not prejudge the future of the alliance," the spokesman said. The French official quoted Abe as telling Macron that "the legal process must be allowed to take its course." LEADERLESS Tokyo authorities on Friday extended Ghosn's detention for a second time, by the maximum-allowed 10 days, local media reported. Prosecutors must file charges by Dec. 10 or arrest Ghosn for new crimes to hold him beyond that date. Tokyo prosecutors declined to comment. Nissan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ghosn's detention has left the global auto alliance without its leader and main interlocutor with the French government, which owns 15 percent of Renault and wants to maintain the ownership structure enshrining its control of the partnership. But Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa has made clear that Nissan wants to weaken the control of its smaller parent as it carries out a governance review. Renault's 43.4 percent Nissan stake ensures an effective voting majority at shareholder meetings, while Nissan's reciprocal 15 percent Renault holding carries no voting rights.