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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.

What to expect from the Japanese trial of Nissan and Greg Kelly

TOKYO — The criminal trial against Japanese automaker Nissan and its former executive Greg Kelly will open in Tokyo District Court on Tuesday. ItÂ’s the latest chapter in the unfolding scandal of Carlos Ghosn, a superstar at Nissan until he and Kelly were arrested in late 2018. Five questions and answers about the trial: Q: WHAT ARE THE ALLEGATIONS? A: The charges center around KellyÂ’s role in alleged under-reporting of GhosnÂ’s future compensation by about 9 billion yen ($85 million), a violation of financial laws. Kelly says he is innocent. Nissan, which is also similarly charged, has already acknowledged guilt, made corrections to the compensation documents submitted to the authorities, and has started paying a 2.4 billion yen ($22.6 million) fine. Q: WHAT HAPPENS TO GHOSN? A: Probably nothing. He skipped bail late last year and is now in Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Two Americans, Michael Taylor and his son Peter Taylor are being held in Massachusetts without bail, suspected of having helped Ghosn escape by hiding in a box on a private jet. A U.S. judge recently approved their extradition to Japan. The case is now before the U.S. State Department. Q: HOW DO CRIMINAL TRIALS PROCEED IN JAPAN? A: The trial, before a panel of three judges, is expected to take about a year. There is no jury. Juries are selected only for extremely serious cases in Japan, such as murder. In principle, there are no plea bargains although backroom deals are made all the time. Closed pre-trial sessions are held ahead of the trialÂ’s opening, often for months before the real trial begins. Japan's legal system has come under fire from both within and outside the country as “hostage justice” because suspects often are held for months and interrogated without a lawyer present, often leading to false confessions, according to critics. Q: WHAT ARE KELLYÂ’S CHANCES? A: More than 99% of criminal trials in Japan result in a conviction. Japanese Justice Minister Masako Mori, in an online presentation in English hosted by the Japanese Embassy in the U.S., argued the conviction rate is so high because Japan prosecutes only about a third of the cases that come up, choosing only those that “result in guilty verdicts.” She insisted there is a “presumption of innocence.” She declined comment on KellyÂ’s case.

Mitsubishi has 6 all-new models in the works, plus 5 redesigns

Mitsubishi has revealed its plans for the next three years, and they're all focused on expansion. The company wants to improve unit sales and revenue by 30 percent, which would have it selling 1.3 million cars worldwide. It also plans to improve profit margins from 0.3 percent to 6 percent. This will entail an investment of nearly $5.3 billion. To do this, the company will work on reducing development and manufacturing costs and concentrating on improving in existing markets. But the most interesting part for consumers and enthusiasts: its expanding product plans. Mitsubishi says it will have 11 new model launches over the three-year expansion period. Of these models, six of them are completely new, and the other five will be significant updates and redesigns of existing models. Two of the new vehicles have been shown already including the Eclipse Cross, a compact crossover we'll get in America, and the Xpander (shown below), a minivan-type thing that won't come to the States. The addition of redesigned and new models should be great news for Mitsubishi dealers, especially in America where the company only offers two flavors of aging Outlander, and the bargain-basement Mirage. Fans of Mitsubishi cars might not have much to be excited for, though, since the company says it will be focusing on SUVs and trucks. In fact, it expects that its five best-selling models and 70 percent of its sales will be SUVs, trucks, and plug-in hybrids. If we had to guess what the next four Mitsubishi models could be, we imagine that at least one of them will be some type of full-size crossover. Something sized similarly to the foreign-market Pajero SUV, but designed for pavement pounding. This would especially make sense given other companies entering that space such as VW with the Atlas, and Subaru with its Ascent. As for the three other slots, it's harder to guess. The future Outlander will grow, and the Outlander Sport will shrink, so Mitsubishi will have its midsize and subcompact bases covered, and with a hypothetical full-size crossover, it would have a full line. Those three other slots could be cars, or perhaps specialty crossovers, maybe even a sporty one based on the e-Evolution. But they could also be vehicles aimed at other regions in segments that don't really exist in the U.S. For instance, they could include new microcars for Japan's Kei class of vehicles, or possibly ultra-bare bones, low-cost compacts for Southeast Asia, India and China. Related Video: