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Refreshed Mitsubishi Mirage hatch and G4 sedan debut in Thailand

After Mitsubishi teased its global compact twins earlier this month, the Mirage hatchback and Attrage sedan — called the Mirage G4 here — greeted the public in Thailand. These appear to be cosmetic adjustments only, Mitsubishi mum so far on any powertrain changes. Both vehicles now wear the Dynamic Shield corporate face with "styling [that] sweeps round from the sides toward the middle of the nose in a protective embrace." At the edges of the red-trimmed grille strakes, restructured headlights now incorporate LEDs. In back, vehicle edges have been drawn more square and vertical. Below the revised taillights, the bumpers feature cutouts at their edges that house reflectors. Interior revisions on all trims include soft-feel cloth for hand-rest areas like the door card, new designs for the front armrests, and a carbon fiber pattern for the gauge cluster background and the window switch panel. Higher trims can be optioned with new seat designs, solid-colored synthetic leather in the sedan, and a mix of fabric and synthetic leather in the hatch, each with complementary piping and stitching. Another new option will be Mitsubishi's Smartphone Display Audio infotainment with a seven-inch screen and compatibility with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Both cars expand their color palettes with a White Diamond hue, and the hatchback adds Sand Yellow as well. Wheel designs get in on the upgrades, the hatch benefiting from a 15-inch two-tone, diamond-cut wheel, the sedan wheel coming in a solid silver finish. Assuming engines don't change when the redesigned bodywork goes on sale here, the 1.2-liter three-cylinder with 78 horsepower and 74 pound-feet of torque will be our only option, shifting through either a five-speed manual or a CVT.  Featured Gallery 2020 Mitsubishi Mirage Hatch and Attrage-G4 Sedan View 30 Photos Mitsubishi Hatchback Economy Cars Sedan

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander

A Good Start On Halting The Slide
We'd like to say that Mitsubishi has had a tough time of it lately, but "lately" isn't exactly the proper descriptor since the brand's troubles have slowly built over the past decade or so. It cut back on its marketing and it cut model lines while leaving what remained in the equivalent of a product cryo-freeze. Then there was the financial crash and replacement models that didn't possess the same edge we expected from the house of the triple diamond. There was the lack of a North American chairman to fight for market-specific initiatives, and hence, models that lacked some of the details that US customers desired and that could sway buying choices in close races. True, that's a battle with an overseas headquarters that you'll hear from the US reps for almost every foreign automaker, but as you pile on the obstacles they multiply exponentially, not additionally. Or there's this: For more than a year, while its competition has been trumpeting new product, Mitsubishi hasn't had any new models. Like, at all.
That changes with the arrival of the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander, an SUV that we're told will begin a new-product offensive over the next 18 months that - along with a much larger marketing budget - should begin to turn things around. This is the third generation of Mitsubishi's volume model, one that hasn't really been changed since it arrived in 2006 and wasn't just showing its age, but practically crowing about it.

Carlos Ghosn's lawyers in Japan quit after client's flight to Lebanon

TOKYO — Japanese attorneys representing Carlos Ghosn, including lead lawyer Junichiro Hironaka, quit on Thursday following the former Nissan chiefÂ’s flight to Lebanon from Japan, where he had been fighting financial misconduct charges. Hironaka had been representing Ghosn in his defense against financial misconduct charges. His move, announced Thursday, was widely expected after Ghosn escaped to Lebanon late last month. A second lawyer in GhosnÂ’s three-person legal team, Takashi Takano, also quit on Thursday, according to an official at his office. A person who answered the telephone at the office of the third lawyer, Hiroshi Kawatsu, said she did not know if he still represented the former automotive executive. Hironaka said in a statement that the entire team working on the case at his office will quit but did not outline reasons. He has said before he felt some empathy for Ghosn's reasons for escape, while stressing he had hoped to win vindication in court. Hironaka is respected for winning high-profile cases in this nation where the conviction rate is higher than 99%. Among the cases he has handled is that of Atsuko Muraki, a Welfare Ministry official accused of falsely approving a group to qualify for mail discounts. She was acquitted in 2010. Also Thursday, Nissan released steps it was taking to prevent a recurrence of Ghosn's scandal, and reiterated its denouncement of Ghosn. The automaker said in a report submitted to the Tokyo Stock Exchange that Ghosn had the authority to “single-handedly” determine directors' compensation and such information was not shared with other departments at the company. The underreporting of his future compensation is among the allegations Ghosn faced in Tokyo. In a news conference last week in Beirut, Ghosn insisted again that he was innocent of the charges, which also included breach of trust in diverting Nissan money for his personal gain. He said he fled because he felt he could not expect a fair trial in Japan. Ghosn's flight while he was out on bail awaiting trial means his case will not go on in Japan. Interpol has issued a wanted notice but his extradition from Lebanon is unlikely. Ghosn has accused Nissan and Japanese officials of conspiring to bring him down to block a fuller integration of Nissan with its French alliance partner Renault SA of France. Ghosn, who has signed on an international team of lawyers, has expressed willingness to stand trial in Lebanon.