Mitsubishi Eclipse With Built Motor on 2040-cars

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Mitsubishi HQ raided by the Japanese government

Mitsubishi's fuel economy scandal continues to grow, and the Japanese government wants answers. According to Reuters, the Japanese Transport Ministry raided the company's headquarters and a factory in Nagoya today. This raid comes soon after the company revealed that a number of its SUVs were also being sold with incorrect fuel economy ratings. The Japanese government issued a stop-sale on those vehicles a few days ago. This raid also follows an internal investigation conducted by Mitsubishi to discover how this fuel economy scandal happened, and how the practices that led to it were able to continue for 25 years. The internal investigation revealed a few contributing factors that all fell under issues with the company's culture. There was significant pressure throughout the company to reach fuel economy targets and missing them wasn't readily accepted. Questioning decisions of management was also discouraged, and it seemed the different divisions of the company weren't working well together. The findings of this raid have yet to be revealed, but it will be interesting to see how they compare with those of the internal investigation. The Japanese Transport Ministry seems intent on preventing a repeat of this with another company considering that, according to Reuters, it "sent documents to other automakers to enforce compliance with rules for calculating mileage ." Related Video: News Source: Reuters via Automotive News EuropeImage Credit: Julien Amado / Autoblog Quebec Government/Legal Green Mitsubishi Fuel Efficiency investigation

Lawyer for Ghosn slams bail condition as human rights violation

TOKYO (AP) — The lawyer for Nissan's former chairman Carlos Ghosn on Saturday criticized a bail condition that prevents his client from seeing his wife, as Ghosn awaits trial on financial misconduct charges. A judge has forbidden Ghosn from seeing his wife, Carole, including in the presence of lawyers, or talking to her on the phone. Prosecutors say the restriction is needed to prevent evidence tampering. "This is unfair," Takashi Takano, the lawyer, said in a phone interview, calling it a human rights violation. "It's cruel and unusual." His earlier appeal of the ban, rejected by district and appeals courts, went to the Supreme Court, which turned it down last month. The Supreme Court decision cannot be appealed, but Takano vowed to keep filing new petitions, stressing that the Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the constitutionality or the human rights aspects. The next one will be filed within two or three weeks, he said. Ghosn's lawyers recently filed a second petition with the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, arguing that the restrictions on seeing his wife amount to a deprivation of fundamental human rights. Takano acknowledged that the situation looks dismal, as Japan's Supreme Court is not easily influenced by other governments' views or by public opinion. "Even the strongest man in the world can be stressed, psychologically damaged. That's very natural as a human being," said Takano, noting that Ghosn was holding up well compared to other clients he has had. Ghosn has been aggressively taking part in meetings with his defense team, according to Takano. The case has entered the stage known as "pre-trial sessions," during which both sides hand in evidence. A trial date has not been set. In Japan, preparations for trials routinely take months. Ghosn, who led Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. for two decades, was arrested in November and charged with falsifying financial documents in reporting retirement compensation, and with breach of trust in diverting Nissan money toward personal investment losses and a company effectively run by him. Ghosn, 65, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, has repeatedly said he is innocent, accusing some at Nissan of plotting against him and opposing a plan to merge Nissan with French alliance partner Renault. Renault is set to vote Tuesday on a possible merger with Fiat Chrysler.

Mitsubishi's 2024 updates include free maintenance, new trim levels

Mitsubishi is making several changes to its portfolio for the 2024 model year. It's expanding its range with new trim levels that benefit from a longer list of standard features and several specific styling cues, and it's giving buyers free maintenance for two years or 30,000 miles. Starting at the top of the range, the hybrid and non-electrified variants of the Outlander get a new Platinum Edition variant characterized by Black Diamond paint, a roof panel finished in Alloy Silver for a two-tone look, a Light Gray interior, and silver-colored interior trim, among other accents. Mitsubishi will fully detail the trim level later in 2023. The Black Edition package offered during the 2023 model year returns for 2024. It's compatible with the SE and SEL trim levels, and the latter gets black exterior trim as well as black leather upholstery. SE and SEL variants of the Eclipse Cross receive a power-operated hatch with a kick-motion sensor, while the SE's list of standard features grows further with adaptive cruise control, a USB port for rear-seat passengers, and a leather-upholstered steering wheel. The LE model gets a free two-year subscription to Mitsubishi Connect and FAST-Key keyless entry technology. The range will expand later in 2023 with a Special Edition model that will feature "rugged, off-road-inspired styling enhancements," according to the Japanese company. Positioned as Mitsubishi's entry-level crossover, the Outlander Sport highlights Mitsubishi's off-road heritage with a Trail Edition model that's characterized by black graphics on the hood, black exterior trim, mud flaps, and all-weather floor mats. Photos of the model haven't been released yet, however. And, don't look for a 2024 Outlander Sport GT on your local dealer's lot: Mitsubishi changed the trim's name to SEL. Updates to the Mirage hatchback and the Mirage G4, which are both nearing the end of their life cycle, are relatively minor. The LE trim level positioned near the bottom of the range benefits from a longer list of standard features, including a driver's armrest, automatic headlights, and rain-sensing wipers. Graphite Gray and Jet Black join the color palette to replace Mercury Gray and Mystic Black, respectively.  Every member of Mitsubishi's 2024 range regardless of size, price, and trim level benefits from free maintenance for two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first.