1991 Mitsubishi Eclipse Gsx Hatchback 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Ukraine orders 651 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs for national police

While Mitsubishi has seen happier times – with lagging North American sales and a recent fuel economy scandal – there's still at least one ray of hope for the Japanese automaker. Its plug-in hybrid version of the Outlander is quite popular in many markets, and it's about to get a whole lot more popular in another one. The Ukraine has placed an order for 651 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs for use by its national police force. Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs, Arsen Avakov, first announced the news on Twitter, and linked to a statement going into more detail. As part of a plan emerging from the Kyoto Protocol, the Natspolitsiya (as the police force is called) are ditching their aging, Russian-made UAZ and AvtoVAZ vehicles for the greener option from the less-at-war-with-them Japan. The Outlander PHEV, which was refreshed for the 2017 model year, is powered by a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine as well as two electric motors. Its 12-kWh battery provides about 22 miles of real-world, all-electric driving range. It's quite popular in Europe, so we might want to pay attention, as it will arrive in the US later this year. "So, gentlemen, Ukrainian policemen! You will receive 651 new and unique modern powerful eco-friendly hybrid crossover Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV," says Avakov in his statement. "The people of Ukraine hopes that you will be worthy of this innovation! Serve with honor!" No pressure. Furthermore, Avakov quipped in a Facebook post – with a smile and a wink – that his "advertising" for Mitsubishi ought to net the Natspolitsiya a 652nd vehicle. Related Video:

Carlos Ghosn's arrest casts doubt on future of Renault-Nissan alliance

For years, France's Renault and Japan's Nissan struggled to make money in the global auto business. Then came Carlos Ghosn, a Renault executive who helped to orchestrate an unprecedented transcontinental alliance, combining parts of both companies to share engineering and technology costs. Now Ghosn's arrest in Japan for alleged financial improprieties at Nissan could put the nearly 20-year-old alliance in jeopardy. Ghosn, 64, born in Brazil, schooled in France and of Lebanese heritage, is set to be ousted this week from his spot as Nissan chairman. He could also lose his roles as CEO and chairman of Renault, threatening the alliance formed in 1999 that's now selling more than 10 million automobiles a year. He's been "the glue that holds Renault and Nissan together," Bernstein analyst Max Warburton wrote in a note to investors. "It is hard not to conclude that there may be a gulf opening up between Renault and Nissan." In fact, Nissan's investigation into alleged misconduct by Ghosn is expanding to include Renault-Nissan finances, sources told Reuters — in a further sign that Nissan may seek to loosen its French parent's hold on their global carmaking alliance. Nissan told Renault's board on Monday it had evidence of potential wrongdoing at Renault-Nissan BV, the Dutch venture overseeing alliance operations under Renault's ultimate control, three people with knowledge of the matter said. Renault's board planned to meet Tuesday to discuss Ghosn's fate. "Carlos Ghosn is no longer in a position where he is capable of leading Renault," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told France Info radio, calling on Renault's board to meet "in the coming hours" to set up an interim management structure. The French government owns 15 percent in Renault and has a say in its operations. Nissan's board is to meet Thursday to consider Ghosn's fate. Nissan has said it will dismiss Ghosn after he was arrested for allegedly abusing company funds and misreporting his income. That opens up a leadership void at the entire alliance, for which Ghosn officially still serves as CEO and chairman. Ghosn added Mitsubishi to the alliance two years ago after the tiny automaker was caught in a gas-mileage cheating scandal. Renault owns 43.4 percent of Nissan, which owns 15 percent of Renault, with no voting rights in a partnership that began in 1999. Since 2016, Nissan has held a 34 percent controlling stake in Mitsubishi Motor Corp.

The Mitsubishi Outlander third row has actually been far worse

It's rare for a compact SUV to have a third row, and there's a good reason for that: Few humans can actually fit in such a tiny space. And sure, there are obviously kids, but they usually require some sort of child seat that's not fitting back there, either.  In other words, the use case is as tiny as the seats themselves. No wonder, then, that there are only two three-row compact SUVs: the 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan and the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander. While I have yet to witness the Tiguan, the above photo is the result of fitting a 6-foot-3 automotive editor into the Outlander's third row. It ain't pretty. And that's with the middle row pushed all the way forward. Also note that it's just not a matter of legroom — headroom is terrible, too.  Obviously, this is an extreme and ridiculous test. In the end, the need to accommodate the third row almost certainly allows the Outlander to have more cargo space than average (and the mechanically related Nissan Rogue) even if it's presence is also likely the reason it doesn't have as much room as the CR-V, RAV4 and Tucson (more on that coming soon in a luggage test). It's basically a bonus feature, and if you can in fact use it, great! It's also exponentially better than the original Outlander third row. Specifically, the second-generation model that had a shockingly flimsy design that would've been rickety for the 1980s let alone the late 2000s. It consisted of a mesh fabric pulled over a tube steel ring. It was more like a beach chair than something that belonged in a moving vehicle.  Here are two period videos of me demonstrating it in a 2010 Outlander. In the first, I raise the seat, showing how difficult it was to do and how rickety it was once in place. The second video shows the mesh seat bottom.  Video 1: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Video 2: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.