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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.

Automakers Renault, Nissan will become equals, with equal stakes in each other

TOKYO — Nissan and Renault have agreed to equalize the stakes they hold in each other, both sides said Monday, ironing out a source of conflict in the Japan-French auto alliance. Up to now, Renault Group has held a 43.4% stake in Nissan Motor Co., potentially giving it a larger say in how the Japanese automaker is run. It will transfer shares equivalent to a 28.4% stake to a French trust so each side will hold the same 15% stake in the other, according to the companies. The disparity between the holdings was a cause of friction, especially after Nissan became far more profitable than Renault. The agreement on the change is still being finalized and needs board approval from both companies. The companies said the shares in the French trust can eventually be sold but did not say to whom or how. They said the sale will be carried out in a “coordinated and orderly process” if a deal makes commercial sense to Renault Group, and that there is no time deadline. Until then, the voting rights would be “neutralized” for most managerial decisions, but the economic rights, such as dividends, will continue to go to Renault, the companies said. The top shareholder in Renault is the French government. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month. The alliance has had its ups and downs since it began in 1999, when Renault sent one of its executives, Carlos Ghosn, to then-struggling Nissan to lead a turnaround. Ghosn first served as Nissan's chief executive and later its chairman before he was arrested in late 2018 on various financial misconduct charges. The alliance, which also includes smaller Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motor Corp. and remains one of the world's top auto groups, has been eager to put the Ghosn scandal behind it. Allegations against Ghosn include underreporting income, using investment funds for personal gain and illicit use of company expenses, including overseas homes and a yacht. Ghosn said he is innocent of all charges. He jumped bail in late 2019 and is now in Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. The equalization of the crossholdings has been speculated about for some time. The companies called the move “an important milestone.” “The ambition is to strengthen the ties of the alliance and maximize value creation for all stakeholders,” said Nissan, based in the port city of Yokohama.

2022 Mitsubishi Outlander First Drive Review | More than a redesign

It only takes a minute behind the wheel of the 2022 Outlander to understand how Mitsubishi’s alliance with Nissan and Renault has allowed it to reap dramatic rewards. The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander isnÂ’t just redesigned, itÂ’s a thorough rethink on how to attack the compact crossover marketplace. Not only that, itÂ’s vaulted Mitsubishi from an also-ran to a solid contender for your hard-earned bucks. The Mitsubishi Outlander is not a rebadged Nissan Rogue. The two crossovers share their platform and powertrain, and Mitsubishi says they were co-developed and Outlander was not simply a hand-me-down. They differ in many notable ways, not the least of which is a standard third row (sized for very limited use) in the Outlander thatÂ’s not offered in the Rogue, but also in tuning, design and materials. The new Outlander certainly stands out with a front view thatÂ’s dominated by MitsubishiÂ’s "Dynamic Shield" fascia. Two curved chrome swoops work as outward-facing brackets to a grille with horizontal slats above a patterned opening. Lighting clusters are split into two parts, with LED driving lights and turn signals on top, and vertically stacked headlights below. Unlike some other “bold” faces currently seen in the industry, MitsubishiÂ’s design divides opinions but somehow looks better and more interesting in person than on screen. Mitsubishi managed an iteration of the floating-roof trend that looks different than anything else. ThereÂ’s an unusually flat roof in profile that ends in a brim-shaped rear spoiler atop a pillar at the very back of the car thatÂ’s shaped like a jet fin. Deep cutlines create a strong shoulder with a parallelogram indentation below the knee. All but base-model Outlanders are fitted with 20-inch wheels that are highlighted above with stamped-in brows. It all adds up to an imposing design that looks larger than it is. In reality, the 2022 Outlander is indeed larger in every direction than the 2020 edition (thereÂ’s no 2021 model) but in most measurements, is right about the same size as its compact crossover competitors. Its 106.5-inch wheelbase matches the Rogue, but the three-row Outlander is 2.4 inches longer overall. Compared to the 2020, thereÂ’s more adjustment for the driver to find a comfortable position plus an inch more legroom up front, and 1.1 inches more in the middle row. ItÂ’s 2.0 inches wider than before, which adds as much as an inch and a half more shoulder and hip room, depending on the seat.