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Nissan should kill the Quest and bring the Mitsubishi Delica D:5 to America

Enthusiasts don't have much reason to get excited about minivans. But if there were something cool to revitalize interest in the segment, I think American consumers would take notice. A quick browse through Mitsubishi's current catalog of global offerings turned up something interesting, and, now that Nissan has brought the diamond-star into its multi-headed global alliance, the Japanese automaker has a unique opportunity to throw caution to the wind and give America something fun. First, let's acknowledge that the Nissan Quest is a completely reasonable and current minivan entry. But it's not exactly a hot seller. The Quest was the seventh-best-selling minivan in the United States last month. The people-hauler's 209 sales in September of 2016 represent a 68-percent decline over the previous year. Granted, the Quest was trending upward for the year prior to last month's drop, but even the Quest's best full year of sales would just manage to match the number of Toyota Siennas or Chrysler Pacificas sold in a decent month. Put simply, the American market wouldn't miss the Nissan Quest if it were to disappear from dealership lots altogether. I don't think the Nissan Quest is a bad vehicle. The problem is that it's just like every other minivan sold in America. Nothing about the Quest stands out against its competitors, which basically makes it a redundant vehicle with no solid reason to exist. What Nissan really needs, in my humble opinion, is a minivan that stands out from the crowd. I offer the following solution: Bring the Mitsubishi Delica D:5 to the United States. Badge it as a Nissan to take advantage of that brand's larger dealer network; even call it the Quest Q:5 if you must. But don't change much else. I have a feeling Americans would show some interest in an eight-passenger, all-wheel-drive, multi-purpose vehicle like the Delica that's about the same overall length as the Nissan Rogue. As an added incentive to capture as many buyers as possible, offer both the 2.4-liter gasoline engine and the 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel that are available in other markets. Since the Delica D:5 is based on the same GS platform as the Dodge Journey, it could probably accommodate a Pentastar V6, too, but that doesn't really seem necessary. Instead of being a powerhouse, the Delica should be about fun and efficiency, with an adventurous off-road streak.

Mitsubishi and Renault-Nissan expand partnership, US will get new sedan

Mitsubishi and Renault-Nissan have just inked an alliance that might, hopefully, reverse the ailing fortunes of the Mitsubishi brand in the US market. The big chunk of news is that Mitsubishi will produce two Renualt-based models for sale in the US market, and that they'll be built at the Renault-Samsung factory in Busan, South Korea.
The plans call for a D-segment sedan to be followed by a C-segment offering. Based on the cars built at the Busan factory, that means Mitsubishi will be getting the SM5 and the SM3, a pair of handsome sedans that are based on Renault-Nissan's D and C platforms, respectively. These same platforms underpin a number of US market Nissans (not to mention a number of cars from Renault), namely the Pathfinder, Maxima, Quest and Murano for the D platform and the last-generation Rogue and Sentra for the C platform.
Besides the sedan production, Nissan and Mitsubishi will be expanding their joint-venture company, NMKV, which produces Kei cars for the Japanese market. A new, all-electric offering will be born from the partnership, likely based on a Kei car platform. The partnership between the three brands will also lead to increased sharing of technology, particularly relating to electric cars.

Mitsubishi and NTT to buy 30% stake in HERE digital mapping company

Digital mapping company HERE Technologies sold a 30% stake to Mitsubishi and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (NTT), diluting German carmakers’ stake to 54% amid uncertainty about the profit potential from autonomous cars. Mitsubishi and NTT will co-invest in the Amsterdam-headquartered company through their newly established, jointly owned holding firm COCO Tech Holding B.V. in the Netherlands, HERE said on Friday. “Their investment also means we are further diversifying our shareholder base beyond automotive, which is important given the appeal and necessity of location technology across geographies and industries,” HEREÂ’s Chief Executive Edzard Overbeek said. The Japanese companies said they would collaborate with HERE to develop services such as ways to tackle road congestion and improve supply chain efficiencies. High definition maps can also be used in fleet management, asset tracking, last-mile delivery, long-distance package delivery by drones and indoor mapping applications, Overbeek told Reuters. Financial details of the transaction, which they said would close next year, were not disclosed. German carmakers BMW, Audi and Daimler saw high definition mapping as a strategic asset and bought HERE from Finnish telecoms group Nokia for around 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion) in 2015 to avoid becoming dependent on AlphabetÂ’s Google. FridayÂ’s deal dilutes the stake held by each German carmaker from 25% to just under 18%, HERE said. REALITY CHECK Tech companies and automakers raced to develop self-driving vehicles after Google presented a prototype car in 2012, leading German manufacturers to develop robotaxis as a way to enter the ride-hailing business to take on Uber. However, the technology costs and regulatory hurdles have spiraled, and ride-hailing businesses have struggled to reach sustainable profitability, leading to a reassessment of the business potential of robotaxis and ride hailing. “There has been a reality check setting in here,” Daimler Chief Executive Ola Kaellenius said last month, adding that spending on robotaxis would be “rightsized.” The move comes as BMW and Daimler this week announced they will exit the North American car-sharing market, halting operations in Montreal, New York, Seattle, Washington D.C., and Vancouver, as they focus on the European market. Last year, GermanyÂ’s Continental and Bosch, the worldÂ’s largest automotive suppliers, bought a 5% stake in HERE.