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Former Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko dies at 71

TOKYO — Former Mitsubishi Motors Chief Executive Osamu Masuko, who engineered the Japanese automakerÂ’s alliance with Nissan, has died. He was 71. Masuko was named a special adviser to the company when he resigned for health reasons as of Aug. 7. Mitsubishi said he died of heart failure on Aug. 27. Masuko joined with former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn in forming an alliance in 2016. Ghosn was arrested and charged with alleged financial misconduct in late 2018, but skipped bail and fled to Lebanon. After he was named president of Mitsubishi Motors in 2005, Masuko worked hard to rebuild its brand image, which had been hammered by a massive, systematic and decades-long cover-up of defects that surfaced in the early 2000s. Calm and soft-spoken, Masuko came to symbolize Mitsubishi Motors' revitalization. Masuko had said he was stunned and saddened by Ghosn's arrest. “I still canÂ’t figure out why, and I just donÂ’t understand,” he told reporters then. Nissan Chief Executive Makoto Uchida offered his condolences. “His wisdom and foresight will remain as an inspiration to the automotive industry, and we will always honor his memory,” Uchida said, stressing his role in building the alliance as well as other contributions to the overall auto industry. Mitsubishi's alliance with Nissan and Renault of France was seen as an astute move, giving the automakers an edge in an increasingly competitive global market. “During his tenure for about 16 years at MMC, Masuko made great achievements by fully demonstrating his management skills, which also enabled the company to overcome difficulties,” Mitsubishi Motors said. Masuko helped build the companyÂ’s business in Southeast Asia, a key source of growth. He also aggressively pushed the development of greener models. Masuko studied political science and economics at Waseda University and did not have an engineering background. He joined trading company Mitsubishi Corp. in 1972. In 2004, he joined Mitsubishi Motors, which makes the Pajero and Outlander sport utility vehicles, as managing director of its overseas operations. Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Motors said it is not planning any special services, respecting MasukoÂ’s wishes. The family has already held a vigil and funeral, it said. Related Video:

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander unveiled with new look, standard seating for seven

The 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander wears the new face previewed at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, and adds a host of features on top of its seven standard chairs. Ditching the shark-nosed Lancer-inspired front has reduced drag, increased use of high-tensile steel means a 200-pound weight loss and the reworked 2.4-liter four-cylinder paired a CVT will all result in what Mitsubishi says is one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles in the seven-passenger segment. Looks-wise, around the rest of the vehicle come sharper sculpting and more character lines.
Reaching higher inside, the IP is now soft-touch, and a heavily restyled interior with woodgrain accents is more somber, but more elegant. Mod-cons have gone up a step, too: the 2014 Outlander getting a next-generation nav system, a power tailgate that can be opened from the driver's seat and safety tech like Lane Departure Warning.
There's a press release below with more info, and high-res shots from the LA Auto Show floor above.

10 automakers shack up in Detroit hotel to talk Takata airbags

Since Takata has decided not to take the lead concerning potential issues with its airbag inflators, the automakers have. Perhaps that's unsurprising, since it's the automakers, not Takata, that will take a beating on the dealership floor if consumers decide its models are a health hazards. The Detroit News reports that Toyota, Honda, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru met in a hotel conference room near the Detroit Metropolitan Airport last week to sort out a way to understand the technical issues involved. So far, faulty airbag inflators have been ruled the cause of five deaths and 50 injuries around the world, but neither Takata nor investigators understands exactly why the inflators are malfunctioning. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently asked Takata to issue a national recall, Takata declined, citing a minuscule failure rate and the fact that it's still investigating the issue. Toyota and Honda then made an industry-wide appeal for "a coordinated, comprehensive testing program" that would pinpoint the problem inflators and get them replaced, and that's what the Detroit meeting was about. Numerous issues, however, will make this a long row to hoe: simply getting the parts to replace the nearly 20 million inflators in cars recalled around the world so far - even working with other suppliers - will take a years, but more importantly, no one knows if the replacement inflators currently being installed will suffer the same issue. Answers will hopefully come quickly with Takata, the ten automakers and NHTSA all independently investigating the problem.