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Mitsubishi scores record global operating profits

In the minds of many auto enthusiasts, Mitsubishi has become an afterthought. It has transformed from a company known for its turbocharged, all-wheel-drive rally machines into an automaker with a very boring lineup. Maybe we are being unfair, though. While the company doesn't have much of a performance presence anymore, the Japanese brand is doing quite well financially.
According to Reuters, Mitsubishi Motors had an operating profit of 123.4 billion yen ($1.2 billion) worldwide for the fiscal year that ended in March. That's twice as much as last year and a new all-time record for the Japanese automaker. It's even paying dividends to investors for the first time in 16 years, and its expected profit of 135 billion yen ($1.3 billion) in the new fiscal year matches a goal it had set for itself to achieve two years from now.
The automaker currently focuses much of its efforts on Southeast Asia, which accounts for about a quarter of its sales. It will put even greater attention there in the coming years with more local production, according to Reuters.

Mitsubishi realigning its SUV range to create more size difference

A report in Autocar says Mitsubishi wants more literal space between its three core SUVs. The outlet quotes "a senior source" saying, "Today we aren't in an ideal position, with our SUVs close in size, but in the next 18 months you will start to see a strategy that separates them out." Redesigns for the next generation of the Outlander, Eclipse Cross, and Outlander Sport will put about 200 millimeters' (7.9 inches) difference in length between each. Right now, the Outlander stands 184.8 inches long, the Eclipse Cross 173.4 inches long, and the Outlander Sport is scarcely smaller at 171.9 inches long. Autocar says the revamp would see the Outlander grow, while the Outlander Sport gets smaller. Based on the comments, if the Outlander gets longer, then we wouldn't be surprised at seeing the Eclipse Cross putting on a few inches, too. The first fruit should blossom next year, and be possible thanks to platform-sharing within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. Comparing Mitsubishi to Nissan's formula, the Rogue is 184.5 inches long, the Rogue Sport 172.4 inches. We don't get the Juke any more, which is 162.8 inches long; our Nissan Kicks extends 169.1 inches. The coming range will extend plug-in hybrid and full electric options, too. Naturally, the Outlander PHEV will make the jump to a new generation, and the Eclipse Cross will come in hybrid and PHEV flavors. An updated PHEV powertrain shown in the Engelberg Tourer Concept at the Geneva Motor Show paired a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors at the axles, for 44 miles of EV range on the WLTP cycles. That's 16 more EV miles than the current Outlander PHEV can go. The Outlander Sport will get a battery-electric trim. The "senior source" said, "We will not have a unique nameplate, but instead offer the appropriate electrification options for the vehicles and how people will use them." There's likely a lot more in store for the brand, especially in the U.S., although we have no idea what that is. Takao Kato will take over as CEO of Mitsubishi global next month, with the mandate of carrying out the carmaker's "small but beautiful" strategy. The initiative puts steady growth and profit ahead of disruptive leaps. Kato has experience in the U.S., having helped set up the joint manufacturing plant with Chrysler in Illinois in 1988. Even so, he's said of our region, "It's not easy to be in that market," and would only go so far as saying "probably not" when asked if leaving the U.S. is an option.

Mitsubishi Electric EMirai xS Drive concept revealed ahead of CES 2022

Mitsubishi Electric is showing the latest version of its EMirai concept vehicles. The EMirai series has made recurring appearances at CES, showing off the company's — which is a separate entity from Mitsubishi Motors — latest driving technologies. The newest iteration, whose complete name is the EMirai xS Drive Concept, is scheduled for debut at CES 2022. Past EMirai concepts ("Mirai", like the Toyota hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, means "future" in Japanese) have focused on technologies such as driver biometrics and augmented reality to make help alleviate the task of driving. The EMirai xS Drive continues on this theme with two primary advancements. In the realm of biometrics, the concept monitors the the driver with a near-infrared camera to detect their health. It not only checks on drowsiness, but emergency situations where an autonomous intervention may be required. It does this by keeping tabs on the driver's respiration rate and pulse, as well as checking for sudden changes in facial expressions like the closing of eyelids or opening of the mouth. If an emergency is detected, the car will take over and park to prevent accidents. This seems to be geared towards elderly drivers, which tend to live in rural and suburban areas in Japan where public transportation isn't always an option. Mazda recently released a similar technology in Japan as well. The system can also detect passengers, including children, using radio waves. By not relying on a weight sensor embedded in the seat like in some modern vehicles, the system can detect a child even if he or she is hiding in a footwell. The EMirai xS Drive also uses a Mitsubishi Electric High Definition Locator to operate adaptive headlights. Operating in conjunction with the driver monitor above, it turns the headlights to better illuminate the direction where the driver's head is turned, such as a curve or slope ahead. The system also looks for other hazards, like pedestrians who may be crossing a dark road, and uses the adaptive headlights to cast more light on those subjects. It also looks for vehicles approaching from behind, and projects a warning onto the road surface ahead, within the headlight beam spread, so the driver knows what's behind without shifting focus onto a rear-view mirror. It appears, though, whereas past EMirai concepts have been built around an actual show car, the latest evolution is just a four seats and a dashboard in a standalone cockpit.