2002 Mitsubishi Galant Es Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Mitsubishi could use Lancer Sportback name on its version of the Nissan Leaf

Various reports might help with filling in some of the blanks in Mitsubishi's Momentum 2030 plan. That's the automaker's new initiative we heard about last month that Mitsubishi North America President and CEO Mark Chaffin said is "setting the stage for new powertrains and vehicles being introduced, new dealerships being opened, and new technologies being developed to make the shopping and ownership experience faster, easier and more enjoyable." The first hints of new product suggested a rugged plug-in hybrid van, something else in the Subaru Outback segment, and perhaps an electric pickup. And after Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance partner Nissan introduces a new-generation Leaf EV for the 2026 model year, Mitsubishi's supposed to get the Leaf for its own use. Based on a recent trademark renewal, Australian outlet Which Car? via Car and Driver suspects this EV (highlighted in the image above) could be called Lancer Sportback.  Car and Driver caught the fact that Mitsubishi renewed a trademark application for the name Lancer Sportback at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on March 12 of this year. And speaking of Lancers, the Japanese automaker applied to trademark Lancer Evolution on August 8 last year. The USPTO refused the registration, Mitsubishi filed an appeal that's still under consideration.    Which Car? doesn't say why it believes Mitsu might apply the Lancer (requested in 2020) or Lancer Sportback name to its little EV, but notes that the automaker's been reusing names around the world of late, such as Airtrek, Colt, Eclipse, and Eclipse Cross. There's more where that came from for us, C/D also tabbing Mitsubishi's trademark application for the name Montero, submitted last August and approved in February. That 4x4 launched as the Pajero in 1981 and sold in the U.S. as the Montero (and the Dodge Raider). The carmaker hasn't sold a Montero here since 2006, and ended Pajero production in 2021. A new model called the Pajero Sport filled the gap in the lineup, but that SUV is based on Mitsubishi's Triton pickup sold in overseas markets.  We've got a while to wait to figure out what's up. The new Leaf is expected to be a mini Nissan Ariya based on Nissan's Chill-Out concept from last year's Tokyo Mobility Show. The image above is from the Momentum 2030 announcement, the little crossover we've highlighted has a DRL signature that fits the form factor.

2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Quick Spin Review | Space and power make it worth your consideration

The subcompact crossover market is one of the fastest growing segments in the industry. That can make it tough to stand out. Some highlight style, like with the Hyundai Kona and Jeep Renegade. Some go for a bargain focus such as with the Nissan Kicks. Our subject in this case, the 2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, earns a look for its remarkable space, strong powertrain and generally good value. The Eclipse Cross's spaciousness is its ultimate party trick, especially for its small size. From the driver's seat, your 5-foot 11-inch and somewhat heavy author could find a very comfortable driving position with loads of head room and leg room. The seating position is high with loads of visibility. The generous headroom also keeps you from feeling like you're sitting on top of the car. The front seats don't have much shape to them, but the cushions are thick and soft enough that they're plenty comfortable. I was also surprised at how easy it was to get in and out of the Eclipse Cross. The door opening is quite large, thanks to a high roof and reasonably low floor, plus the relatively high seat. This kind of easy ingress and egress I don't see often except for in minivans such as our long-term Chrysler Pacifica. More impressive than the space in the front is the space in the back. I could sit behind myself with a few inches to spare in front of my knees. I can't even say that about many comparably-sized cars let alone the current crop of cramped crossovers. The back seats are flat and firmer than I would like, but they do recline and can slide fore and aft to make more room for cargo or passengers. All of this fits into a package that's about 5 inches shorter than a Honda Civic hatchback, one of the most spacious small cars on the market. Cargo space is close to the Civic, too. With the seats up, it's slightly behind the Honda at 22.6 cubic feet (22.1 for our SEL with the subwoofer and moonroof) versus 25.7. But with the 60/40 split seats folded, the Eclipse Cross jumps ahead with 48.9 cubic feet versus the Civic's 46.2. The rest of the interior is less impressive. The plastics, while varied in texture and finish, are cheap and hard. The infotainment offers two ways to interact with it, either with the touchscreen or a touch pad, but neither is great. The touchscreen is far away, and the touch buttons on either side are annoying, and the touch pad is only slightly better than the terrible Lexus touch pad interface.

Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer electric crossover partly revealed in teaser

Another teaser image has been released of the new electric crossover concept eloquently named Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer. It shows the crossover's profile, and most of the details are hidden in shadow. But with a little tweaking with some basic photo editing software, we can actually get a good look at the crossover. What we see is actually a fairly conventional-looking crossover, one that doesn't look too far from production. The greenhouse is realistically tall, and the lights aren't too fantastical. The boldest design choice is the extra thick D-pillar with a vertical line next to the side windows. Other details are creases over the wheel arches that suggest fender flares where there are none, and a fender vent accent that clearly states the crossover has an electric powertrain. We can also see it has a roof box mounted on top, which must house the off-road lights we saw in the last teaser. Considering how grounded in reality this concept is, we're expecting at least the design will appear fairly unchanged on a future Mitsubishi model. The normal Outlander would be a good bet, since that crossover is due for a complete redesign, and its proportions are similar to this concept. If this is previewing a new Outlander, expect the production model to still have an internal combustion engine along with a plug-in hybrid variant. A full electric might not be guaranteed, but would be possible, since Mitsubishi could draw on its own EV expertise from the Outlander PHEV and i-MiEV, as well as corporate ally Nissan. Stay tuned for more details when the Engelberg Tourer is fully revealed at the Geneva Motor Show. Related Video: