2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart on 2040-cars

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Japan may aid carmakers facing U.S. tariff threat

TOKYO — Japan is considering giving carmakers fiscal support including tax breaks to offset the impact from trade frictions with the United States and a sales-tax hike planned for next year, government sources told Reuters on Wednesday. Going into a second round of trade talks with the United States on Sept. 21, Japan is hoping to avert steep tariffs on its car exports and fend off U.S. demands for a bilateral free trade agreement that could put it under pressure to open politically sensitive markets, like agriculture. "If the trade talks pile pressure on Japan's car exports, we would need to consider measures to support the auto industry," a ruling party official said on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity of the matter. The auto industry accounts for about 20 percent of Japan's overall output and around 60-70 percent of the country's trade surplus with the United States, making it vulnerable to U.S. action against Japanese exports. Japan's biggest automakers and components suppliers fear they could take a significant hit if Washington follows through on proposals to hike tariffs on autos and auto parts to 25 percent. Policymakers also worry that an increase in the sales tax from 8 percent to 10 percent planned for October 2019, could cause a slump in sales of big-ticket items such as cars and home. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has twice postponed the tax hike after the last increase from 5 percent in 2014 dealt a blow to private consumption, which accounts for about 60 percent of the economy. To prevent a pullback in demand after the tax hike, the government may consider large fiscal spending later when it draws up its budget for next year, government sources said. "One option may be to greatly reduce or abolish the automobile purchase tax," one of the government sources said. The government is also considering cuts in the automobile tax and automobile weight tax to help car buyers, the source added. Reporting by Izumi Nakagawa and Tetsushi KajimotoRelated Video: Image Credit: Getty Government/Legal Isuzu Mazda Mitsubishi Nissan Subaru Suzuki Toyota Trump Trump tariffs trade

Nissan ex-Chairman Carlos Ghosn wins release from jail

TOKYO — The Tokyo District Court approved the release of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn on bail of 1 billion yen ($8.9 million) on Tuesday, although the end of his four months of detention in Japan was delayed when prosecutors appealed that decision. Prosecutors filed their objection to Ghosn's release within hours of the announcement he was going to be granted bail. But their appeal was rejected by the court, paving the way for his release. A lawyer for Ghosn said he would not be able to leave the Tokyo Detention Center until Wednesday at the earliest, because bail procedures can't be done at night. The acceptance of Ghosn's request for bail, his third, came a day after the lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, said he was confident the auto executive would gain his release. Hironaka, who recently joined Ghosn's defense team, is famous for winning acquittals in Japan, a nation where the conviction rate is 99 percent. Hironaka said Monday that he had offered new ways to monitor Ghosn after his release, such as camera surveillance. Hironaka also questioned the grounds for Ghosn's arrest, calling the case "very peculiar," and suggesting it could have been dealt with as an internal company matter. He welcomed the decision, telling reporters: "It was good we proposed concrete ways showing how he would not tamper with evidence or try to flee." The 1 billion yen bail set by the court was relatively high but not the highest ever in Japan. Among the conditions for Ghosn's release were restrictions on where he can live, a ban on foreign travel and other promises not to tamper with evidence or try to flee, the court said. The former head of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors alliance has been detained since he was arrested on Nov. 19. He says he is innocent of charges of falsifying financial information and of breach of trust. In Japan, suspects are routinely detained for months, often until their trials start. That's especially true of those who insist on their innocence. Prosecutors say suspects may tamper with evidence and shouldn't be released. Two previous requests submitted by his legal team were denied. His previous defense lawyer, Motonari Ohtsuru, had said Ghosn's release might not come for months. Hironaka is among many critics of the Japanese justice system who say such lengthy detentions of suspects are unfair.

Next-generation Mitsubishi Outlander spied for the first time

Having been around relatively unchanged since the 2014 model year, it's about time that we're finally seeing a new generation of Mitsubishi Outlander crossover. This is the first prototype we've seen, and it's rather thinly disguised. From what we can tell, it will draw heavily from the Engelberg Tourer concept that was shown at this year's Geneva Motor Show (we still find that name strange, by the way). The next-generation Outlander's grille seems to have the now-trademark broad, metallic grille shared with the Eclipse Cross and recently refreshed Outlander Sport. It also has lights that spear off the top corners of the grille. In this application, they appear to simply be daytime running lights. The main illumination probably comes from the large rounded lamps below them. The grille and the shapes of the lights match the Engelberg concept, too. Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer concept View 12 Photos Also matching the Engelberg Tourer is the side profile. We can see that the roof panel is separated from the rest of the body, making it perfect for contrasting colors like those on the concept. The glass area kicks up at the rear just before the vertical edge at the rear. This creates a thick, upright D-pillar, just like the concept. The back of the Outlander is pretty clean and simple, and the taillights are thin and wide. The taillights extend forward into sharp points. All of these features are similar to the concept. With so much of the exterior mirroring Mitsubishi's earlier concept, we're expecting the Outlander to use a similar, if not identical powertrain. The concept featured a plug-in hybrid powertrain very much like the current Outlander PHEV, but with a 2.4-liter inline-4 engine rather than a 2.0-liter unit. Electric range was an estimated 43 miles, which also improves on the existing Outlander PHEV's 22 miles. This all seems very plausible for the new production Outlander PHEV. The powertrain for non-hybrid Outlanders is more of a mystery. Base models may get the Eclipse Cross's turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-4. We'll have to wait to see if the V6 option sticks around. This prototype looks pretty far along in development, so we expect to see the production model shown within a year.