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Mitsubishi Europe boss says two new PHEV crossovers due next year

In an interview with Automotive News Europe, Mitsubishi's European CEO Bernard Loire told the publication, "In the second half of next year we will have a replacement of the current Outlander. It will be on an alliance platform. There also will be another smaller SUV coming at the same time." The statements came in response to a question about expanding the automaker's plug-in hybrid lineup, leading readers to expect that by this time next year, Mitsubishi will have two crossover PHEVs on the market. The current Outlander has been on the market since late 2012, the plug-in hybrid showing for the 2014 model year. We've already seen fairly polished versions of fourth-generation Outlander prototypes out testing, sporting looks inspired by the Engelberg Tourer concept revealed at this year's Geneva Motor Show. Some suspect the 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the current PHEV powertrain will make way for a 2.4-liter mill as in the Engelberg, paired with high-efficiency motors on both axles. The show car also touted features like all-wheel drive improved with active yaw control and enhanced anti-lock braking software. Figure on an EV range that improves the current Outlander PHEV's 22 miles, going perhaps as far as the Engelberg's 43 miles. Loire didn't give away anything about the second model, but an Autocar report from earlier this year quoted "a senior source" as saying "We will not have a unique nameplate" for the second battery-electric vehicle. The magazine said the Eclipse Cross and Outlander Sport are in line for series hybrid powertrains, without indicating which might come first. Loire told AN the brand's doing fine with respect to Europe's coming CO2 legislation, so it doesn't need to make rash moves. With the Eclipse Cross forming 20% of sales on the Continent, the middle crossover would be a rational choice for the next plug-in hybrid, especially since it's retiring the 2.2-liter diesel option around the end of 2020. On the other hand, the Outlander Sport will be 10 years old next year, a replacement can't be far away. The new plug-ins come with the realignment of Mitsubishi's crossover range. The Outlander, sitting on a new architecture shared among the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, will grow into a proper mid-size choice; the prototype spotted in Michigan is clearly larger than the current vehicle.

Mitsubishi HQ raided by the Japanese government

Mitsubishi's fuel economy scandal continues to grow, and the Japanese government wants answers. According to Reuters, the Japanese Transport Ministry raided the company's headquarters and a factory in Nagoya today. This raid comes soon after the company revealed that a number of its SUVs were also being sold with incorrect fuel economy ratings. The Japanese government issued a stop-sale on those vehicles a few days ago. This raid also follows an internal investigation conducted by Mitsubishi to discover how this fuel economy scandal happened, and how the practices that led to it were able to continue for 25 years. The internal investigation revealed a few contributing factors that all fell under issues with the company's culture. There was significant pressure throughout the company to reach fuel economy targets and missing them wasn't readily accepted. Questioning decisions of management was also discouraged, and it seemed the different divisions of the company weren't working well together. The findings of this raid have yet to be revealed, but it will be interesting to see how they compare with those of the internal investigation. The Japanese Transport Ministry seems intent on preventing a repeat of this with another company considering that, according to Reuters, it "sent documents to other automakers to enforce compliance with rules for calculating mileage ." Related Video: News Source: Reuters via Automotive News EuropeImage Credit: Julien Amado / Autoblog Quebec Government/Legal Green Mitsubishi Fuel Efficiency investigation

Mitsubishi reports an 89% drop in annual profit

TOKYO — Mitsubishi will focus on cutting fixed costs by 20% or more in the next two years after reporting an 89% drop in annual profit, its weakest performance in three years, and skipping its year-end dividend. The coronavirus crisis has exacerbated Mitsubishi's struggles in a year where Japan's sixth biggest carmaker was already battling falling sales in China and also southeast Asia, its largest market which accounts for one-quarter of sales. Mitsubishi also said on Tuesday it would focus on growth in ASEAN countries to survive the aftermath of the pandemic. "Before the virus we had been mulling which underperforming regions and vehicle segments to cut our exposure to," CEO Takao Kato told a results teleconference. "In the wake of the virus, we need to pick up the pace of making these changes. To stay competitive in a post-coronavirus market, we need to immediately shrink our area of focus to regions and segments in which we excel." Global automakers are struggling to cope with the crisis, which has pummeled car sales due to lockdowns in many countries. Many automakers have begun to restart vehicle factories, but anemic demand, supply chain disruptions and social distancing measures at factories are expected to limit output. Mitsubishi's operating profit came in at 12.8 billion yen ($119.21 million) for the year to end March, down from 111.8 billion yen a year ago, and its lowest since the year to end March 2017. Profits exceeded a consensus estimate of 9.4 billion yen profit drawn from 15 analysts polled by Refinitiv. The automaker did not give an earnings forecast for the current business year, and did not issue a year-end dividend, compared with 10 yen per share a year ago. The junior member of the automaking partnership between Nissan and France's Renault, sold 1.13 million vehicles globally in the year ended March, down 9%. Mitsubishi will focus on growth in southeast Asia as part of the alliance's plan for each company to expand in their regions of strength. Mitsubishi said it would give more details when it reports first-quarter results. The alliance is expected to announce a revamped strategy on May 27, when it will pledge to increase cooperation to improve joint operations to remain competitive. Related Video: