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Junkyard Gem: 1987 Dodge Ram 50

Chrysler began selling Dodge-badged Mitsubishis way back in the 1971 model year, when the Mitsubishi Colt Galant became known here as the Dodge Colt. Later in the decade, a Plymouth Arrow-badged version of the Mitsubishi Triton small pickup appeared here, along with a Dodge version known as the D-50 and — a few years later — the Ram 50. Once Mitsubishi began selling the same trucks here as Mighty Maxes, starting in the 1983 model year, the Ram 50 didn't seem quite so specialÂ… and then the Dakota made its debut for the 1987 model year. Still, when the Triton went to its second generation that same year, Chrysler continued selling it as the Ram 50. Here's one of those second-generation trucks, found in a Denver-area self-service yard last month. At this point, GM had long since stopped selling Isuzu Fasters with Chevrolet LUV emblems, as had Ford with the Courier-badged Mazda Proceed (after developing the all-American S-10 and Ranger, respectively). The decision-makers at Chrysler, however, calculated that the Ram 50 could grab some sales from Dodge truck shoppers who felt that the Dakota was too big for their needs; as a result, the Ram 50 stayed on sale here through 1994. The last Mighty Maxes rolled out of American Mitsubishi showrooms in 1996. The 6G72 V6 engine became available in four-wheel-drive Ram 50s a few years after this truck was built, but in 1987 all Ram 50s came with either the 2.0-liter 4G63 Sirius or 2.6-liter Astron four-banger. This truck has the base Sirius, rated at 92 horsepower. Remember when new trucks came with double-digit horsepower ratings? Most American-market small pickups still had manual transmissions during the middle 1980s, though that would change in a hurry with the dawn of the 1990s and the drop in slushbox prices. This one has the base five-speed. Just barely 100,000 miles on the clock, very unusual for a junkyard pickup of this age (especially one with a thick coat of brush-applied white house paint on the tailgate). Maybe the speedometer cable broke 25 years ago. You don't see many rear-wheel-drive pickups with roll bars. You'll find one in every car. You'll see. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Dodge Ram 50 Commercial 1987 Those other Japanese imports hallucinated the Ram 50 in alarming ways. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV now for real due in 'late summer, early fall'

Any day now, American plug-in vehicle shoppers will be able to actually buy a plug-in hybrid SUV. Europeans and Japanese buyers have had this option for many years, since the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV went on sale in those markets in 2013. There have been plenty of diversions in the route that is bringing the big PHEV to our shores, but it's looking like, "late summer, early fall," is when thing will for real happen. 10-20 percent of total Outlander sales would be "a very good number." That's the message from Don Swearingen, executive vice president of Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA), who we spoke to at the New York Auto Show where the PHEV made its debut appearance. Swearingen said that the dealers are as ready as the customers. "As we talked to our dealer council, they are all very interested in this product," he said. "[Range anxiety was] eliminated with this vehicle, and because of that, I think we are going to have some pretty good response." Swearingen didn't put a specific number to that claim, but said that 10-20 percent of total Outlander sales (which currently sit at around 2,000 a month) would be "a very good number." Previously, Mitsubishi representatives said they expected to sell 4,000 PHEV units in the first year. As we've documented over the years, there were a number of reasons for why the US didn't get the first batch of Outlander PHEVs. One of the big ones was that the PHEV was selling like gangbusters elsewhere. It's the best-selling PHEV in all of Europe, for example, and was the fourth-best-selling plug-in vehicle anywhere in February 2016. And Mitsubishi just couldn't make enough of them. Swearingen said the main bottleneck for this was the battery pack supplier Lithium Energy Japan, which didn't have the capacity to make more than it did. So, instead of leaving three markets without enough supply, Mitsubishi decided to leave one in the lurch and focus on the other two. Plus, since the Outlander PHEV will be based on the 2017 gas-powered Outlander, it will come with numerous safety enhancements as well as the 100+ improvements that the 2016 Outlander got compared to the 2015. In other words, all the pieces are all coming together. The Outlander PHEV is "the best of both worlds." - Francine Harsini At least, that's what Francine Harsini, MMNA's senior director of marketing, said. The final important part are the customers, and Harsini said that Mitsubishi will be a big national marketing push. The general theme?

2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross First Drive Review | A welcome improvement

We’ve considered the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross a better-than-expected option in a mostly uninspiring vehicular segment ever since it was introduced for the 2018 model year. ItÂ’s sized and priced somewhere between subcompact and compact crossovers, making it an in-betweener that may attract some buyers due to its distinctive positioning. And itÂ’s been given a pretty comprehensive refresh for the 2022 model year that erases a few of our complaints and makes it more compelling, especially against subcompact crossover models like the Honda HR-V and Toyota C-HR. In an odd bit of launch timing that we figure was probably shaken up by a certain global pandemic, thereÂ’s no 2021 edition. The 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross isnÂ’t a total redesign — it rides on the same platform and is powered by the same engine and transmission as before — but the exterior design has been given a serious makeover while the interior gets some nice ergonomic upgrades that will make it easier to live with on a daily basis. On the outside, the updates are focused on the very tips of the little crossover. A redesigned front fascia further separates the light clusters into upper LED driving lights and lower stacked headlights and fog lamps. MitsubishiÂ’s Dynamic Shield grille design features chrome swooshes that flank a blacked-out diamond-pattern mesh in the center. ThereÂ’s a definite human-esque look to the face of the Eclipse Cross, and in person the overall appearance is aggressive and interesting. The rear received an even bigger makeover than the front. Gone is the two-piece rear glass that was bisected by a faux spoiler-shaped panel with full-width taillights, and in its place is a much more conventional hatchback with a larger single-piece window. The 2022 Eclipse Cross is a significant 5.5 inches longer than the 2020 model, and four of those were tacked on the back end. That makes for a bump in cargo capacity to 23.4 cubic feet (up 0.8 over the 2020 version) with the rear seat in place and 50.1 (an increase of 1.2 cubic feet) with the second row folded. It also adds 11% more floor area for long and/or wide items. While the added space is a welcome improvement, the reconfiguration of the Eclipse CrossÂ’s dashboard and center console may be even more useful. The infotainment screen, which measures 7 inches on the base ES model and 8 inches on everything else, was moved a couple inches closer to the driver.