2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Nissan and Mitsubishi reportedly working on a 1-ton pickup for the U.S.

We can probably consider it a testament to how far ex-Nissan Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn veered the conglomerate off the straight and narrow that Nissan continues to restate its global aims. Four years ago, Ghosn successor CEO Makoto Uchida announced Nissan Next, part of the plan's global initiatives to "[Focus] on global core model segments including enhanced C and D segment vehicles, electric vehicles, sport cars," "Introduce 12 models in the next 18 months," and "[Expand] presence in EVs and electric-motor-driven cars, including e-POWER, with more than 1 million electrified sales units expected a year by end of FY23." About 18 months later, the automaker expanded on detail with Ambition 2030, which would invest 2 trillion yen ($13.2 billion U.S.) through 2026, part of which would pay for launching 23 new electrified models, 15 of those pure-electric and planned to hit the market by 2027. It's been a tough row to hoe. Now, at the end of Nissan's fiscal year in March, Uchida announced a revised business plan called The Arc. This would put 30 new models on the market by the end of fiscal year 2026 (March 2027), 16 of which will be electrified. Note the climbdown: Ambition 2030 wanted to put 23 electrified vehicles on the market, 15 of them pure-electric, The Arc wants 30 total vehicles, 16 electrified, eight of them pure-electric. A report in Automotive News says one of those BEVs could be an electric one-ton pickup that Nissan will develop with Mitsubishi for the North American market, as well as a plug-in hybrid powertrain that will power an unknown body style and could also serve the pickup. The PHEV would come first, no surprise based on trends in the EV market. Mitsubishi would develop the PHEV powertrain, perhaps an evolution of the system sold in the Outlander PHEV here and the Eclipse Cross PHEV in international markets like Australia. Bringing a PHEV would give Mitsu a third plug-in model, and give Nissan a second to go along with the China-specific Venucia-brand PHEV that launched last year. Beyond giving Nissan a much needed hybrid to sell in the U.S. — the automaker doesn't sell any here now — it would give Mitsubishi dealers some much needed new product.  The pickup, on the other hand, would employ Nissan's EV expertise. It's planned for our market sometime between March 31, 2027, and the same date in 2031. This could make it a part of Nissan's planned family of next-gen modular EVs that debut after the eight models coming by 2026.

2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Luggage Test | Three rows, two tests!

Well, this is a first. Normally, three-row vehicles are so enormous that doing a luggage test with the third row lowered is a total "no kidding" proposition. I'd run out of stuff in my garage long before I'd fill up a Kia Telluride. As such, I only test the space behind the raised third row of three-row SUVs because that can actually be some useful information. The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander is not a typical three-row SUV, however. It's one of only two SUVs in the compact segment, along with the Volkswagen Tiguan, that offers a third-row seat. As I've already demonstrated, it's not much a seat, but its presence and the need to accommodate it does mean the Outlander has one of the largest cargo volumes in the compact segment.  As such, what we're getting here is the first Double Luggage Test© whereby I'll be treating the Outlander like both a compact SUV and a three-row one, testing it with both the third row raised and lowered. Right!? Pretty damned exciting.  Test 1! Here's what you get with third row raised. On paper, Mitsubishi says this is 11.7 cubic-feet, which is indeed the smallest three-row number I've come across while luggage testing. Congratulations Cadillac XT6, you're no longer last! Wait, hold that thought ... Thanks to those comically tall head restraints and the Outlander's D pillar shape, I could actually safely place the fancy bag on top without it flying forward or excessively blocking rearward visibility (the two reasons I don't load to the roof in these tests). You can see that visibility below right. Below left you can see the 12.6-cubic-foot Cadillac XT6, which could not fit the fancy bag as such (though, obviously, you could fit something). So, sorry XT6, you're in last again. Mwa mwa.  Ah, but what about under-floor space. There's indeed some available. It houses the cargo cover encased in a foam mold that also houses those comically tall headrests when not in use. Remove it all, and there is a decent amount of extra space unearthed, which could theoretically free up some extra space if you left the rigid floor open. That's not the same as vehicles like the Honda Pilot and Kia Telluride, though, which more obviously intend you to use the under-floor space in such a manner.  Test 2! With the third-row lowered and the second-row reclined to a natural position, this is the space available. The specs say it's 33.5 cubic-feet, which falls short of the class-leading Honda CR-V (39.2), Toyota RAV4 (37.5) and Hyundai Tucson (38.7).

Renault plans to sail — literally, sail — on new class of cargo ship

Going green on the ocean may take another step toward reality in about two years, when Renault is expected to load automobiles aboard wind-powered ships for delivery around the world. The partnership between the car maker and Neoline, a French-based company, aims to reduce Renault’s global carbon footprint by eliminating many of the emissions from traditional fuel-powered cargo ships. Neoline officials said that, when propelled solely by the wind, their sailing ships' total emissions drop by as much as 90 percent. The roll-on-roll-off ships will use solid sails that are 50 meters tall. The company says it will start testing the program in 2024 by transporting vehicles to North America and other locales from Saint-Nazaire, in western France. Renault has pledged to achieve zero carbon in Europe by 2030 and worldwide by 2050. Renault, now part of an alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi, hasnÂ’t sold cars in the U.S. market under its own brand name since 1987. A U.S. return as been considered for years, and the partners are now in talks that could reshape the alliance. The shipper's intent to deliver vehicles to North America is an intriguing wrinkle to those talks. The firm says that about 300 to 400 vehicles can be shipped on each Neoline vessel, although the loading will take longer that it would using a traditional cargo ship. A demonstration vessel shown was 446 feet in total length and had more than 45,000 square feet of sail. The partnership between Renault and Neoline was first announced in 2018.   Green Mitsubishi Nissan Green Culture