Mitsubishi Will Not Withdraw From US...

[emotionap1]

Straight from the Camel's mouth this time...

Mitsubishi has had a very rough road the last few years. Its sales have fallen steadily since a peak year in 2002 when the brand pushed 354,111 units out the door. According to Automotive News, Osamu Masuko, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, says he is often asked if the Japanese automaker is ready to pull out of the U.S. market. "It never enters my mind," he says.

The company with the triple diamond logo has big plans and lofty goals for the near future. Currently, Mitsubishi moves around 50,000 vehicles per year and Masuko's personal goal is to push that figure to 200,000 vehicles – an increase of 400 percent. He believes the path to his goals is through new products and moderate incentives, both of which will help drive steady and sustainable growth.

The product lineup is shifting away from a past littered with larger sedans and SUVs. Mitsubishi is going to aim for smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles as well as all-electric vehicles such as the i-MiEV. In addition, it plans to move away from regional vehicles to develop consistent global platforms. Since the U.S. market only accounts for less than 10 percent of global sales, this sounds like a smart move, but smaller vehicles often bring smaller profit potential, so it will be interesting to see if Mitsu can thrive with this sort of a business plan.

Osamu Masuko's bottom line is that changes are coming, Mitsubishi is going to turn its ship around starting this year with new offerings like the Outlander Sport, and it remains committed to regaining its past success in the American market.

- Autoblog

Source - http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/23/mitsubishi-ceo-we-will-not-withdraw-from-u-s-market/

 

[JCE]

Too bad really. It's rather worthless here minus the Lancer. Every other model they sell is junk and as boring as a Toyota.

 

[Jim Prower]

It seems that's all they WILL sell here, not including the "i".

 

[Tornado]

The really sad thing is that when they really try hard and hit one out of the park, everyone ignores them. And I'm curious as to how the new boss plans on changing that.

 

[Eric.]

Funny because I've been seeing a lot more Lancers lately.

 

[GT_Prologue5]

Man, Mitsubishi has really taken a plunge lately. The cars they seel here really need improved though, the Galant is not even a thought for mid-sized car, the Endeavor is funky-looking, the Lancer does have some gripes, not surrounding the Evo, and the new Outlander Sport has about 20 less hp than anything in its realm, although it is cheaper. They really took a big fall, remember the company that prided itself on its Lancers, 3000GT's, and Galants? I hope they don't pull out, but I think that if they don't get something going, it'll be the only choice they have.

 

[Jim Prower]

I think what they need to do is retool DSM for the Lancer Platform, and build an Eclipse based on that. Make the top model Ralliart.

The iMEV is a pretty good for those urban dwellers who wish to have a car in the face of no-petrol legislation in city centers...not a bad taxicab Idea, too. I saw a TON of Crown Vics in Chicago last week for IMTS. Just replacing those with EVs could clean up the air in that area a ton.

((See, electric cars have their uses.))

There's also the Outlander Sport, Mitsu's new Cute 'ute coming out. Really, what needs to be done is break out of the mediocrity, though - The Lancer does that well, but we need more.

Perhaps...their Keicar lineup?

 

[homeforsummer]

Mitsubishi is one of those makers for whom you just seem to get the wrong cars. I'm presuming you don't get any Evo model?

The Outlander Sport (known as the ASX over here) is supposed to be a pretty good car, although you guys miss out on its USP here in Europe, which is the world's first variable valve timing diesel engine, and it's supposed to be a corker. With the USA being allergic to diesels though, you're unlikely to see anything like that.

I think the Lancer is a nice looking car too. More than a hint of the older, shark-nosed Galant about it and great proportions. The current Galant is a bit dull, unfortunately.

The regular Outlander isn't too bad a car. It was our wheels of choice (well, we were given one, anyway) for doing Route 66 a few years back. I don't know what it's like compared to immediate competition but we had no real complaints over our 2,500-odd mile road trip and economy wasn't too bad.

What might help Mitubishi is bringing over the Colt subcompact to have a crack at the Jazz and Fiesta. It's probably (well, almost certainly) not as good a car as either, but it'd be one of the few competitiors in that sector and I'm sure it'd steal sales if priced competitively.

All the other models we get in Europe would be hit and miss over there. Smaller (than USA-sized) SUVs do quite well here and Mitsu are at the top of the market for the more rugged things like the Shogun and L200 pickup.

And the i-MiEV is impressive, it's just too expensive. Hopefully the company's next electric car will be cheaper.

 

[Northstar]

Mitsubishi is one of those makers for whom you just seem to get the wrong cars. I'm presuming you don't get any Evo model?

We have gotten all of them as far as I know, we also get the Sportback(which I think looks good).

 

[homeforsummer]

I think the Sportback looks awful, personally. It's a hatchback designed specifically to compete with the fact that the Impreza is a hatchback now, and it's blatantly a rush-job because of this. The regular Lancer looks vastly better.

 

[Sniffs]

a VVT diesel? cool

mitsu's are rare around here. I've seen one EVO in 5 years. even eclipses are few and far between.

"allergic to diesels" heh. that's a good one. can't help it we think diesels are for lorries

I'm kinda surprised mitsu hasn't pulled out.

 

[Jay]

We have gotten all of them as far as I know, we also get the Sportback(which I think looks good).

US only has the Evo since Evo VIII didn't they?



Edit: unless you're referring to "all of them" in terms of current mitsubishi line up

 

[eSZee]

Man, Mitsubishi has really taken a plunge lately. The cars they seel here really need improved though, the Galant is not even a thought for mid-sized car, the Endeavor is funky-looking, the Lancer does have some gripes, not surrounding the Evo, and the new Outlander Sport has about 20 less hp than anything in its realm, although it is cheaper. They really took a big fall, remember the company that prided itself on its Lancers, 3000GT's, and Galants? I hope they don't pull out, but I think that if they don't get something going, it'll be the only choice they have.

It's more like 30 or 40hp but it's also 300-400lbs lighter than the CR-V or RAV4, 200 or so lees than the Rogue or Sportage and more fun to drive, much better ground clearance. Best of all it comes with a manual. Everything else is less than the other cars but it's also $3000+ cheaper. For that price, what competitors does it have? I've never considered Mitsubishi other than the EVo cause I was worried that they won't be around for long. No need to worry about that now. Best of all it comes with a manual.
MItsubishi has a stigma about it that Americans can't seem to get over. Sadly Mitsu is thought of now, as something close to Suzuki, a lower level Japanese car.

 

[Crash]

US only has the Evo since Evo VIII didn't they?

You are correct, we have only gotten the Evo since Evo VIII. Mitsubishi just calls them Lancer Evolution here without the numbering like the rest of the world.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

-> Since the head of Mitsu US is being braver than a guy who's confronting a Grizzly Bear. I should say retool its line-up from the ground-up:

Lancer - DE (sedan), ES (sedan), GTS (sedan/hatch), Ralliart (sedan/hatch), Evo GSR (sedan), Evo MR (sedan).

Outlander - ES, XLS.

Outlander Sport - ES, SE.

-> If the Eclipse, Galant, & Endeavor aren't going to be re-engineered, its better to phase them out...for good.

^ While those 3 cars are stupendously failures, they should introduce these very significant models:

i (yeah, yeah, iMIEV is coming; what about its gas sibling?)

- ES, SE.

Colt (make this car more fun than the dumbed-down USDM Fiesta)

- DS, ES, Ralliart.

Montero Sport (a worthy replacement to the useless Endeavor)

- ES, XLS, Ralliart.

Grandis/Expo (a worthy anti-minivan people mover)

- ES, XLS, SE.

(L200) Strada (Mahindra needs a small pickup rival and this is it)

- DS, ES, XLS, Ralliart.

-> And to such epicness IMO, I should say they should return this legend as the poor mans Land Cruiser.

Montero

5-door - ES, SE, XLS. (no more Limited crap)
3-door - ES, SE, Ralliart [make it either gas or diesel, and a M/T as a option].

 

[Sniffs]

Vanishing: you have GOT to be kidding with some of those.

SUV's are tainted permanently because of 5 dollar fuel, and that pickup? *loud laughter* we have enough pickups, I think

i can see the i as a perfect city car, but I think the colt will only bring on bad memories of the cruddy chrysler (and even crudder by rep HILLMAN versions for baby boomers)types.

I agree about Eclipse and Galant. it'll be a pity to see the eclipse go, but I don't think the new moolah earning generation will be buying anything but german sport coupes or sedans. I don't think the Galant sold well here, anyway.

 

[homeforsummer]

SUV's are tainted permanently because of 5 dollar fuel, and that pickup? *loud laughter* we have enough pickups, I think

Depends on the market. With the disappearance of the Ranger an L200 might do well. It's an honest, reliable pickup with a decent towing capacity (5952 lb braked) and payload (2304 lb). Not quite as much as an F150 or something sure, but then an F150 will do 17mpg combined where the L200 will manage 25mpg. For someone on a budget I could see it being a decent bet. Been the top selling pickup in Europe for God knows how long.

 

[eSZee]

Vanishing: you have GOT to be kidding with some of those.

SUV's are tainted permanently because of 5 dollar fuel, and that pickup? *loud laughter* we have enough pickups, I think

i can see the i as a perfect city car, but I think the colt will only bring on bad memories of the cruddy chrysler (and even crudder by rep HILLMAN versions for baby boomers)types.

I agree about Eclipse and Galant. it'll be a pity to see the eclipse go, but I don't think the new moolah earning generation will be buying anything but german sport coupes or sedans. I don't think the Galant sold well here, anyway.

Really? Cause the majority of americans(dumb) seem to have forgotten those days. SUV/sales of trucks have been going up for years as if though the gas crisis of a few years back never happened or won't happen again. Let's not mention their inability to accept small city cars and diesels.

 

[Tornado]

and that pickup? *loud laughter* we have enough pickups, I think

We have plenty of full-sized pickups. The L200 isn't a full-sized pickup.

 

[Sniffs]

note that by the time the L's would be tuned to american specs, they'd gain how many hundreds of pounds/kilos of weight because of US spec safety equipment and standard features. if that thing gets 25 highway, it'll drop to about 20 practical MAX in US spec (4 bangers and small V6's don't seem to work to well in midsize pickups, as people really do tend to load them like they were 25 type or even 35 type cargo capacity full sizers)

besides, it reminds me of Suzuki's clone of the Dakota they sell here. and unless Suz worked around the shortcomings inherent in some chrysler designs...

btw, a friend of mine has one of these over in dublin. it looks about the size of a first gen ranger to me. anybody got proper specs?

 

[eSZee]

http://www.auto-searchphilippines.com/MitsubishiStradaCRDi.html

http://www.auto-searchphilippines.com/MitsubishiStradaGLX.html

 

[Tornado]

note that by the time the L's would be tuned to american specs, they'd gain how many hundreds of pounds/kilos of weight because of US spec safety equipment and standard features.

That's a pretty big assumption. They may have designed it from the start to sell in the U.S. if they wanted to, and then just decided not to (Mitsubishi in 2005 was not a happy place to be, so that is actually quite possible).

if that thing gets 25 highway, it'll drop to about 20 practical MAX in US spec

Even 20MPG (so long as it is a hard 20) out of the V6 model would be fine. The Frontier with the V6 is rated at 20, but you are lucky if you get 16 out of it. Ditto the Tacoma and Dakota (more or less). The Colorado gets better mileage, but the only engine in it that isn't completely terrible/useless is the V8.

 

[niky]

The L200s are roughly in the same size class as the global Ranger and the new Nissan Frontier Navara. Just over 5m long and 1.7m wide. I believe US compacts are about as wide, but longer in the bed.

The L200 is a pretty good truck... the cabin is fairly long as far as global compacts go and leg-room is excellent. The engines aren't top-of-the-class, but they're smooth and quiet and get good economy. All it might need for the US market is an extended bed variant.

The Montero Sport is interesting... it's a replacement for the ancient Pajero-based Montero Sport based on the L200. As such, it's a ladder-frame seven seater built to meet modern western standards, and shares the L200's excellent safety architecture.

However, it can't compete against the modern unibody crossovers the Endeavor also fails to compete against... being based on compact pick-up architecture, it's much narrower than modern unibody rivals (such as the Santa Fe, the Sorento, etcetera...) and it has compromised handling and a cramped third row.

US markets will probably not like the diesels, either... 0-60 times for the smaller diesel are in the 12s-14s. But darn if they aren't economical.

 

[homeforsummer]

US markets will probably not like the diesels, either... 0-60 times for the smaller diesel are in the 12s-14s. But darn if they aren't economical.

In gear times shouldn't be too bad though, although they don't look as flash in the brochures.

I can't remember what power they make either but I'm sure you can spec them in the UK with an upgrade to make 180bhp or thereabouts.

 

[Jim Prower]

The L200s are roughly in the same size class as the global Ranger and the new Nissan Frontier Navara. Just over 5m long and 1.7m wide. I believe US compacts are about as wide, but longer in the bed.

The L200 is a pretty good truck... the cabin is fairly long as far as global compacts go and leg-room is excellent. The engines aren't top-of-the-class, but they're smooth and quiet and get good economy. All it might need for the US market is an extended bed variant.

The Montero Sport is interesting... it's a replacement for the ancient Pajero-based Montero Sport based on the L200. As such, it's a ladder-frame seven seater built to meet modern western standards, and shares the L200's excellent safety architecture.

However, it can't compete against the modern unibody crossovers the Endeavor also fails to compete against... being based on compact pick-up architecture, it's much narrower than modern unibody rivals (such as the Santa Fe, the Sorento, etcetera...) and it has compromised handling and a cramped third row.

US markets will probably not like the diesels, either... 0-60 times for the smaller diesel are in the 12s-14s. But darn if they aren't economical.

I think with the propogation of the big 3/4-/ 1-ton rigs, some guys are gonna want to look at smaller diesel trucks, especially in the Midwest, where Diesel is easy to get. Like was said in the Ranger thread, That Mahindra is gonna be one to watch.

 

[astrosdude91]

Never was a big fan of Mitsubishi. I like the Evo of course. But the ricer scene ruined the ones we got. Everything else they make here is of rather terrible quality. I could care less if alot of the models went away. But I would be sad to see the Evo go away.

 

[niky]

@Jim: Too right... Mahindra will be a good test case. I wonder at what the pricing will be, what with the taxes and all...

In gear times shouldn't be too bad though, although they don't look as flash in the brochures.

In-gear acceleration for common-rails is great for all of 1500 rpm, then it's over. Even with variable geometry turbines, there's inevitably some turbo lag with the more powerful ones.

I can't remember what power they make either but I'm sure you can spec them in the UK with an upgrade to make 180bhp or thereabouts.

If I recall right, it's about 136 hp out of 2.5 liters, around 160 hp out of 3.2. You can tune them for more, but the Nissan Frontier Navara already has a 170 hp 2.5 that's outright faster, if not quite as flexible... the powerband is even narrower.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

-> ...

The L200s are roughly in the same size class as the global Ranger and the new Nissan Frontier Navara. Just over 5m long and 1.7m wide. I believe US compacts are about as wide, but longer in the bed.

The L200 is a pretty good truck... the cabin is fairly long as far as global compacts go and leg-room is excellent. The engines aren't top-of-the-class, but they're smooth and quiet and get good economy. All it might need for the US market is an extended bed variant.

^ Although it wasn't released in the Philippines, Mitsu came out the extended-bed model for its 4-door model:

7-in. longer than its standard bed!!!

^ I know it looks goofy at first; but hey!

The Montero Sport is interesting... it's a replacement for the ancient Pajero-based Montero Sport based on the L200. As such, it's a ladder-frame seven seater built to meet modern western standards, and shares the L200's excellent safety architecture.

However, it can't compete against the modern unibody crossovers the Endeavor also fails to compete against... being based on compact pick-up architecture, it's much narrower than modern unibody rivals (such as the Santa Fe, the Sorento, etcetera...) and it has compromised handling and a cramped third row.

^ However, the Montero Sports main rival would be the similarly-sized 4Runner, Liberty and the Xterra. I would say it would still be a good competition.

US markets will probably not like the diesels, either... 0-60 times for the smaller diesel are in the 12s-14s. But darn if they aren't economical.

^ We will see on how Mahindra fares here in the US.

 

[Sniffs]

Toronado: i dunno man, 20 would be a good run for the 4 banger actually. don't forget, the rest of the world runs on higher grade gas than the US does. my stepdad had the 93 ranger with a 2.2 that wouldn't get more than 22...empty

JP: lets hope Mahindra doesn't develop a crippling problem when it gets over here. hope something from a semi-tropical country can take road salt and so on up here in the rustbelt.

 

[a6m5]

Colt (make this car more fun than the dumbed-down USDM Fiesta)

- DS, ES, Ralliart.

Please! This looks cooler than any new mini-car I've seen here.