Mitsubishi Updates i-MiEV, Slashes Prices and Increases Autonomy

The electric car war rages on and the latest entrant is Mitsubishi’s new model year version of the i-MiEV that was revealed today in Japan. The most important changes that Mitsubishi made to its all-electric city car is the introduction of a new lower-cost base model and improvements to the standard version in order to extend its driving range.

The new budget model is called the ‘M’ and its price comes down to 2.6 million Yen (US$32,070 -€22,170) or 1,880,000 Yen (US$23,190 - €16,040) after Japanese government subsidies. It is powered by an electric motor producing 41-horses and has a reduced driving range of 120 kilometers (75 miles).

Read more »

Mitsubishi i EV Priced from $20,490 in the U.S., Close to $5,000 Less than Nissan’s Leaf

The main reason for which Mitsubishi will drop the Eclipse, Endeavor and Galant models from its U.S. range is to focus on developing zero-emissions vehicles like the Mitsubishi i (also known as the i-MiEV in Europe). The Japanese carmaker announced at the New York Auto Show that the plug-in EV will arrive in U.S. showrooms in November 2011, with prices starting from $20,490 (€14,100) for the standard ES model and $22,490 for the better-equipped ES version, government subsidies included. Read more »

Last Stand: Mitsubishi Sends Off Eclipse with 2012 SE Special Edition Series

Produced since 2006, the fourth generation Mitsubishi Eclipse is nearing the end of its career and to mark the occasion, the Japanese manufacturer has announced a final special edition for the Coupe and Spyder models.

As Mitsubishi will cease production of the Eclipse after the upcoming 2012 model year without offering a replacement model, the SE Special Edition is the manufacturer's way of saying goodbye to a model series produced since 1989.

All Eclipse trim levels (GS, GS Sport and GT) will be available as SE Special Edition versions which includes “SE” side decals, black side mirrors and 18-inch dark finish alloy wheels, along with the high-end standard features available on the Eclipse GS Sport versions of both the coupe and convertible models.

Read more »

Japanese Carmakers Lose More than 500,000 Vehicles to Earthquake, Toyota hit the Worst

It’s been over a month since the first of a series of earthquakes along with a catastrophic tsunami hit Japan’s shores resulting in devastating destruction and flooding, but the country is still feeling the effects in more ways than one.

According to a news report, Japan’s big seven automakers have lost more than half a million units of output since the March 11 quake. To make matters worse, even though many factories opened recently, they have not yet reached their full production capacity due to a lack of parts.

Read more »

VIDEO: The Ultimate Taxi Ride in a Rally-Spec Mitsubishi Lancer EVO

In a perfect world for gear-heads, a sweet taxi ride would involve a high performance sports car, preferably a racing model, and a qualified driver. Unfortunately, the WRC-like Mitsubishi Lancer EVO taxi seen in the video after the jump exists only in fantasy, as this clip is a commercial for a new 4G mobile broadband plan from Norwegian cell phone operator Netcom. Click past the jump to watch the ad. Read more »

VIDEO: The Stig Goes Donuts in a Lancer EVO 9-Based London Taxi Cab at the Top Gear Festival

We don’t know the identity of the man hiding behind the white racing helmet at the ‘Top Gear Festival 2011’, but The Stig sure knows how to work the steering wheel. Of course, being that the black London Taxi Cab you see in the video after the jump is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, does help a bit. You see, what looks on the outside like a normal black London taxi cab, is in fact a re-skinned Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9 crafted by the folks over at SHP Engineering.

The company started with a Lancer EVO 9 with just 1,500 miles on the odo and stripped it down to the bare bones. The body shell of a London Taxi Cab was then dropped on top creating the most innocent EVO we have ever seen to date. Follow the jump to watch it in some awe-inspiring donut action.

Read more »

Honda, Nissan and Toyota Donate $3.75 Million Each for Earthquake Relief in Japan

The massive earthquake followed by the even more devastating tsunami that struck the north-east coasts of Japan last week has brought together the country’s biggest automakers including Honda, Nissan and Toyota, which announced today that they will donate $3.75 million each for relief and recovery efforts in communities affected by the disaster.

Read more »

Mitsubishi Unveils New Concept-Global Small in Geneva, Previews Colt Replacement

The 81st Geneva Motor Show saw Mitsubishi taking the wraps off its new Concept-Global Small vehicle that will essentially lead to a replacement for the firm's Colt supermini. The troubled Japanese automaker said the actual production version will be revealed towards the end of this year, prior to a start of production scheduled for early 2012 at a new plant currently being built in Thailand, the company's third factory in the region.

Read more »

Euro NCAP Conducts its First Ever Plug-in EV Crash Test with the i-MiEV and Gives it Four-Stars

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is the first ever plug-in electric vehicle to be tested by Euro NCAP and marks the start of a series of EV crash-tests planned for this year. Besides the i-MiEV, the European safety institute also rated five conventional models: the BMW X1, Hyundai ix20, Dacia Duster, Mitsubishi ASX and Nissan Juke.

The EV obtained an overall four star rating, the same score being awarded to the i-MiEV's sister models, the Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn, which have the same design and safety equipment. The result was judged as "creditable" by the Euro NCAP.

Read more »

Vilner Joins Forces with Overdrive to Tune 400HP Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

After tuning several American and European cars, Vilner has now turned its focus on a Japanese model, the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X. For this project, the Bulgarian tuning house joined forces with a company called Overdrive, which took over the performance upgrades.

Read more »

Mitsubishi GalEA Four-Door Sportcoupé Design Concept by Gábor Farkas

In the beginning of the year, we showed you a very production-like concept study for a new generation of the Colt sub-compact called the Concept CS, which was created by Gábor Farkas. The independent designer has now sent us yet another Mitsubishi study, this time for a replacement to the Galant sedan.

The concept is named GalEA and is said to draw its inspiration from the previous, sharper-looking eighth generation Galant of the late 1990s, while sharing similar design cues with the smaller Concept CS. In a 180 degree turn, the designer re-imagined the Galant as a more distinct and aggressive looking four-door coupe model with a long hood, sloping roof, pillarless doors and a stumpy rear end.

Follow the jump to read Gábor's description of the project and to get a closer look at the sporty Mitsubishi saloon in our high-res gallery and CGI videos.

Read more »

Mitsubishi Flexis Concept Study: David Cardoso’s Ford C-Max Rival

The current generation Mitsubishi Grandis is a good representation of the Japanese automaker as a whole. Plastic-y interiors, underdone ride and handling and anodyne looks combine to make the Grandis a poor substitute for the vastly superior and better selling Toyota Tarago [Australia]. With its South Korean competition having long ago stepped up to the plate, it’s disappointing to see Mitsubishi lagging so far behind.

David Cardoso, the artist who in the past has brought us design studies such as Renault Twist MPV and Audi Hydron, has envisioned a possible successor to the Grandis in the form of the Flexis. Appearing to be smaller than the Grandis - with seating more likely for five instead of seven - the Flexis takes it’s styling cues from the Opel Meriva, Peugeot 3008 and 2012 Ford Focus.

Read more »

Mitsubishi Releases No-Frills Lancer 1.5 Juro Special Edition for the UK

The Mitsubishi Lancer nobody really wants but almost everyone gets across the pond has become a bit more desirable in the UK with the launch of a new special edition, which as usual translates to additional equipment at a more competitive price. The new edition is called Juro and is based on the Lancer 1.5 GS2 hatchback, which is powered by a 1.5-liter petrol engine gasping out 107-horses and 143Nm or 105 lb-ft of peak torque.

Read more »

No Really, this is a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider and it's Powered by a Subaru Turbo Boxer!

Don't let the Nissan 350Z snout and the Infiniti G35 Coupe (JDM Nissan Skyline V35) rear end design fool you; the glitzy painted roadster model you're gawking at is in fact a JDM Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider - possibly a third generation model. But before you try to digest all that info let us quickly add that Paint Star's Tokyo Auto Salon project car also hides a Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine under its 350Z-shaped hood. See the rest of the photos in our image gallery after the break.

Read more »

No Really, this is a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider and it's Powered by a Subaru Turbo Boxer!

Don't let the Nissan 350Z snout and the Infiniti G35 Coupe (JDM Nissan Skyline V35) rear end design fool you; the glitzy painted roadster model you're gawking at is in fact a JDM Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider - possibly a third generation model. But before you try to digest all that info let us quickly add that Paint Star's Tokyo Auto Salon project car also hides a Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine under its 350Z-shaped hood. See the rest of the photos in our image gallery after the break.

Photos: Phil Alex / Carscoop

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Mitsubishi to Phase Out Most of its U.S.-made Models by 2014

Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko today announced that the automaker will kill most of its current lineup of U.S.-made vehicles by 2014, as part of the company's “Jump 2013” mid-term business plan. The decision affects the Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder sports cars, Endeavor crossover and Galant sedan, which are going to be replaced with global vehicles built at the manufacturer’s Illinois plant. The Outlander crossover, Outlander Sport small crossover and Lancer sedan will provide the underpinnings for the new models.

Read more »

Mitsubishi to Phase Out Most of its U.S.-made Models by 2014

Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko today announced that the automaker will kill most of its current lineup of U.S.-made vehicles by 2014, as part of the company's “Jump 2013” mid-term business plan. The decision affects the Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder sports cars, Endeavor crossover and Galant sedan, which are going to be replaced with global vehicles built at the manufacturer’s Illinois plant. The Outlander crossover, Outlander Sport small crossover and Lancer sedan will provide the underpinnings for the new models.

According to Mr. Masuko, these changes won’t affect U.S. sales. In fact, he predicted that sales and production numbers will increase, albeit no target has been specified.

“Our sales in North America will increase”, Masuko said. “We'll still be selling cars brought in from Japan, and we'll be adding the global small car as well”.

When it comes to combined sales, Mitsubishi expects the Japanese, North American and European markets to register a jump of 90,000 units over the next three years.

Furthermore, the company is exploring other possibilities to gain much needed market share as well.

One plan of action will see Mitsubishi rolling out no less than eight electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles by early 2016, including a small commercial truck version of the i-MIEV and plug-in hybrid SUV based on the Px-MiEV concept car shown at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

Mitsubishi also wants to bring its new global small car to the U.S. and target emerging markets with new models, such as a 1-ton pickup truck that could be jointly developed with Nissan.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Autonews

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________