Topic: Mitsubishi Tidbits

[sirAQUAMAN64]

http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/autoshows,view.spy?artid=75335&pg=1

The company's new compact sedan will be available in three trim levels. The base DE with standard 5-speed manual starts at $16,598, and will cost $19,498 when equipped with optional air conditioning, ABS brakes and CVT automatic transmission.

The ES model adds 16-inch alloy wheels, color-keyed door handles and mirrors and a chrome grille surround, among other features. It's priced at $19,698 with the 5-speed and $20,798 with the CVT.

The Lancer GTS gets more aggressive styling, 18-inch wheels, fog lights, a rear spoiler and a chromed exhaust tip. Price is $21,698 with the 5-speed and $22,798 with the CVT which includes a 6-step Sportronic mode. A Sun and Sound package is available (650-watt Rockford-Fosgate with 6-CD changer and power sunroof) for an extra $2,000.

 
The 2007 Outlander is available in two trim levels. The LS 2WD carries a base price of $25,498, and the LS 4WD costs $26,998. Both can be equipped with $1,250 Convenience and $1,950 Sun and Sound packages.

The Outlander XLS 4WD costs $32,998 and includes the Sun and Sound package as well as leather seating, 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps, a 3rd-row seat and automatic climate control. The Navigation and Entertainment package can be added for an extra $4,000.

Both the Lancer and the Outlander will be in showrooms in March.

Base Lancer with auto is quite pricey, but the GTS is swanky but no leather available? Outlander pricing is very sharp and smart.

[JVan]

The Lancer seems reasonably priced, even the Sentra base gets that high when equiped the same.  The sun and sun pakage on the Lancer is insane, 2k for a upgraded stereo, 6 cd changer and a sun roof?!? The new Lancer and Outlander should definitely help out Mitsu, now they just need better vehicles coming out from the State side factory.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

U.S. market is key for redesigned Mitsubishi Lancer

Kathy Jackson  |   |  Automotive News / January 8, 2007 - 4:05 pm
 
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- When the redesigned Mitsubishi Lancer goes on sale this spring, it will be the first time that the struggling carmaker will launch a redesigned version of the car in the United States before Japan.

Mitsubishi badly needs the Lancer to be a hit in this country if the company is to achieve respectable sales numbers. Many of its dealers also are unprofitable.

“The Lancer is going on sale first in the United States because the market is bigger,” said Hiroshi Harunari, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America, at a press event for the car here. “The Japanese market is not so big for Lancer,” he said.

The basics: The 2008 small Lancer will be the ninth generation of the car. Going back to its motorsports roots, the aim is to bring an affordable small car to the United States that is roomy, comfortable, safe, good-looking, sporty and quick.

The vehicle is based on Mitsubishi’s new C platform and its next generation Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) design, which uses high-tension steel, not used in the current model.

This allows for better sport suspension tuning. As a matter of fact, the increases in torsional and bending rigidity exceed those in the Lancer Evolution IX sports car.

The redesigned model comes in three trim lines: the DE, EX and the sport-tuned GTS.

It will be the first Mitsubishi sold in the United States with a continuously variable transmission, available as an option on all three trim lines.

The 2008 model is built on a longer wheelbase and wider track than the current model but is slightly shorter.

The new 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine, mated to a five-speed manual transmission, makes 152 hp, compared to the current I-4 making 120 hp.

The new engine is 59.5 pounds lighter, which means a significant improvement in handling.

The use of a rear-mounted exhaust manifold compared to the current front-mounted exhaust manifold allows for more precise and quicker steering response. The redesigned front suspension makes for a smoother ride over rough roads.

Notable features: Sixteen-inch wheels now are standard vs. the current 15-inch wheels. The GTS sits on 18-inch wheels.

There are seven standard airbags including side curtain bags. For the first time, there is a standard driver’s knee airbag. ABS is standard on the ES and GTS models and available on the base DE. The GTS is equipped with the same front and rear brakes as the larger Outlander SUV.

The GTS will have an exclusive sport-tuned suspension. When equipped with the optional continuously variable transmission, the GTS features a six-step shift mode with magnesium paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

The optional hard-disc drive navigation system, available on the GTS, can hold up to 1,200 songs.

Sirius satellite radio, available on the ES and GTS models, comes with a six- month pre paid subscription.

What Mitsubishi says: “The C segment is no longer just an econo box,” says Bryan Arnett, product strategy manager for the Lander and Outlander SUV. “This is a more premium feeling and upscale vehicle.”

Shortcomings and compromises: Due to budget constraints, the company could not introduce the planned 2.4-liter I-4 as well as the smaller displacement engine, but Arnett said they are looking at a bigger displacement four-cylinder engine “down the line.”

The market: The Lancer is in a crowded field with includes the hot-selling Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Altima and Chevy Cobalt.

Arnett expects the mid-level ES to be the biggest seller. He believes the GTS will attract conquest buyers.

The skinny: Mitsubishi dealers sold only 23,167 Lancers for calendar year 2006, down 16.8 percent from the previous year.

But the redesigned car is much better, and with an estimated base price of $14,000, the 2008 Lancer will be more than $1,000 less than the current model. Mitsubishi dealers say the company has given them excellent product but now needs to step up to the plate and market them better.

[Scaerio]

In the US, Mitsu really needs a new Galant to be a hit, since it's that class of car that sells in higher number down there.  A successful Lancer may be good for Canadian market survival, but we all know the USA likes its rides to be a little bigger...

[safristi]

Prolly TRUE Scaerio........I still miss my olde Galants..aka Mitsu/Dodge/Eagle GTX 2000 whateffers........keep looking fer one lately as a Wintah Beatah......but it's been so mild..I'm thinkin' of STEALING Giant Dwarfs CHIXSAH car fer Feb?Mar?April
FOOLS.............

[Scaerio]

My Dad had a 1991 2000GTX.  I loved that car.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Mitsubishi sets Lancer price at $14,615

Kathy Jackson  |  Automotive News / March 2, 2007 - 3:02 pm
 
LOS ANGELES -- Mitsubishi has priced its redesigned 2008 Lancer car at $14,615. That is $589 less than the model it replaces.

Not only is the redesigned base DE model cheaper than its predecessor, but it also comes with a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 152 hp, up 32 hp over the old inline-4's 120 hp. There are more standard safety features -- including, for the first time, a driver's knee airbag.

When you add the optional continuously variable transmission, the base price is $15,515.

The Lancer comes in three trim lines: the DE, ES and sport-tuned GTS. The price of the base ES starts at $16,615 and the GTS at $18,115. All prices include $625 shipping.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Outlook brightens at Mitsubishi, but North American sales still hurting

Hans Greimel
Automotive News
November 1, 2007 - 12:56 pm ET   

TOKYO -- Quickening sales and a better model mix have boosted the profit outlook at Mitsubishi Motors Corp., but lackluster U.S. operations still hamper the automaker’s comeback.

Mitsubishi raised its operating income forecast 37 percent to ¥70 billion ($608.7 million) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008.

The figures, released Tuesday, Oct. 30, with the company’s first-half earnings, represent a 74 percent improvement over the last fiscal year’s operating profit of $349.6 million .

Soaring sales and car launches in eastern Europe and Asia are powering the revival. Yet North America is still a drag on overall performance.

After posting an operating profit of $5.2 million last fiscal year, Mitsubishi’s North American business is seen slumping to a loss of $87.0 million in the current year.

That is better than the $121.7 million operating loss Mitsubishi had predicted in April for North America. But the region remains the only one outside Japan where Mitsubishi is hurting.

Mitsubishi blamed the sour outlook in North America on a dearth of model launches after the introduction of the redesigned Eclipse the previous year.

Higher advertising spending to sell the redesigned Lancer also ate into profits.

The big picture looks a lot better.

Consolidated operating profit rose tenfold to $111.3 million in the second quarter ended Sept. 30 , compared with $11.1 million last year. Net sales likewise climbed 31 percent to $5.94 billion in the period, from $4.53 billion a year earlier.

Meanwhile, net income was back in the black at $22.6 million for the second quarter. Mitsubishi booked a net loss of $8.7 million in the same quarter of the last fiscal year.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

So little drop in price with the base being a 4 instead of a 6? Appears the 2.4 ES 2WD will start at $24,9, 4WD $26,9 (optional Sun & Sound), the base LS V6 4WD $28,9. The '07 LS 2WD $25,5 and the 4WD $26,9. I know fuel economy counts for a lot these days, but I'd rather save the $2,000 and get an '07 V6 with its appealing price.   
 
2008 Mitsubishi Outlander will get a 4-banger

Kathy Jackson
Automotive News
November 19, 2007 - 12:01 am ET

LOS ANGELES — The Outlander finally will get the four-cylinder engine Mitsubishi's dealers need.

When the redesigned small SUV came to the United States in the fall of 2006, it was available only with a 3.0-liter V-6. That's because Mitsubishi could not afford to buy a significant number of the new four-cylinder engines it built in a partnership with the former DaimlerChrysler and Hyundai Motor Co.

Now the base ES model for 2008 will get the 168-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine teamed with a continuously variable transmission. The LS and XLS trim lines still get the 220-hp V-6.

The Lancer's top-end GTS trim line also will get the 2.4-liter engine for the 2009 model year. Currently all three Lancer trim lines have the 152-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

Dan Kuhnert, sales chief of Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc., expects Outlander sales to boom. "Over 50 percent of the small SUVs are bought with four cylinders," he says. "Now we're competing in another part of the segment."

Kuhnert says the company just started shipping the four-cylinder engine to dealers. The base price of the four-cylinder ES is $20,640, compared with $23,160 for the base LS. Both prices include shipping.

Kuhnert expects Outlander sales to be split evenly between the four- and six-cylinder models.

For the Lancer, Kuhnert says: "We wanted to differentiate a little more between the base model and the GTS. The new engine gives the GTS enhanced performance." He says the GTS accounts for about half of Lancer sales.

Mitsubishi also will introduce a special-edition trim line of the Outlander early next year equipped with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. It will have 18-inch alloy wheels, mesh fabric seats and a 650-watt audio system.

Through October, sales of the Outlander were up 171.5 percent to 20,882 units compared with the same period last year. Lancer sales totaled 28,090 compared with 20,214 for the same period of 2006. 

[carcrazy]

Now they only need to mate the 2.4L I4 with the 6-speed A/T they have and drop the CVT. Repeat the same for the Lancer GTS.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Mitsubishi slashes U.S. staff for smaller market

Lindsay Chappell
Automotive News
March 27, 2009 - 2:12 pm ET

NASHVILLE -- Mitsubishi Motors North America this week eliminated one-fourth of the jobs at its U.S. headquarters in Cypress, Calif., the company confirmed today.

The company has cut 140 sales and credit jobs across the country, but almost all of them occurred at its suburban Los Angeles headquarters. The downsizing leaves 390 employees at the headquarters.

The restructuring is part of a plan to "ensure longevity in this challenging market," Mitsubishi said in a statement to Automotive News. "These actions will realign its infrastructure to correspond to a much smaller U.S. automotive market."

Last year Mitsubishi U.S. sales dropped 24.6 percent to 97,257. The overall market fell 18.0 percent.

The company plans to shift from its current U.S.-dominated product line to become a more global brand recognized for small cars and electric vehicles.

In early March the company said it is closing its California vehicle research and design center, which had helped Mitsubishi create models aimed at North America, such as the Galant sedan and Endeavor SUV.

All design now will be centralized in Japan, where planners are working on models meant to appeal to consumers around the world.

On Jan. 1, Mitsubishi dispatched its head of global product development, Shinichi Kurihara, to Cypress to become CEO of the North American operations.

In Friday's statement about the staff reductions, Kurihara said the measures were taken with great regret.

"However," he said in the statement, the changes "will better support our long-term durability in the North American market."

[carcrazy]

if you can afford a lancer, you can afford a mazda 3 or civic.  it isn't as if mitsus are cheaper by a whole lot, if at all.

what is your argument for buying a mitsu over anything else?   i can't think of ANY compelling reason that i could use to convince a friend, family member or co-worker to get a mitsu instead of: [insert any other car manufacturer here].  at the end of the day, many people make purchases based on word-of-mouth.... what convincing arguments would you tell them about mitsu.

and this is coming from someone who used to like mitsus.... when the diamante was competitive against the acura legend, when the eclipses and galants had turbo+awd options and when a certain 3000gt-vr4 rivaled exotics in performance and looks.  if only mitsu came into canada in the 1990's.....

My argument would be, if I like the car and if it meets my needs and wants, I would buy it (which is what I did with my 2007 Outlander). Pretty straight forward, eh?

I wasn't a Mitsu fanboy before I bought the Outlander and I'm not one today either (although I was familiar with the brand) and I would've not considered a Mitsu before, based on their product line.

Just the same, due to the CVT (Lancer, RVR) and front clip on the current Outlander, I would not buy a Mitsu today. This doesn't mean they are not competitive and people should not buy them if they like them.

If I would need to and if it would be possible, I would still buy the same car (2007 Outlander) today over anything else.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Mitsubishi to make Outlander Sport at Illinois plant
 
Mitsubishi sold 1,065 Outlander Sports in the United States last month. The automaker wants to sell 25,000 of them in North America annually.
Hans Greimel

Automotive News -- February 4, 2011 - 10:30 am ET

TOKYO -- Mitsubishi Motors Corp. plans to invest $100 million to build the Outlander Sport crossover at its Normal, Ill., plant starting in the summer of 2012.

Mitsubishi expects annual output of 50,000 units, with half dedicated to North America and the rest for export to Russia, Latin America and the Middle East.

The announcement was expected to be made today at a plant ceremony attended by Mitsubishi Motors North America President Shinichi Kurihara, Illinois Gov. Patrick Quinn and UAW President Bob King.

The Outlander Sport, which went on sale in the United States in late October, will replace all local production of the Endeavor SUV, Galant sedan and Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder sporty cars.

Those models will be phased out by the end of 2013.

“The market is undergoing great transformation,” President Osamu Masuko said in remarks that were prepared before the announcement. “It is downsizing, and sports cars are very difficult to sell. There is a change in customers' needs. So we'd like to shift production to compact SUVs.”

The decision to introduce the Outlander Sport ends months of uncertainty about what Mitsubishi would do with the Normal factory -- its only North America assembly plant.

The 25-year-old factory had annual capacity for 240,000 vehicles when it was operated jointly by Mitsubishi and Chrysler. But Chrysler long ago pulled out, and the Japanese carmaker produced just 29,375 vehicles there in 2010.

Masuko said last summer that Mitsubishi slashed costs, partly through job cuts, to bring the plant's break-even point down to around 70,000 units a year.

Early projections

In the United States, Mitsubishi sold 30 Outlander Sport units in October; 688 in November; and 972 in December for a total of 1,690 vehicles last year. But in January, it sold 1,065.

“This is the newest vehicle that we have,” Masuko said. “It is being very well received and highly evaluated worldwide and volume is rising. I think production can be accelerated.”

Mitsubishi sells the Outlander Sport in 80 countries. The company has produced 97,520 units since the model went on sale in Japan in February 2011.

Mitsubishi expects to lose no Outlander Sport production from its Okazaki plant in Japan, where the Outlander Sport currently is made alongside the Colt small car.

Mitsubishi won't need to interrupt production at Normal to retool the plant. And it plans to keep the labor force steady at its current level of around 1,300.

New UAW deal

Masuko credited a new labor pact reached with UAW for breathing new life into the factory. Under the deal announced in December, workers agreed to lower wages to keep the plant open.

“No job cuts,” Masuko said. “It was decided there would be a reduction in worker income, and that's why we were able to continue on. It was a concerted effort by everyone involved.”

The state of Illinois is also awarding Mitsubishi $29 million in tax breaks over 10 years as an incentive to keep the plant open.

Mitsubishi may eventually add other models to the plant's lineup, Masuko said.

“After we evaluate the market situation and sales situation, if possible we would like to expand and maybe in the future there is the possibility of overtime,” he said.

Green car plans

The loss of Mitsubishi's current U.S.-made lineup eliminates four models that account for just over a third of the company's domestic sales. But Masuko says sales shouldn't be dented because Mitsubishi has several electric and hybrid vehicles in its pipeline.

The first new arrival will be the low-volume i electric vehicle due this year. A Thailand-made global small car is scheduled to arrive in early 2013, and from 2012-15 Mitsubishi plans to bring five more models or variations: an additional electric vehicle and four plug-in hybrids.

If the overhaul works, Masuko says Mitsubishi could nearly double U.S. sales to 100,000 units in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, from 55,683 units in 2010.

[carcrazy]

Unfortunately, the UAW legacy left by Chrysler is the sore point in this turnaround attempt.