Autoblog

Mitsubishi boss confirms new Mirage for US; i EV enduring dismal sales

Chris Tutor — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Hybrid, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Hatchback, Mitsubishi, Electric

By March, Mitsubishi expects to have sold just 55,000 cars in the US this fiscal year. That's a tiny sum - by comparison, Honda has sold over 276,000 Civic models thus far this year - and that's just one vehicle, not an entire brand. Mitsubishi president Osamu Masuko recognizes this is not a tenable position, and he's hoping the company will shift 80,000 units next fiscal year. Warding off speculation, Masuko has repeatedly stated that his company will not retreat from the US market like competitor Suzuki.

We reported on one part of Masuko's plan, the updated Outlander, and now he has confirmed that the small Mirage will be sold in the US beginning next September. The cut-price hatchback is selling well enough that Mitsu's Thailand plant is at its full capacity of 150,000 cars. "And even at that level it's not keeping up with orders," Masuko tells Automotive News. Masuko went on to say the plant would be expanded next year to handle an extra 50,000 units. We can also expect the Outlander plug-in early 2014.

The company's Normal, Illinois, plant will also get an expansion to increase output of the Outlander Sport crossover. That facility will go from 50,000 a year to 70,000. Much of the additional production will be exported from the US to Russia, Latin America and the Middle East.

In other news, Masuko admits the company's bubble-shaped i electric subcompact is selling far more poorly than expected. At one time, the company had optimistically planned on 20,000 sales a year of it little EV, but thus far, Mitsu has only shifted 469 units through October. Because of that, don't expect to see the electric Mirage any time soon. In fact, Automotive News reports that the company plans to move away from pure electric vehicles and focus on hybrids and plug-in hybrids for the US market.

Mitsubishi boss confirms new Mirage for US; i EV enduring dismal sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi i tops 2012 EPA Fuel Economy Guide

Jeff Sabatini — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:04:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Mitsubishi, Electric

What's the most fuel-efficient vehicle sold in the United States? Well, for 2012 it's the Mitsubishi i, at least according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.

The federal agencies have issued the latest edition of their Fuel Economy Guide, and Mitsubishi's subcompact electric leads all vehicles with a combined rating of 112 miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent. The Nissan Leaf is second at 99 MPGe, the Ford Transit Connect Electric is third at 62, and the Chevrolet Volt ranks fourth at 60 MPGe.

Of course, they're all electric vehicles (well, in the case of the Volt, a part-time EV), which is why their mileage numbers are listed as MPGe. The highest-rated vehicle powered by a conventional internal combustion engine continues to be the Toyota Prius, at 50 miles per gallon combined.

Click past the jump to read the full press release.

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Mitsubishi i tops 2012 EPA Fuel Economy Guide originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Mitsubishi i

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Hatchback, Mitsubishi, First Drives, Electric

Light Weight, Rear-Wheel Drive And Instant Torque Bubble Up

There are two simple truths about the Mitsubishi i that should help this funky little electric car sell well in the U.S. once it goes on sale later this year. First, it looks like absolutely nothing else on the road today. Second, the car is much more fun than its jellybean shape implies.

The North American-spec i does share its look with versions on sale in Japan and Europe, but this EV is a different beast compared to those models. It's also completely different from the gas-powered kei-car sold only in Mitsubishi's home market, which was named the Japan Car of the Year by the Automotive Researchers' and Journalists' Conference in 2007. It's also completely different from the Japan or Euro-spec electric i-MiEVs (which are also slightly different from each other) that Mitsubishi has been showing off in the U.S. for the past few years. We've had a chance to drive these other models, and you can read our thoughts on the foreign i-MiEV here and here. At this point, though, it's best not to bother - this i is something new.

That's part of the idea, since the i is meant to be distinctive. Love it or hate it, Mitsubishi thinks that this is what electric car buyers want: an electric vehicle that looks like an electric vehicle, even if it comes from gas roots.

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2012 Mitsubishi i originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi i rated at 112 MPGe with 62 to 98 mile range

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:27:00 EST

Filed under: Mitsubishi, Electric

Mitsubishi i - Click above for high-res image gallery

Mitsubishi is nearly ready to join North America's nascent all-electric parade. The 2012 Mitsubishi i will be available sometime early next year, and the automotive world has been speculating on the type of electron-powered economy one can expect to achieve when behind the wheel. The speculators can take a break because the EPA has finally released its ratings for the i.

How does a mile per gallon equivalent of 126 city and 99 highway sound? That's a combined MPGe rating of 112. The EPA also subjected the 2012 i to its LA4 driving test, also known as the city test. This subjects the vehicle to numerous starts and stops, as one would encounter when cruising through town. The electric four-door achieved a max cycle range of 98 miles.

From an efficiency standpoint, the 2012 Mitsubishi i stacks up nicely against its electricity-drinking competition. The Tesla Roadster 2.5 has a 119 MPGe combined rating while the Nissan Leaf sports a rating of 99 MPGe combined.

Check out our photos of the Mitsubishi i in the gallery below, and be sure to keep reading for the full press release.

Continue reading Mitsubishi i rated at 112 MPGe with 62 to 98 mile range

Mitsubishi i rated at 112 MPGe with 62 to 98 mile range originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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