Autoblog

Mitsubishi previews new Attrage global sedan

Jeffrey N. Ross — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:01:00 EST

It's been about a month since we first saw the Mitsubishi Concept G4 at the Shanghai Motor Show, but now the automaker has revealed the first images for the sedan in production trim. Wearing the Mitsubishi Attrage nameplate, this sedan will go on sale this summer in Thailand and could eventually makes its way to the US. Despite being essentially a sedan version of its subcompact Mirage, Mitsubishi refers to the Attrage as its next-generation global compact sedan, suggesting it's a fair bit larger than its hatchback counterpart.

We only have this single image to go on, but the new Attrage obviously has the same overall look as the Concept G4. As expected, it does lose some of the more conceptual bits, including the fancy headlights, grills and wheels. While the styling has us thinking back to the late 1990s, the true advantage of the Attrage is likely to be its fuel consumption. US fuel economy for the Attrage hasn't been released, but the closely related 2014 Mirage is expected to return 37 miles per gallon in the city and 44 mpg on the highway using the same 1.2-liter inline four-cylinder engine paired with either a five-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. Scroll down for the brief press release for the Thai-built Attrage.

Continue reading Mitsubishi previews new Attrage global sedan

Mitsubishi previews new Attrage global sedan originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 May 2013 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi subcompact sedan coming to US in 2015?

Zach Bowman — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Budget, Sedan, Mitsubishi

Speaking to some of its dealers recently, Mitsubishi unveiled its plans for a new subcompact sedan offering in the US. Automotive News reports the automaker showed off a rendering of a new subcompact sedan and said the machine will debut sometime in 2015.

The little four-door could be based on the three-cylinder G4 Concept that bowed at the Shanghai Motor Show this year, effectively making it a four-door version of the current five-door Mirage. Mitsubishi dealers are currently starving for new products to entice buyers into showrooms. A redesigned Outlander will show up this summer, long before the teased subcompact sedan. The automaker is also planning to bring out a revised version of the five-door Mirage compact later this year.

Dealers are taking the announcement as a sign that Mitsubishi has finally begun to turn things around. Automotive News spoke with Scott Grove, who owns two Mitsubishi dealerships near Chicago. Grove said he thought the dealer meeting was more positive than it's been in years, and that he believes Mitsubishi is finally on the offensive.

Mitsubishi subcompact sedan coming to US in 2015? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 May 2013 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2014 Mitsubishi Mirage arrives in US this fall [w/video]

Chris Paukert — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Budget, Hatchback, Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi dealers have been painfully starved of fresh product for ages now, with their most recent new model, the bubble-shaped i electric car, already requiring a serious sales jumpstart. We've known for a while that help is on the way in the form of an all-new Outlander crossover, but we've basically only had loose confirmations to go on that the Japanese automaker would eventually reintroduce its Mirage subcompact to the American market. Today, those rumors have turned to reality, as Mitsubishi has confirmed that the five-door economy car will hit US dealerships this fall.

Every subcompact player needs a trump suit, from Ford's tech-rich Fiesta to Honda's impossibly space-efficient Fit, and the Mirage's calling card figures to be its fuel economy. Mitsubishi says it expects its 2014 Mirage to achieve 37 miles per gallon in the city and 44 on the highway (combined rating of 40 mpg) when equipped with a continuously variable transmission. Those figures are good enough, Mitsu says, to earn it the title of the most fuel-efficient gasoline vehicle sold in America that isn't a hybrid.

Of course, Mitsubishi isn't outlining any additional specs at the moment - not even engine configuration. We're expecting the company's 1.2-liter three-cylinder, which in European spec delivers a modest 79 horsepower and 78 pound-feet of torque. The Continent's Mirage weighs under 1,900 pounds, but the normally aspirated triple still makes for leisurely acceleration of 11.7 seconds to 62 miles per hour. It will be interesting to see if Mitsubishi makes some powertrain alterations to better suit American expectations.

With no performance stats on offer other than fuel economy, interested parties will need to find succor in confirmation that the model will come with features including automatic climate control, power windows and a four-speaker stereo with USB port. Options will also include navigation with rearview camera, LED interior illumination and park assist. No pricing has been released at this time.

UPDATE: Short Mirage promo video added below.

Continue reading 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage arrives in US this fall [w/video]

2014 Mitsubishi Mirage arrives in US this fall [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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 Mirage headed to Canada, U.S. sales chances "50-50"

Zach Bowman — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:04:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Mitsubishi, Canada

Automotive News reports Mitsubishi plans to bring its recently unveiled Mirage to the Canadian market, and that the five-door hatch has a 50-percent chance of making it to U.S. buyers as well. Mitsubishi pulled the Mirage nameplate from the U.S. in 2002, but unveiled a new version of the car in Thailand just last month. At a smidge over 146 inches long, the tiny hatch would be a suitable competitor for the likes of the Chevrolet Spark and give dealers a much-needed product infusion. The company killed off the Eclipse, Eclipse Spyder and the Endeavor just recently and Mitsubishi showrooms are starting to look decidedly emaciated.

But Mitsubishi says it may not be as simple as dropping the new Mirage on U.S. soil and hoping for the best. The automaker has a reworked Outlander coming down the pike, and launching two models in close succession may make already scarce marketing dollars even harder to come by.

Then there's the fact that the new Mirage is a no-nonsense, bare-bones creation designed to appeal to the budget-minded buyers of South Asia. Mitsubishi has some reservations about unleashing the model on content-hungry Americans. Even so, Mitsubishi says the company has yet to reach an official decision about a U.S. launch.

Mitsubishi Mirage headed to Canada, U.S. sales chances "50-50" originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi rolls out new Mirage alongside Concept PX-MiEV II for Tokyo

Noah Joseph — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Budget, Hybrid, Tokyo Motor Show, Crossover, Hatchback, Mitsubishi

With the Tokyo Motor Show coming up around the bend, Japan's automakers are preparing to roll out their best. And Mitsubishi isn't about to sit idly by.

The Tri-Diamond automaker has two major world debuts planned for its home-market expo: one production vehicle and one concept. The former sees the return of the Mirage nameplate - most prominently used in the 1980s - in place of the Colt with a new entry-level model. The basic five-door hatchback packs an economical 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine with stop/start and a continuously variable transmission that will hit the Thai market first when it launches in March 2012.

Joining the new Mirage on the Mitsubishi stage will be the Concept PX-MiEV II, a plug-in hybrid crossover that joins the i-MiEV electric car and the Minicab-MiEV light-duty commercial vehicle in the company's expanding portfolio of electric vehicles. A 2.0-liter four-banger is coupled to a pair of 60-kilowatt electric motors to drive all four wheels through the Lancer Evo's S-AWC traction system to deliver comparable power to a 3.0-liter V6 while offering improved emissions and fuel consumption figures.

In addition to the usual battery-only and internal combustion generator modes, the PX-MiEV II also enables outdoorsy types to run portable appliances off the vehicle's battery packs. There's plenty more to digest in the press release, so hit the jump to check it out, and scope out both the Mirage and the Concept PX-MiEV II in the pair of galleries for a closer look.

Continue reading Mitsubishi rolls out new Mirage alongside Concept PX-MiEV II for Tokyo

Mitsubishi rolls out new Mirage alongside Concept PX-MiEV II for Tokyo originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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