Mitsubishi Not Dead Yet: Nissan Takes Control

[05XR8]

It's the name as well. Too much of a mouthful way back when. Diamante sounds better.

 

[Winters Noble]

Mitsubishi has gone downhill quite a bit, but it's not just them. I noticed most Japanese manufactures who made their mark in the 80s and 90s are now reduced to nothing. They are the new "American Dealer", where they have cars but are bland to the taste of consumers. They don't have any legitimate sports cars in their market anymore.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

For what its worth, I still really don't see why everyone expects Japanese firms to build sports cars. The only reason they could in the 80s and 90s was because the bubble economy boom gave them all ridiculously high budgets that could fund interesting and/or sporty stuff. Once that dried up, they had to make do with building stuff that was not only profitable but also wanted by the general consumer across the globe.

They do still make sporty stuff, it's just that it isn't quite as fascinating anymore. That doesn't mean they're necessarily bad; the 370Z is still pretty cool, even if it is getting a bit long in the tooth. The BRZ/GT86 is still well praised despite the hype around it falling down upon launch. The WRX and STI is selling pretty well, especially considering the high running costs a car like that demands. The new Miata is still seen as top of the pile as entry level sports cars go. And of course, the GT-R and new NSX are top of the technological food chain in terms of Japanese performance cars, which is arguably where they were 15 to 25 years ago as well.

The new S-FR could be a great Miata rival if Toyota ever builds it, Mazda has new rotary plans and the Japanese market already has some other interesting cars being sold there (although sadly, most won't come out elsewhere). So they are still making sporty things and evidently plan on making more, its just that the market has changed and they needed to adapt.

 

[Bakemono36]

For all intensive purposes, Mitsu is dead. Its a shame, really but they stopped being relevant years ago.

 

[Bakemono36]

For what its worth, I still really don't see why everyone expects Japanese firms to build sports cars. The only reason they could in the 80s and 90s was because the bubble economy boom gave them all ridiculously high budgets that could fund interesting and/or sporty stuff. Once that dried up, they had to make do with building stuff that was not only profitable but also wanted by the general consumer across the globe.

They do still make sporty stuff, it's just that it isn't quite as fascinating anymore. That doesn't mean they're necessarily bad; the 370Z is still pretty cool, even if it is getting a bit long in the tooth. The BRZ/GT86 is still well praised despite the hype around it falling down upon launch. The WRX and STI is selling pretty well, especially considering the high running costs a car like that demands. The new Miata is still seen as top of the pile as entry level sports cars go. And of course, the GT-R and new NSX are top of the technological food chain in terms of Japanese performance cars, which is arguably where they were 15 to 25 years ago as well.

The new S-FR could be a great Miata rival if Toyota ever builds it, Mazda has new rotary plans and the Japanese market already has some other interesting cars being sold there (although sadly, most won't come out elsewhere). So they are still making sporty things and evidently plan on making more, its just that the market has changed and they needed to adapt.

I refuse to accept than American and European firms can do it but the Japanese cant. Im just happy to see that Toyota is getting back to making sports cars, Honda seems committed to getting back to being the Honda of old, Mazda coming out with a new Miata and Nissan is coming out with a new GT-R. Please do educate us on how Ford, GM, Mercedes, BMW and VW/Audi can do it but Toyota and Honda cant afford it, especially when Toyota is the #1 automaker in the world.

 

[[Nor]MclarenF1]

These groups now hold probably more relevance in the market than Mitsubishi did at it's peak which was around the 90s to early 2000s. Which is why it's quite sad to see the dismal life support state it's in.

RIP Mitsubishi

I have to agree. Looks like Mitsubishi is choosing to go out with a whimper, rather than a bang. Unlike Saab, which at least gave us this before they went belly up:

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Please do educate us on how Ford, GM, Mercedes, BMW and VW/Audi can do it but Toyota and Honda cant afford it, especially when Toyota is the #1 automaker in the world.

The majority of my post explained this. The bubble economy meant they had a boatload of cash to spend on devoting to sports cars or cars with high production costs, simply because they could. The NSX had some advanced production techniques that wouldn't transcend down to other sports cars until years later, the original GT-Rs had electronic systems that got more refined as time went by, Mitsubishi's own 3000GT/GTO had a ridiculous amount of tech on it, the Supra was designed with ludicrous attention to detail, the 300ZX had an engine completely designed in CAD, and so on.

The point I'm making is that all of this, while revolutionary and appealing to car enthusiasts, costs a lot of money. When the money ran out, the Japanese knew straight away that they'd have to dump the money they had into stuff that was beneficial back to the consumer. They needed to make cars that sell, not make cars that make the PlayStation generation happy. Why do you think Toyota spend millions (potentially billions) refining hybrid tech? Because to them, that is a much more worthwhile use of the money than say, making thinner carpets for low weight, which is something they actually did on the last gen Supra. A Prius will actually sell; a new Supra, MR-2 or even something like a Celica? That's a gamble. Just because Toyota is ranked as a global superpower doesn't mean they can afford to make flashy cars willy nilly. If that was the case, they'd still be pumping out relatively interesting cars to this day.

I did miss out a few other reasons admittedly. Tightening emissions levels, the recession, differences in buyer generations are all factors too. I already pointed out they still make sporty stuff (and have done in fact for years, it's just that there's less choice) and are continuing. The majority of Ford and GM can afford to do it because they have split divisions across the world and know which each market wants. That means the American market gets cars geared for American customers that typically never leave America anyway. Not having to adhere to different regulations across the globe means they can build stuff that is centric to one specific area, therefore it costs less to develop. VW can do it because they farm out production overseas with slightly lesser quality materials. There's a reason why VW in Europe have high reliability records, yet in the States they're seen as money pits once the warranty runs out. Mercedes can do it because they had a substantial drop in standards in the 2000s. Yes, the expensive AMGs and so on were good, but that's because they scrimped on the quality of their more relatively accessible offerings. Similar to the VW analogy, older Mercs are built like tanks, but newer ones are iffy.

TL;DR version - Japanese companies had the money to make interesting cars, but it wouldn't be profitable. That's the point I was making.

 

[05XR8]

When in Rome.... do as the other Japanese auto makers do?

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/CF0F623C764D1182CA257F83001FDEFC

MITSUBISHI Motors has outlined its new SUV strategy that includes introducing an all-new mid-size SUV that will push the next-generation Outlander up into the large-SUV segment to pump gloves with the Toyota Kluger.

The plan that will roll out by the end of the decade also includes plans to shrink the 2017 ASX down to Mazda CX-3 size.

Speaking to Australian journalists at the New York motor show last week, Mitsubishi Motors of North America executive vice-president Don Swearingen reiterated the company’s plan to focus on SUVs, pitching no less than three small-to-medium crossovers in place of ageing or discontinued nameplates including Lancer and Galant respectively.

“This is the strategy we’re going with, and we’ve just announced this to our dealers a couple of weeks ago,” he stated.

“Mitsubishi will take the next Outlander, which will grow in width and in length; the Outlander Sport (ASX of North America), which is our number-one seller in the US, we will take that down a little bit in size, and if you look at the (eX Concept) prototype we just showed in Geneva, it will be formed over that car; and then we will come in the middle with a new CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle),” he said.

“I think we are clearly seeing consumers moving away from sedans and going into CUVs, and we feel we need three cars in that segment.”

The mid-size SUV is said to be about the size of the highly successful Mazda CX-5, creating a logical walk up from the downsized next-gen ASX to the larger new Outlander, which will most likely become a Toyota Kluger and Kia Sorento competitor.

The new ASX is expected to be revealed first, likely during 2017, followed by the mid-size SUV in 2018, while the new, larger Outlander will be uncovered before the end of the decade.

“You’ll see that Mitsubishi will come with a new model vehicle every year between now and 2020,” Mr Swearingen said.

Each SUV will offer electrification, cementing Mitsubishi’s growing global reputation as a leader in low-emissions crossovers, as witnessed by the Outlander PHEV.

“Our plan with these three SUVs is to also have fully electric or plug-in hybrid versions of each vehicle,” he said.

“And you’re going to see that with improvements because it will be the next level of battery technology for us.”

Mr Swearingen added that performance versions will also be spun off some or all of the hybrid SUVs, to help connect the future green vision with Mitsubishi’s illustrious motorsport heritage made famous by now-defunct nameplates such as the Lancer Evo.

“You will most likely see a performance version of a CUV in the future too,” he said.

“What’s key for us is brand awareness… we don’t have the marketing expense of a Toyota or a Ford or a GM, so we have to be very smart as to how we do it.

“We look at the public awareness of all of our names, and consider whether we’ ll use them again, or determine whether we actually start from scratch and build a new awareness. It costs a lot of money to do it, we’ll evaluate the business case, and make the decision from there.”

There is still no word on the future of the ageing full-sized Pajero, but the Triton pick-up and its Pajero Sport passenger-vehicle offshoot will continue.

What’s coming – Mitsubishi’s new SUV strategy

2017 – Smaller ASX
2018 – New mid-size SUV
2019 – Larger Outlander IV

 

[Grandea GTR]

So are they pulling an Isuzu now?

 

[mustafur]

We have the Mirage Sedan here, just like the Hatchback it's junk, it's alot cheaper then the Yaris or a Mazda 2 but it's half the car compared to them in quality and equipment, it's poverty spec.

 

[VXR]

It's probably the wisest choice for them, they've got plenty of form in that sector and very little traction in mainstream cars anymore, so if it takes playing to their strengths to survive, more power to them.

 

[Dennisch]

I have to agree. Looks like Mitsubishi is choosing to go out with a whimper, rather than a bang. Unlike Saab, which at least gave us this before they went belly up:

Style wise it's a Saab. Underneath it's a terrible GM product.

But it might be a collectors item, since they barely build 12000 of them.

 

[Tornado]

Dunno. They always seemed pretty slick looking, and consternation about being a GM product instead of a "true" Saab aside, the Malibu that shared it's platform with it was ugly as sin but a pretty nice car.

 

[TheRealAJZ]

Well, Mitsubishi's case is extremely sad. So sad in fact that it made me fantasize about my ideal non-suck Mitsubishi car lineup for 2016

• New decently built, Focus sized hatch to get rid of the Mirage with. Called the Cyborg or something. Evo version with Golf GTI style performance included.
• New Lancer Evo to compete with the WRX/Impreza duo. Boring model with regular engine and no body kit included.
• Outlander XR-Phev Evo 4WD Turbodiesel Hybrid-Electric or something with lots of Cayenne performance and body kits just for the laughs.
• A Subaru BRZ rival called the Starion just to round out the models nicely. Also an Evo version included here as well.

As a bonus, it would be nice to see the WRC getting its crap together too.

What Mitsubishi needs to do is get their lineup together before focusing on theses things. They need a good top-ish of class SUV firstly, because they sell. Secondly, the mirage is broken. Eco-cars sell; and sell well; but not when the you have competition from the likes of Ford and Chevy with more equipment for less cost.

Then they need to get back into the mid-upper size car class with an all new redesigned Galant, and a redesigned Lancer.

These will all sell, especially if they focus on making them reliable and not completely made of plastic.

Hell, give them that fancy futuristic design language on their concepts, body panels cost next to nothing as far as shaping goes. Make them sexy.

Only then can they start trying to regain their image with sporty cars such as the Evo and the "Starion" that you suggested.

 

[The87Dodge]

Mitsubishi should have a pickup tuck in the North American lineup, but what the company really needs is a brand new generation, more than just a facelift, of the Lancer.

 

[catamount39]

Mitsubishi should have a pickup tuck in the North American lineup, but what the company really needs is a brand new generation, more than just a facelift, of the Lancer.

It's not even a face lift...everything aside from the front clip is almost identical and even the front clip is basically the same.

 

[The87Dodge]

It's not even a face lift...everything aside from the front clip is almost identical and even the front clip is basically the same.

Crazy that the Evo X has been in production now ten years without a facelift. Mitsubishi should invest more money into its flagship car.

 

[catamount39]

Crazy that the Evo X has been in production now ten years without a facelift. Mitsubishi should invest more money into its flagship car.

That'd be too logical sadly. Shame, as it's got potential.

 

[The87Dodge]

That'd be too logical sadly. Shame, as it's got potential.

Too bad Mitsubishi has lost their logic.

 

[Tornado]

The Evo worked when people could go look at an Evo and leave with a bread and butter model that was decent enough that you wouldn't feel taken the next day. A flagship is no good if the people walk into the dealer and see mostly Mirages and Lancers. The regular Outlander is alright, but really the only bread and butter models Mitsubishi has that are really worth anything in the "I'm specifically went to the Mitsubishi dealer instead of after the Toyota dealer denied me credit" way aren't sold in North America.

 

[Robin]

The Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid sells pretty well here despite not being particularly great because it's no frills and cheap to run. It does look kinda nice stylistically, I could see that design language translating well to a new EVO.

 

[TheRealAJZ]

The Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid sells pretty well here despite not being particularly great because it's no frills and cheap to run. It does look kinda nice stylistically, I could see that design language translating well to a new EVO.

A quick design study approved of this post lol

 

[The87Dodge]

A quick design study approved of this post lol

Send this to Mitsubishi. That is awesome!

 

[FT-1]

Mitsubishi Motors admits manipulating fuel economy test data

This is the last sort of story Mitsubishi needs right now.

 

[05XR8]

So, instead of 4.3L/100km, it's 4.4L/100km.

Sucks they got caught. They can only go up from here... I hope...

 

[CodeRedR51]

Nissan may take control of struggling Mitsubishi Motors

This story is developing. Reports say Nissan will buy a controlling stake in Mitsubishi Motors, either 30 or 34 percent, for about 200 billion yen or $1.84 billion...

...Japan's Nikkei reports that talks are ongoing between the company and that a decision could be made Thursday by the companies' boards.

 

[Tornado]

Why does Nissan want to step in that mess?

 

[CodeRedR51]

Why does Nissan want to step in that mess?

They're in the middle of it anyway, right?

"Nissan is also responsible for reporting fuel-economy discrepancies with cars built under the joint-venture agreement, which put Mitsubishi in its current weakened state".

Who knows.

 

[Grandea GTR]

Why does Nissan want to step in that mess?

Haven't they been in that mess by giving them the Fuga and Cima years ago?

 

[SagarisGTB]

Haven't they been in that mess by giving them the Fuga and Cima years ago?

That was the deal. Nissan sells rebadged members of the eK family in exchange for supplying Mitsubishi with rebadged Fugas and Cimas to sell to executives and dignitaries in the Mitsubishi sphere of influence.

However, I have no idea why Nissan would want to further this relationship after Mitsubishi recently burned them and this sort of cash expenditure might be better served towards revamping their stale, outdated and uncompetitive lines of passenger cars.