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Mitsubishi Lancer to End Production in August, Could Be Replaced by Crossover

Revealed in 2007 for the 2008 model year, the present-gen Lancer will bite the dust in August 2017. After approximately ten and a half years of continuous production in places that include China, the Lancer could be replaced by a compact-sized crossover slotted between the Outlander Sport (ASX/RVR) and Outlander.
Mitsubishi Lancer 11 photos
Photo: Mitsubishi
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Our friends over at Motor1 sat down and had a chat with Don Swearingen, Mitsubishi Motors North America’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. Don confirmed Mitsubishi’s plan to put the Lancer out of its misery, along with the nameplate that the Japanese brand introduced in 1973. When asked about a replacement for the Lancer, Swearingen suggested that no direct successor is in sight for the compact sedan.

The decision to kill off the Lancer forever is said to have been made long before Nissan acquired Mitsubishi Motors in the wake of the fuel economy scandal that brought the company to its knees. Mitsubishi higher-ups let it slip, time and time again, that the company’s exclusive focus nowadays is on sport and compact utility vehicles, which is why the rumor mill suggests that the Mitsubishi Lancer will be replaced by an all-new compact crossover.

Little is known and little can be speculated about this potential turn of events, but chances are the future model could borrow styling cues from the XR-PHEV and XR-PHEV II concept vehicles. There’s also talk regarding the future of the Evolution name. A very likely outcome is that Mitsubishi will use the moniker for go-faster utility vehicles fitted with plug-in hybrid technology.

Whatever the future holds for the void left by the Lancer, one thing is certain. The Mirage G4 sedan won’t die too soon. In fact, Swearingen told Motor1 that Mitsubishi’s “customers love the product,” which is a bit meh frankly. I once drove the EU-spec hatchback, known as the Space Star in certain markets, and it was rubbish. Not as bad as the Suzuki Alto, but bad nevertheless.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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