Mitsubishi is finally taking notice of its declining fortunes in North America – the Japanese brand sold less than 12,200 vehicles during the second quarter of 2020, loosing 58% of deliveries compared to the same period last year. To get the larger picture, one of its traditional competitors, Subaru, registered sales of a little over 136,500 units during the three-month cycle, a drop of just 25.3%.
Clearly, something had to be done. And Mitsubishi seems to be steering in the right direction – they recently announced a major shakeup of their entire U.S. model range. The Japanese automaker is promising three model revisions and one particularly important all-new generation by the time we exit the second quarter of 2021.
It was about time something happened up there at corporate level because Mitsubishi is but a mere shadow of its former self – we are now hearing news about rockets wearing the name and consumer misfortunes rather than positive feedback from customers regarding model choices.
The North American arm of the carmaker is kicking off the roster shakeup late this year – winter is coming alongside a technically refreshed Outlander PHEV. The plug-in hybrid might have the worldwide top selling accolade under its belt, but it was time engineers took a good look at some of its weaker points – the 2019 model upgraded the battery pack and we recommend the same for the standard on-bord charger.
Next up is the extensive facelift for the Mirage and Mirage G4, with the U.S.-spec model borrowing the styling cues and other changes from the version already available on other global markets. More importantly, the Eclipse Cross is also in for some changes during the first quarter of 2021. The model will arrive with modifications to the front and rear, a refreshed interior, and a new infotainment system.
Mitsubishi is saving the best for last – the 2022 Outlander is reaching U.S. dealerships as a new generation during the second quarter of next year. The company is teasing an increase in overall dimensions, NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) upgrades, along with a host of modern technologies and enhanced equipment choices. We will know more after the global premiere, scheduled early next year.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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