The Mitsubishi G4 Concept, which debuted at the Shanghai Motor Show, has become a production model in the form of the Attrage, a compact sedan that could reach North America in the future.

Mitsubishi has previewed its newest sedan model, which will be launched this July in Thailand. Calling the Attrage its next-generation global sedan, the sedan closely resembles the G4 Concept without its conceptual styling.

SEE ALSO: Mitsubishi G4 Concept Sedan Hinted for American Market

Few details on the Attrage were revealed, but Mitsubishi is focusing on the Attrage’s fuel economy which should be comparable to the 2014 Mirage’s 37 mpg in the city, 44 mpg on the highway. The Attrage is powered by the same 1.2-liter, four-cylinder found in the Mirage and is mated to a CVT or a five-speed manual transmission.

What Mitsubishi did reveal about the Attrage is that it features a lightweight Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) body, making it the lightest in its class thanks to the extensive use of high-tensile steel.

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Mitsubishi has announced that it’ll be competing in this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with a pair of MiEV Evolution II all-electric prototypes.

Like all teams participating, the Japanese automaker is aiming for a first-place finish with its four-wheel drive race car. Last year, Mitsubishi competed with the first iteration of the MiEV Evolution race car, finishing second in the electric division with a time of 10 minutes, 31 seconds. With all the data gathered from last year’s outing, the team improved on the race car throughout and looks poised to take the victory home this year.

The new Evolution II packs 536 hp, a huge improvement from its predecessor’s 321 hp. A specially designed, carbon fiber body will be lightweight and offers aerodynamic improvements. One car will be driven by two-time Dakar Rally overall champion Hiroshi Masuoka while the other will be piloted by Greg Tracy, six-time Pikes Peak motorcycle champion.

GALLERY: Mitsubishi MiEV Evolution II

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Mitsubishi is getting ready to launch its new 2014 Mirage subcompact and is looking to the general public to help name its paint shades.

The Japanese automaker is taking a different approach to build buzz around the new Mirage. It has launched a website where users can vote through five rounds (for each color) to help determine what each color will be named once the vehicles are produced and hit dealerships this fall.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage to Cost Around $13k

After choosing your favorite name for each shade, the website reveals what the rest of the voters have chosen. The 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage will boast 40 mpg combined and will be the most fuel-efficient, non-hybrid vehicle in America. The five-door subcompact is powered by a 1.2-liter, three-cylinder engine with 74 hp and 74 lb-ft of torque.

Click over to vote for your favorite color names here.

GALLERY: 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage

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Mitsubishi is looking to strengthen its presence in America and looks to introduce an entry-level sedan in 2015.

The sedan could be based on the G4 Concept that was unveiled earlier this year at the Bangkok Motor Show. At the time, the Japanese automaker confirmed that it has plans to send the G4 to production as a global model. At the recent regional dealer meetings for Mitsubishi, dealers received news that the automaker is targeting a 2015 release for a subcompact sedan.

SEE ALSO: Mitsubishi G4 Concept Teased Ahead of Bangkok Motor Show Debut

According to Mitsubishi however, there is no “concrete decision on when this model may make the U.S. showroom,” but acknowledged that plans are being discussed with dealerships to see how viable a subcompact, entry-level sedan would do in the American market. The dealers were shown a rendering of the subcompact.

One thing is for sure, it wasn’t the Mirage that was shown as the teaser. An owner of a pair of Mitsubishi dealerships near Chicago confirmed that the automaker will be launching the redesigned Outlander this summer, the Mirage later this year, and a plug-in hybrid Outlander next year. So the sedan will be an entirely different model aiming for 2015.

[Source: Autoweek]

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Each week, we recap the most popular videos from AutoGuide‘s YouTube channel just in case all seven days passed you by and you missed out. This week, AutoGuide travelled out to Texas to check out and review the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado.

2014 Chevrolet Silverado Review

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SEE ALSO: 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Review

2013 Ford Fusion vs 2014 Mazda6

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2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 vs. 2013 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR

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Make sure to subscribe to AutoGuide‘s YouTube Channel for the latest in car news and reviews.

Hybrid technology is improving at an impressive rate and is continuing to find its way into more and more vehicles.

A significant number of new and exciting hybrids are coming to market this year and early next. No, these aren’t all Prius wannabes. There are some interesting cars on the way, like the ultra efficient VW XL1 seen above. Check out some of these hybrid luxury sedans, rugged crossovers and even a pair of supercars.

If you’re not yet convinced to hop on the hybrid bandwagon, this should help. And if you already are, but haven’t found the right gas-electric vehicle for you, perhaps it’s coming soon to a dealership near you.

Mitsubishi said today that it forecasts operating profits will rise 48 percent in the fiscal year that began on April 1.

The prediction is based on the depreciated yen and an anticipated sales surge in the U.S. as the brand prepares new models for the market. Through the January-March quarter, Mitsubishi enjoyed a $199.7 million foreign exchange gain as the yen slipped against the Greenback.

If the prediction proves to be the case, it could position the company’s operating profit within reach of its $1.15 billion record set on March 31, 2007.

But the rosy picture painted by those numbers stands in stark contrast to stories about the brand only a few months ago. Last last year, Mitsubishi’s market share had slipped from .07 percent to .04 amid emaciated sales reports.

SEE ALSO: Mitsubishi Outlines Plan to Regain Market Share in US

Last November, brand boss Osamu Masuko attributed the falling figures to a slashed product line and at the time U.S. sales were projected to finish the year at 55,000 units. Mitsubishi actually beat estimates, reporting 57,790 units according to Automotive News data. Nevertheless, that represented a 27 percent drop compared to 2011.

Now, Mitsubishi hopes bringing its new Outlander utility vehicle and Mirage sub-compact, among others farther down the road, to the U.S. will feed a sales surge. That could be the case, but both products will need squeaky-clean launches if they hope to succeed. You only need to look at the Lincoln MKZ, which is currently limping through a launch hampered by quality issues, to see why.

SEE ALSO: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Battery Flaw Found

Unfortunately, the warning signs are already there. Mitsubishi halted production of the plug-in hybrid Outlander last month because of overheating battery packs. Those vehicles are isolated to the Japanese market, but a similar battery issue could cripple sales — just ask Fisker.

Meanwhile, the Mirage is targeting the same crowd as Chevrolet’s Spark: frugal, and often young, drivers. That might prove to be a home run, although pricing for the car is still unannounced in the U.S.

GALLERY: Mitsubishi Mirage

[Source: Automotive News]

Production of the plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander stopped last month and now the brand says it knows what caused the crossover’s batteries to overheat. 

Mitsubishi says microscopic contaminants got into the battery cells during a screening process added to its  supplier’s manufacturing process in December, 2012. At a point in the screening process, the part of the battery’s internal shape was altered and the battery cells were exposed to excessive force, which generated the contaminants.

SEE ALSO: Mitsubishi Outlines Plan to Regain Market Share in US

None of the affected vehicles were sent outside Japan. Mitsubishi is currently the smallest automaker in North America. Its sales plummeted last year, but the brand is planning new products to regain market share. A recall for the affected products hasn’t been announced yet, but is expected soon. Mitsubishi says the screening process has been removed, and extended an apology to its customers and shareholders in a press release.

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Mitsubishi is preparing to introduce its new subcompact Mirage to the U.S. market, and today the brand said that it will be priced “around $13,000.”

Mitsubishi Motors North American product communications manager Roger Yasukawa confirmed as much to AutoGuide today, after a Canadian release indicated the Mirage would cost “less than $13,000,” in that country. Normally, that would be a strong indicator that the car will be even less expensive in the U.S. because cars typically cost a premium north of the border, though that may not be the case here.

Yasukawa said the price would be close to the $13,000 mark, but not that it would sit below before saying the car is meant to target Chevrolet Spark buyers. The 2013 Spark starts at $12,995 including delivery.

Powering the small car will be a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that puts out 74 hp and 74 lb-ft of torque. One of the least expensive cars on the market, the Mirage will also be one of the most fuel efficient and will be offered with either a five-speed manual or a CVT, and is expected to achieve 37 mpg in the city and 44 mpg on the highway when equipped with the latter.

Even though it will be one of the cheapest cars on sale in the U.S., Mitsubishi is including tilt steering, power windows and mirrors, automatic climate control, keyless entry, and a four-speaker, 140-watt stereo with USB connectivity as standard equipment on base Mirage models.

The Mirage will hit dealerships this fall.

GALLERY: 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage live photos

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Mitsubishi will continue its production and shipment stoppage of its Outlander plug-in hybrid variant since the automaker still hasn’t found a cause for an overheating lithium-ion battery in one of the vehicles.

There have been two other cases of Outlander batteries showing signs of short circuiting. The batteries are supplied by Lithium Energy Japan which is owned by Japan’s GS Yuasa’s Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., and Mitsubishi Motors. GS Yuasa is the battery maker that supplies the batteries for the recently troubled Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets.

SEE ALSO: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, i EV Production Halted Due to Battery Issues

The Japanese automaker hasn’t confirmed whether or not it has an idea of what the problem is, though it is exploring the possibility that the batteries may have undergone extra shock when placed onto a testing machine. Production will not resume until the problem is resolved.

As for the i-MiEV, Mitsubishi is continuing to produce and ship the EV with batteries from Toshiba Corp. only. Lithium Energy Japan also supplies batteries for the i-MiEV, but for the mean time, the automaker is not using those in the i-MiEV.

[Source: Automotive News]

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Over 8,000 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport models are being recalled for three different issues, affecting only 2013 model year vehicles.

Two separate recalls are being issued, the first of which involves the brake lights on the Outlander Sport. 4,539 vehicles manufactured from June 11, 2012 to September 11, 2012 may have brake lights that work intermittently or will continuously illuminate without pressing the brake pedal. Those same vehicles can also shift out of park without employing the brake pedal.

The second recall affects 3,724 all-wheel drive Outlander Sport vehicles and involves the possibility of a false fuel tank level reading. This is due to those vehicles being built without a fuel sending unit harness. Those vehicles were built from June 11, 2012 to December 11, 2012. It’s worth noting that despite 3,724 vehicles are being recalled, the Japanese automaker stated that only 14 of those vehicles are affected by the defect.

All affected vehicles will be repaired free of cost.

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With an emaciated product roster and thin sales, Mitsubishi might seem likely from an outside perspective to exit the U.S. market soon. But that won’t be the case.

The Japanese brand plans to overhaul its U.S. lineup over the next two to three years. Part of that plan includes the 2014 Mirage sub-compact four-door hatchback shown in New York last week.

SEE ALSO: Mitsubishi Outlines Plan to Regain Market Share in US

Not only that, but Masatoshi Hasegawa, the executive vice president of the North American operations told the Detroit Free Press that there will be two more models coming as part of its revival. He said there will be a successor to the mid-size Galant sedan that left production last year and also a “big brother” to the seven-passenger Outlander compact crossover.

Late last year, brand boss Osamu Masuko said he expects sales to double by 2014 and blamed slow sales on models being cut from the product line.

[Source: the Detroit Free Press]

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