The new Mitsubishi Mirage has already been introduced in Asian markets, and though it has not been confirmed for release in the U.S., this new Mirage will replace the Mitsubishi Colt which currently sells in worldwide markets.

The Mitsubishi Colt we see testing in our spy photos is a Mirage with minor tweaks to make the styling more appealing to the European and North American crowd. Small changes in the nose are covered up by camo, but it looks like the Colt is getting a more aggressive front end style than its Asian counterpart.

The car has been confirmed for Canadian introduction, so seeing it in the States seems very likely. Also, production of the Mirage/Colt was recently moved to Thailand, which has cut down the cost of building the car, another fact that should aid in the companies decision to bring the car to the U.S.

The Mirage/Colt is almost a foot shorter than sub-compacts currently sold in America, namely the Ford Fiesta and Kia Rio. The Chevrolet Spark, Smart ForTwo and Scion iQ offer direct competition for the Japanese mini-car, but it would be likely that Mitsubishi could introduce the Colt here at a price that would undercut its competitors.

The Mirage/Colt is powered by either a 1.0- or 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine, teamed with a CVT transmission.

GALLERY: Mitsubishi Colt

Ford recently announced the EPA fuel efficiency rating for its electric Focus model. Since it doesn’t burn any gasoline, the number isn’t in miles per gallon (MPG), but was given as miles per gallon gasoline equivalent, or MPGe. A new term to the automotive lexicon, it’s worth exploring exactly what MPGe means and how an MPGe rating is determined, especially as the number of electric cars and plug-in electric hybrids on the roads continues to increase.

Why use MPGe?

In order to compare the fuel efficiency of various vehicles, MPGe had to be introduced. The rating first came into use with the fully electric Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt, which offers a plug-in option to deliver anywhere from 25 to 40 miles of electric range before the gasoline engine kicks in to charge the car’s batteries, which continue to power the electric motor and the wheels.

Since electric vehicles don’t use gas, the traditional miles per gallon measurement wouldn’t make much sense. The most appropriate measurement would be Kilowatt Hours (kWh) since that’s the way electricity usage in houses is measured. However, using kWh makes it difficult to compare electric cars to non-electric cars. That’s why MPGe was created, to be able to compare the fuel efficiency of electric cars to other vehicles. MPGe is also an appropriate unit of measurement for other alternate fuels, like hydrogen, or compressed natural gas.

How do we get MPGe numbers?

In order to compare gas and electricity consumption, a common unit that measures energy is required. Burning one gallon of gasoline creates 115,000 BTU. The electrical equal to this is 33.7 kWh. Therefore, the distance an electric vehicle can travel on 33.7 kWh of electricity is comparable to how far a conventional internal combustion vehicle can travel on one gallon of gasoline.

Comparing MPGe of electric vehicles.

Comparing the MPGe of Electric vehicles is possible, so let’s take a look at how they stack up. For the Volt, Fisker Karma and Prius PHEV keep in mind that these vehicles are equipped with a gas powered range extender. This means we can use gas MPG numbers for part of the EPA rating.

Fisker, only gave us one MPGe number, the combined one. Tesla would not give us MPGe numbers of their roadster, or upcoming Model S, or Model X vehicles.

Where does MPGe fall apart?

The major problem with MPGe is that it doesn’t say exactly what electric car owners need to know. Range is probably the most important number that electric car buyers will want to look at. While range is present on the EPA sticker label, it’s just not as prominent as MPGe. As you can see in the chart above, MPGe has no relationship on range. Electric vehicles really depend on battery size to determine range, so that would be another key specification prospective buyers should take a look at.

As more and more electric vehicles come onto the market, this should start to overshadow the MPG numbers. Additionally, MPG numbers are losing trust with consumers. Some manufacturers are using the more generous (by roughly 25%) CAFE numbers instead of actual EPA test numbers which can further mislead customers.

With electric vehicles only making up 1% of the total cars purchased, the MPGe number plays a greater role, helping consumers to compare with conventional cars. As more electric vehicles enter the market, MPGe numbers will be less relevant, and buyers can look range as a defining factor in buying their cars.

Among the many vehicles debuting in the U.S. at the New York Auto Show, Mitsubishi brought its refreshed 2013 Outlander.

Updates to the compact crossover include a face lifted front and rear end and standard 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, offering a mild list of updates to its current best-seller.

Included in those updates, 18-inch alloy wheels are now standard — the front and rear fascias have a smoothed look too. The same headlights and recognizable Mitsubishi grille will, however, remain with new chrome trim surrounding them.

Production will also move from Japan, where the Outlander has traditionally been built, to the U.S. for its remaining life.

The company updated its CVT to offer smoother shifts and an improved driving feel while a new multi-link rear suspension will further contribute to the ride quality and handling.

A leather-wrapped shift knob, steering wheel and standard Bluetooth are now standard equipment. The top-end SE model also adds a six-speaker audio system, HID headlights, push button ignition and smart key passive entry.

GALLERY: 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is getting a mid-cycle refresh, despite launching a mere two years ago in the U.S. The refreshed 2013 Outlander Sport will make its debut at the upcoming New York Auto Show.

The Japanese automaker will be giving the crossover new front and rear bumpers, side skirts, and an upgraded interior. In addition, the rear suspension of the Outlander Sport will be fine-tuned along with its CVT. Under the hood, the 2.0L four-cylinder should remain with 148-hp.

Chances are, the redesigned Outlander Sport will have some design influences from the 2013 Outlander, which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show. Out in Switzerland, Mitsubishi spoke about its new design language and said it was “still being formulated.” Perhaps we’ll get a clearer picture of where the Japanese automaker intends to go with the redesigned 2013 Outlander Sport.

Looking to take advantage of the weakening dollar, Japanese automaker Mitsubishi is going to double the production from its Illinois factory here in America.

This will boost production to 70,000 vehicles a year from the plant that currently produces the outgoing Galant. Once the midsized Galant model is discontinued over the next few months, the Outlander Sport crossover will be produced in Illinois.

The strength of the yen has caused several Japanese-based automakers to shift production of export-bound vehicles to America. The doubling of production lets Mitsubishi take advantage of its under-utilized Illinois plant to help meet the demand in markets where its factories are already operating at full capacity. Latin America and Russia are the target markets for exporting the Outlander Sports that will be produced in Illinois.

[Source: Nikkei]

Japanese automaker Mitsubishi will be releasing its i-MiEV Power Box on April 27th in their home country for around $1,785 (149,800¥). 

The i-MiEV Power Box is basically a vehicle-to-grid system that will allow the owners of an i-MiEV and the MINICAB MiEV to use their EV to power an outside device like a phone charger or even a fridge. Weighing in at 25 lbs, the Power Box plugs directly into the EV’s quick-charge outlet to convert electricity into AC 100V.

If the vehicle’s battery is fully charged, the Power Box can put out up to 1,500 watts, good enough for five or six constant hours of energy. According to the Japanese automaker, 1,500 watts is actually good enough to power a typical Japanese household for a full day.

Mitsubishi did warn that everyday use could eventually have a negative effect on the vehicle’s battery pack. The main use for the Power Box is for emergency situations when no other power is available or when the power grid is experiencing peak demand.

There’s no confirmation if the Power Box will make its way to other markets outside of Japan.

Some of us might have forgotten that the 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport exists, after seeing the next-generation Outlander debut at the recent 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

Nonetheless, the Japanese automaker did a light update to their Outlander Sport for the 2012 model year and the small crossover recently earned an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) top safety award. The 2012 Outlander Sport received the highest score of “Good” in front-, side-impact, rear, and roof-strength crash tests.

IIHS did stress that the award only pertains to the 2012 model, where Mitsubishi strengthened the roof in order to improve rollover protection. In addition to the new roof, Mitsubishi also made some updates to quiet the cabin and recalibrated the transmission.

The next-generation Mitsubishi Outlander has been unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, sporting an innovative new plug-in hybrid system with an electric all-wheel drive feature.

The unveiling of the new Outlander also symbolizes the beginning of an all-new generation of vehicles from Mitsubishi, where the Japanese automaker hopes to become a greener and more global brand. If you’re wondering why the new Outlander looks so different than other Mitsubishi creations in the past, wonder no more. You’re looking at the new design language from the Japanese automaker, which they say is “still being formulated.” (We hope so).

While the new Outlander is exciting and all, the more exciting news is the fact that it’ll be Mitsubishi’s first model to sport their EV-based plug-in hybrid (P-HEV) system. The Outlander with P-HEV is essentially an electric vehicle but is supplanted by a gasoline engine when needed – much like how Chevrolet is branding its Volt these days in their commercials.

What makes it different though is that it’ll be the first permanent 4WD electric car in series production, and thanks to its unique drivetrain combination of a front electric motor with rear electric motor, plus front engine, drivers will have the choice of three driving modes to choose from. There will be a Pure mode, which utilizes a Twin Motor 4WD EV setup, while the Series mode is a Twin Motor 4WD EV supported by an internal combustion engine (ICE). Lastly is the Parallel mode, which is the Twin Motor 4WD EV supplemented by a FWD-powered ICE.

The P-HEV system will allow the Outlander to travel 31 miles in 4WD electric mode alone. But the versatility that the Outlander offers is what might attract buyers to Mitsubishi’s new system. Drivers will be able to control the use of battery power and when they want to focus more on battery charging.

Standard engine options for the new Outlander will be a 2.0L gasoline engine with 147-hp and 144 lb-ft of torque. A 2.2L DiD Clean Diesel is also available with 147-hp and 280 lb-ft of torque with a manual transmission, or 265 lb-ft of torque with an automatic.

No pricing was announced yet for the new Outlander, but we’ll be sure to catch more when the vehicle gets officially unveiled on the show floor.

GALLERY: 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander

One special Mitsubishi i-MiEV city electric car gets pumped up with performance enhancers as the Japanese automaker prepares to enter an all-electric race car into the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Details are limited for now, but Mitsubishi says the new i-MiEV hill climb prototype will be based upon many of the same production model components. However, judging from the illustrations, “production based” is loosely interpreted. Designed with a center single-seat driving position, the rendered i-MiEV hill climb prototype is significantly wider and more aerodynamically stylized than the standard road car.

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will be held on July 8th and the specialized i-MiEV will be piloted by Hiroshi Masuoka, a two time Dakar Rally winner in 2002 and 2003 behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Pajero.

GALLERY: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Hill Climb Prototype

[Source: Carscoop]

The recent stories of the Tesla Roadster “bricking” will likely cause owners of other electric vehicles to worry. We’ve managed to track down and get a comment about the measures in place that can prevent other EVs from becoming damaged like the Tesla.

A “bricked” car is a lot like a bricked gadget. It can’t and won’t turn on, and is essentially useless (unless you want to use it as a giant and expensive paperweight).

Tesla Roadster

The story is that an owner let his Roadster die and left it uncharged for two months. The car then couldn’t be turned on or started, or re-charged. When the car was taken for repairs it was found that it would cost $40,000 to fix the vehicle.

It’s stated several times in the Roadster’s owner’s manual not to leave the vehicle discharged for an extended period of time. Specifically: “Situations may arise when in which you must leave your vehicle unplugged for an extended period of time. If this is the case, it is your responsibility to ensure that the battery does not become fully depleted.” Lastly, “Over-discharge can permanently damage the battery.” While it’s clear that owner negligence caused this damage, some blame can be put on the manufacturer to have more safety measures to protect the vehicle.

Nissan Leaf:

Nissan states that the Leaf cannot be fully discharged “thanks to an advanced battery management system designed to protect the battery from damage. One element of the battery management system is a failsafe wall that stops the battery from reaching absolute zero state-of-charge, even after a period of unplugged storage,”Steve Yaegar, Nissan’s technology communications manager said.

Still there are some warnings in the Leaf’s manual that advises owners to take proper care of its battery. One of the more conspicuous warnings says: “Avoid leaving your vehicle for over 14 days where the Li-ion battery available charge gauge reaches a zero or near zero (state of charge)”

When pushed, Yaegar skirted the issue of what would happen to a Leaf if a user ignored that advice.

Chevrolet Volt

While the Chevrolet has a gas generator to help keep the battery charged, what would happen if the battery is discharged completely? Nothing really. Chevrolet spokesperson Robert Peterson told us “This isn’t an issue for the Volt. The Volt uses only 10.4 kW of its 16 kWh battery. The rest of the battery space serves as a buffer to prevent overcharging or deep discharging.”

Mitsubishi i-MiEV

In the i-MiEV’s warranty manual, Mitsubishi states that the standard warranty does not cover any damages to the Li-Ion battery resulting from “failure to keep the main drive lithium-ion battery charged during storage of the vehicle.”

John Arnone a representative from Mitsubishi, said that while the i-MiEV battery can be fully discharged, if left for a long period of time it will still be able to be recharged by the usual means.

Smart ED

It’s true that electric Smart cars aren’t really on sale (lease-only), a member of customer relations told us that the upcoming 2013 model shouldn’t encounter any issues if left discharged. She did warn us that it may take a bit longer to fully charge back up again though.

It’s clear that electric vehicles are in their infancy. Being able to drive about without paying for gas certainly is a huge benefit. However, potential electric car buyers are already concerned about cost, range anxiety and charge times. Looks like its time to add battery maintenance to that list of concerns.

Cars can be bad for your health, and we’re not just talking about tailpipe emissions. The Ecology Center has published a list of the least and worst toxic vehicles from 2011-2012 after testing 205 different models with the aid of an x-ray fluorescence analyzer.

The tests consisted of scanning interior components such as the seats, dashboard, carpets, headliner, and door trim, and identifying the elements in each material. Based on the size of the item and the amount of contact a person would have with it, the numbers were crunched and the car given a score from a scale of 1-5, with a low score showing the chemicals being tested for weren’t detected, while a 5 would indicate high levels of the chemicals were detected.

Items commonly found in car components include elements like bromine, chlorine, antimony, mercury and lead.

Coming in as the 10th worst pick is the MINI Cooper S Clubman with an overall score of 2.84. The Cooper S Clubman is the MINI for those that wish to have a little more room than the standard Coopers. The Clubman is 9.4 inches longer overall than the standard MINI with a 3.2-inch longer wheelbase.

After revealing two PX-MiEV concepts, the second of which debuted at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi has now released a few details on the production version of its new Outlander crossover, which will make its official world premiere at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

Looking very much like the second PX-MiEV concept, the new Outlander promises to feature upgraded interior fixtures and proper third row seating, which seems to be the latest trend in the family crossover segment.

Sources say the new Outlander, which will initially go on sale in Russia this summer followed by other European markets, will be powered by 2.0-liter gas four-cylinder and 2.2-liter MIEVC diesel engines with a choice of front or all-wheel drive. Auto Stop technology and a six-speed automatic transmission are also reported to be in the cards, at least for some markets.

In early 2013, Mitsubishi plans to launch a Plug-in Hybrid version of the new Outlander, which will incorporate a variant of the 2.0-liter gas engine with dual electric motors (one for each set of wheels) and a lithium-ion battery pack. Clearly derrived from the second Px MiEV concept, Mitsubishi officials say that the Plug-in Hybrid version will deliver a driving range of more than 500 miles (800 km) and very low emissions output (below 50 grams per km is expected).

As for North American sales of the new Outlander, they’re expected to begin towards the tail end of 2012, though don’t bet on the diesel engine making it to our shores.