Mitsubishi Mulling Mirage Sedan for US Market
Life is hard for U.S. Mitsubishi dealers. The brand’s sales are among the industry’s worst and as of October 1, its vehicles were sitting on lots longer than any other automaker except Fiat.
Last year, the company vastly deflated its product portfolio by cutting four of its U.S.-built models from the product lineup. The company vowed to regain volume and a new report from Automotive News suggests executives are considering a sedan version of the Mirage sub-compact hatchback.
“We have to first watch how the Mirage is received in America. Is it selling well?” Mitsunori Kitao, COO of Mitsubishi Motors Thailand Co. told Automotive News.
SEE ALSO: 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage Review
Built in Thailand, the Mirage is powered by a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine. The pokey five-door currently makes do with only 74 hp and 74 lb-ft of torque. While that’s arguably adequate to power the lightweight hatchback, its sedan sibling is heavier and might feel too slow for U.S. drivers. But sedans are historically more popular with Americans.
“U.S. people might require more acceleration. So we are not sure if it has marketability or not,” says Ryujiro Kobashi, corporate general manager in charge of North America marketing and global small-car projects.
Mitsubishi is considering a turbocharged version of the engine to answer potential power concerns because layout restrictions prevent a larger engine.
GALLERY: 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage
[Source: Automotive News]
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Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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