#Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi has confirmed that two top executives at their American divison have left the company, and that Mitsubishi has no plans to replace them – a curious development for an automaker with mercurial fortunes.

Later this month Mitsubishi will officially unveil its PX-MiEV II concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. The second version of plug-in hybrid crossover, it’s one that points directly towards a production model in the near future.

Mitsubishi is looking to re-enter the sub-compact segment in the U.S. and will do so in the near future with an all-new global small car, which will officially be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in just a few weeks.

Recognized each year at the LA Auto Show, the finalists for the 2012 Green Car of the Year award have been released, spanning the gamut of possible alternative fuel vehicles. The nominee include the Ford Focus Electric, the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, the Mitsubishi i, the Toyota Prius v and the 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI.

Rumors that the next-generation Mitsubishi EVO would go hybrid first surfaced over a year ago and now company president Osamu Masuko has reportedly confirmed as much.

In recent years, Mitsubishi has been given a lifeline by the PSA group, which owns Peugeot and Citroen. Both of these French companies have made their own versions of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Outlander SUV.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution might be the Japanese brand’s highest performance model but the most recognizable model it’s produced over the past several decades is easily the Eclipse. Axed from the company’s lineup this year the Eclipse could return admits Greg Adams, Mitsubishi Motors North America VP of marketing.

Nissan and Mitsubishi continue to cozy up, with the latest announcement including the sharing of Nissan’s newest flagship luxury sedan. Sold in North America as the Infiniti M, Nissan will supply what it dubs the Fuga in its domestic market to Mistubishi. The new Mitsubishi-badged vehicle will go on sale in Japan starting in the summer of 2012.

Mitsubishi certainly had a great run with its sporty Eclipse model, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The last Eclipse ever produced will be auctioned off by Mecum as a 2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse Coupe SE with a 3.8L V6. It is a special-edition Eclipse custom built by Mitsubishi Motors North America to commemorate the Eclipse’s 22-year run and will be auctioned off September 15-18th, 2011 at the St. Charles Auction with all the proceeds being donated to Japan’s Red Cross earthquake relief.

Yoichi Yokozawa, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America confirmed that a new Lancer SE model will be arriving this fall as a 2012 model. The SE model will receive all-wheel drive, like its Ralliart and Evolution siblings, however it will be powered by the naturally aspirated engine found in the DE, ES and GTS trims.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has a goal – it wants to sell 2,000 units of its new i electric car in North America by April. Mitsubishi’s goal is pretty ambitious, considering that the i arrives at North American retailers in November and it’s only pre-sold about 350 to date.

Mercedes-Benz dealerships have been awarded the top spot for the third consecutive year in an independent study issued on yesterday using secret shoppers to determine how customers are treated. Both Jaguar and Lexus tied for second place with Toyota and Chrysler being the best among mass-market brands in the Pied Piper study.

Mitsubishi is investing heavily in the plug-in hybrid craze with reports coming out that their 2009 Tokyo Motor Show concept Outlander Sport plug-in hybrid will make its way to North American markets by 2013. The hybrid crossover is being promoted by Mitsubishi as being environmental with on-road performance thanks to its electric powertrain combined with a 1.6L gasoline four-cylinder.

Collectively known as Generation Y or Millennials, those born after 1980 appear to be showing an even greater preference for ‘foreign’ brand cars in North America than even Gen-X members or the baby boomers before them.

The electric car market will become much more competitive in the next year when the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Ford Focus Electric hit the road. An announcement was just made regarding the official miles per gallon equivalency ratings, or MPGe, putting the Mitsubishi in the EV lead for now.