Mitsubishi cars

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi has just unveiled the 2014 Outlander at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. The 2014 Outlander will receive an updated exterior and a new engine, featuring a new version of Mitsubishi’s advanced MIVEC continuously-variable valve lift timing system for increased fuel economy. According to Mitsubishi these updates will make the new Outlander the most fuel-efficient CUVs with standard 7-passenger seating in the North American market.

The 2014 Outlander has received a fresh new contemporary face that is both appealing and functional with reduced aerodynamic drag. The SUV is also 200 pounds lighter than the current Outlander. The 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander will go on sale in 2013 and will be offered in three trim levels: ES, Se and GT.

Under the hood Mitsubishi has placed a choice of either a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine or a 3.0-liter V-6 engine combined with either a continuously-variable transmission or a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Updated 11/28/2012: This review has been updated with the official details, images and specs.

Close Call in a Polish Rally may just be the Save of the Year for 2012

Almost on a daily basis, we express our complete obsession with rally racing, as their drivers have to have ice in their veins to even consider whipping a car around these often treacherous tracks at triple-digit speeds. With this incredible speed and loose surfaces come some of the most incredible wrecks, but also some of the most incredible saves.

The above video comes to us from a Polish rally and from the date stamp on the video, it occurred on the August 11th. The driver of this Mitsubishi Evo came into a wet turn just a little too hot and went over the embankment at the end of the turn. Suddenly the car ends up on two wheels, but somehow it winds up back on the road and heads in a straight path.

Typically, when a racecar hits two wheels, an inexperienced driver simply plays damage control. He prepares for impact and hangs on. This driver is obviously rather seasoned, as he maintains control, doesn’t panic, and acts as if nothing happened once the car is back on all fours. This definitely qualifies as an entrant into the Save of the Year running for 2012.

Check out the video for yourself. There is one video above and two more after the jump. It’s rather impressive, but pretty loud, so you may want to adjust the volume on your speakers a little.

Click past the jump to see the two alternate views.

Video: The Wrecks of the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Pikes Peak is the home of the dramatic wreck, thanks to its 156 twists and turns over a 12-mile-long mountain course. Thanks to Paul Dallenbach, we got a really cool first-hand account of one of the two most dramatic wrecks of this year’s run. Fortunately, he is doing well and seems ready to hop back in the driver’s seat.

By far the most dramatic wreck, but only because we get to see the entire thing unfold, is the one that Jeremy Foley and his co-driver endured. As his Lancer Evolution was heading toward an area very appropriately named “Devil’s Playground,” Jeremy lost control of his Evo and went straight over the hill, rolling about 10 times – by our count – before finally coming to a smoking rest. The two had Dallenbach-like luck, as neither broke any bones, according to reports, but the co-driver is suffering from a sore shoulder. Check out the dramatic video above.

Click past the jump to see additional footage of other wrecks from the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

The current Mitsubishi Outlander Sport has been out for just three years and has already scored impressive results including the coveted "Top Safety Pick" designation by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2012 model year. And now, Mitsubishi has prepared a facelift version for the company’s best-selling vehicle, which it unveiled at the 2012 New York Auto Show.

Changes for the 2013 model year include a host of design and equipment improvements: new-look front and rear fascias and side sills; interior design upgrades; revamped rear suspension; and Continuously-Variable Transmission (CVT), plus much more.

No changes have been made under the hood, which means the new model will keep its 2.0 liter inline-4 engine that delivers a total of 148 HP and a peak torque of 145 lbs-ft. The engine is combined with an Enhanced Continuously-Variable Transmission (CVT) calibration for improved acceleration performance and smoother shift feeling.

UPDATE 07/17/2012: Mitsubishi USA announced prices for the new Outlander Sport which is now available at dealers across the country. The model comes in both 2WD and AWC versions, with prices ranging from $19,170 to $23,695. Hit the jump for the full pricing list.

Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.

Mitsubishi Evo X discontinued; company focusing on its successor

We’ve already heard that Mitsubishi is working on a new generation Lancer Evo, but it looks like its actual production may happen earlier than expected. Mitsubishi UK has announced that once the last 10 units left in stock are sold, the current Evo X will officially be discontinued because of the strength of the Japanese yen. According to Lance Bradley, Mitsubishi UK’s Managing Director, the price would have to double for the Evo X to continue being produced: "We used to sell the Evo for £30k; now we would have to charge £60k."

Instead, Mitsubishi UK will focus on the successor for the Evo X because of the Lancer Evo’s importance on the UK market. The problem with that is, while the standard Lancer is set to arrive in 2014, the Evo performance version is still not signed off for production.

Aside from confirming the discontinuation of the EVO X, Bradley also confirmed that the next Lancer Evo will drop the current high-revving turbo petrol engine in favor of a hybrid drivetrain combined with a diesel engine. The model will remain a four-door sedan and not turn into a hatchback as previously rumored.

2013 Mitsubishi Dignity

Mitsubishi has been out of the luxury sedan market for what seems like ages, but in reality it’s just about a decade. Thanks to the Japanese automaker’s relationship with Nissan, Mitsu is diving back into the luxury sedan market, as it will use the Infiniti M35hL LWB to make a luxury sedan of its own.

According to reports, the exterior of the Mitsubishi variant of the M35hL LWB will remain very similar to the Infiniti model it is based upon. The key differences between the Infiniti model and the Mitsubishi model will be the elimination of the Infiniti waterfall grille, swapping out the front bumper for a slightly revised one and replacing the Infiniti badges for Mitsubishi ones, of course.

Being based on the M35hL LWB, this new Mitsubishi Dignity will boast the same hybrid 3.5-liter V-6 drivetrain that the Infiniti has, which boasts an impressive 359 horsepower, but a slightly disappointing 199 pound-feet of torque. The base price tag of ¥8,400,000 ($105,500) is also quite the deterrent, but 30-plus mpg on the highway is definitely a draw.

In addition, if you are in the U.S. and want to snag up this upcoming model, you can pretty much forget about it. Mitsubishi is only offering this model in Japan. We would suspect that if this model performs well in the Japanese market, Mitsubishi would certainly release it in the U.S.

For now, the details on the Dignity are still a little scarce, so this is all we have to pass on for now. As more information becomes available we will pass it on.

2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid

Most automakers have already begun to offer hybrid versions for at least one SUV in their line-up, so Mitsubishi is actually a little late in the game with this one. The company is currently working on an Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV and will have it ready for the 2012 Paris Auto Show in September. The new model will go on sale in Europe in 2013, but at this point, Mitsubishi hasn’t said anything about bringing it over to the U.S. market.

The new Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid will share the same architecture with the soon-to-be-introduced New Outlander’s ICE versions and will feature a unique drive train combination of front electric motor plus rear electric motor plus front traction/generator petrol engine. It will offer a choice of three driving modes: Pure (Twin Motor 4WD EV), Series (Twin Motor 4WD - EV supported by generator), and Parallel (ICE engine supported by Twin Motor 4WD). Mitsubishi also promised that the new Outlander Hybrid will come with a driving range of 800 kilometers (497 miles).

2013 Mitsubishi Mirage Evolution

It looks as if the Evolution lineup in Mitsubishi may be getting bigger, but not too much bigger. Rumor has it that the struggling Japanese automaker is currently working on developing an Evolution trim level for its incoming hatchback, the Mitsubishi Mirage.

Details are still pretty thin on this potential model, buy Japanese magazine, Best Car, is all but certain that the model is underway and it will join the Mirage lineup shortly after its 2013 release. Seeing a subcompact hatchback like this bearing the “EVO” badge may seem a little strange, given the fact that the original Lancer Evolution has always been a four-door sedan with monstrous performance numbers.

This version of the EVO will not quite have the power numbers of the Lancer EVO, but it will be extremely powerful, given its puny specifications. Under the hood, we all expect to see a 1.5-liter three-banger engine that pumps out a respectful 150 horsepower, thanks to the help of a turbocharger. Where this new Evolution will make up ground is in the diet that Mitsubishi has this hatchback on. When it is all said and done, it is expected that Mitsubishi will have the Mirage weighing less than 2,000 lbs, giving it around a 12.5 pounds-per-horsepower rating, which is very respectable for its class.

Other than those few bits of information, everyone’s lips are pretty well sealed on the possible Mirage Evolution. We will continue to monitor the rumor mills for you and keep you up to date on all of the latest rumors and leaks, as we keep our fingers crossed for this performance subcompact hatchback.

2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse SE Final Model

In early 2011, Mitsubishi announced that it will be discontinuing one of the marquis economy sports cars of the last two decades, the Eclipse. The Eclipse lived a rather odd life, starting out with two nearly identical siblings in the Plymouth Laser and Eagle Talon. After the elimination of the Laser, the Eclipse and Talon remained, turning into two of the most beautiful economy sports cars ever built, in 1995.

In 1998, Eagle folded and only the beautiful Eclipse remained, but the death of its sibling didn’t set too well with the Eclipse, as after just one year of being on its own, it morphed into a rather ugly and over-styled pig that required a V-6 engine to be even remotely fun to drive.

In 2006, Mitsubishi finally came to its senses and realized that the new body style just wasn’t doing the “Eclipse” name justice, so they went back to the drawing board and created a rounder Eclipse that more closely resembled the one from the late-90s. Oddly enough, this new sportier Eclipse is actually heavier than its predecessor, but that certainly does not take away from its beauty.

In the earlier years, when a car was on its last production year, the final model to roll off of the production line was kept by the manufacturer and stored. In more recent years, the last model typically ran off of the production line like any other model and became lost in the sea of models. Mitsubishi seized this opportunity to fully customize the final Eclipse, which is an SE model, so that it was truly a one-of-a-kind vehicle. Now this brand new Eclipse is up for sale by RK Motors Charlotte.

Click past the jump to read about this custom 2012 Eclipse SE final model.

2013 Mitsubishi Mirage

Lets face it: Mitsubishi Colt has never been a very successful model, especially on markets like Europe. And due to the lack of sales the company has been forced to shut down its plant in Europe and as a result lots of Mitsubishi models will be imported from other global factories.

The first affected model will be the supermini Colt which will be replaced by the new Mitsubishi Mirage that was shown for the Asian market last year. Our spy photographers have caught a lightly camouflaged Mirage during testing in Europe and it seems that the European version will get some slightly changed details and probably a different set-up then its Asians cousins.

Despite being a very small model, Mitsubishi has promised that the new Mirage will offer interior space for five adults. Let’s hope they have tested that with five Europeans.

Under the hood there will be a range of petrol engines starting with a three-cylinder 1.0 liter engine with start/stop. An official debut is expected for 2013.