Mitsubishi is set to usher in the New Year with the delivery of 25 i-MiEVs in the UK. Its distributor, Colt Car Company, will be bringing these cars to the UK as part of a demonstration program for electric and ultra-low-carbon vehicles run by the West Midlands region.

In a release, Mitsubishi said that this program will begin this month and will be led by the TSB. Mitsubishi intends to work with municipalities, electric power companies, automobile makers, among others, in a collaborative effort to promote ultra-low-carbon vehicles. Under the program, these electric and other ultra-low-carbon vehicles, which meet standards for CO2 emissions, will allow certain individuals to experience them on the UK’s roads. Mitsubishi said that the program aims to determine the practicality of these ultra-low-carbon vehicles while promoting the construction of infrastructure for these types of vehicles. Incidentally, the EVs will be delivered a few days after Mitsubishi announced the availability of the fast charger for the i-MiEV in the UK. This is a charging technology that will allow the cars to be recharged to eighty percent of capacity in a half-hour.

Tags:car news, Mitsubishi, mitsubishi news, mtsubishi i-miev uk
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Through the Sam’s Club Auto Buying Program, Mitsubishi Motors North America is offering zero-percent financing or reduced-price leases on several 2009 and 2010 models. The program runs until Feb. 1. The following vehicles — the 2009 Eclipse, Eclipse Spyder, Lancer and Outlander and the 2010 Galant and Endeavor – will be offered zero percent for 60 months.

If you’ve been eyeing two of the newest models, the 2010 Lancer Sportback or 2010 Outlander crossover, you should know that they will not be included for zero percent financing but there will be a low-lease plan available. Continued after the jump!

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Mitsubishi is considering bringing in a small van and a small pickup to the US market. This plan has gathered much support but the carmaker faces a problem with importing trucks due to high taxes.

With the trend on smaller cars and smaller crossovers, Mitsubishi’s North American CEO Shin Kurihara came up with the idea that US dealers will like the Delica, a small cargo van Mitsubishi sells in Japan, as well as the Triton, a compact pickup that sells in some markets with a diesel engine. Unfortunately, importing trucks carry chicken tax, which is named for a 1960s trade spat that erupted when France and Germany slapped a stiff tax on imported U.S. chickens. The 25% tariff slapped on trucks and vans when they enter the US make them uncompetitive. Kurihara isn’t giving up yet though; he’s merely trying to find his way around it.

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Tags:car news, Mitsubishi, mitsubishi news, mitsubishi small pickup us, mitsubishi small van us, mitsubishismallpickupus
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Just to be able to ride out the slump that the auto industry has been reeling from, France’s PSA/Peugeot Citroen SA could buy a large stake in Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors Corp. as part of a plan to deepen ties.

Shares of Mitsubishi then closed 13.4% higher after the Nikkei business daily reported that PSA, Europe’s second-biggest carmaker, may take a 30%-50% stake in Mitsubishi Motors for up to 300 billion yen ($3.4 billion). Peugeot shares also went up by 0.4%. In an interview with LCI television, French Finance and Economy Minister Christine Lagarde said that since there is overcapacity in the car sector, consolidation may be necessary. Continued after the jump!

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Aside from importing the i-MiEV electric minicar, Mitsubishi may also be giving U.S. dealers a gasoline version of the little four-passenger car. The i-MiEV would be competing against the Smart minicar. The Smart is imported from Europe, where Daimler AG builds it using a Mitsubishi engine. The gasoline-powered i-MiEV is actually already being sold in Japan and Europe. It has a small turbocharged 660cc gasoline engine, which is a powerplant smaller than those in many American motorcycles. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:car news, imiev gasoline, imiev gasoline us debut, Mitsubishi, mitsubishi imiev gasoline, mitsubishi imiev gasoline us, mitsubishi news
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Mitsubishi will unveil its new 2010 Outlander GT at the 2009 LA Auto Show. Images of the SUV have recently been released however, the technical details are still undisclosed.

There are two engine choices including a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine making 167-hp mated to a 5-speed manual or an optional CVT automatic with Sports Mode sequential style shift. Powering the top-of-the-line model is a 3.0L V6 that outputs 226-hp and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with Sports Mode sequential style shift change and INVECS Smart Logic. Plenty of photos after the jump!

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Tags:2009 la auto show, 2009laautoshow, 2010 mitsubishi outlander gt, 2010 outlander gt, 2010 outlander gt la auto show, 2010mitsubishioutlandergt, 2010outlandergt, car news, mitsubishi news
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Mitsubishi Motors’ operating loss for the first fiscal half amounted to JPY32.5bn, about JPY57.9bn lower from a year ago. Mitsubishi explained that a drop in sales volume and the strong yen overcame cost cuts.

The net loss of JPY36..4bn yen was down JPY49.2bn on last year’s net profit. Sales fell 53% to JPY573bn. MMC indicated that the H1 results were mostly in line with the forecasts that were announced on April 27. With no regions recording increases, global retail sales volume fell 26% to 445,000 units. MMC left its earlier full year forecast — sales volume of 932,000 units, net sales of JPY1.5 trillion, operating profit of JPY30bn yen and net profit of JPY5bn — unchanged.

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Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) released today the first sketch of its new compact crossover that will hit the dealerships in Japan from February 2010. The new car is derived from the 2007 Concept-cX show car and will be built on Mitsubishi’s mid-size global platform.

“This most important product will further support Mitsubishi Motors’ strategic shift from being an SUV-focused nameplate to a manufacturer of environment-friendly passenger cars & crossovers, with a presence in the ‘authentic off-roader’ segment - itself pre-empting structural changes in market demand,” said a Mitsubishi spokesman. “[After the electric i-MiEV] this on-road compact crossover will be the corporation’s next game changer towards lower impact vehicles, in their format and/or in the innovative MMC proprietary technologies they will feature.” he added. The European debut of the new Mitsubishi compact crossover will be made in March at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.

Tags:2010 geneva motor show, 2010genevamotorshow, car news, Geneva Motor Show, Mitsubishi, mitsubishi compact crossover, mitsubishi compact crossover geneva, mitsubishi compact crossover sketch, mitsubishi news, mitsubishicompactcrossover
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A small crossover from Mitsubishi will be launched next fall. The introduction of the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, a smaller version of the Outlander, is included in the carmaker’s plan to reposition the company as a builder of small, fuel-efficient cars.

Osamu Masuko, president of Mitsubishi Motors, is pushing to revive the brand by offering an efficient car lineup, including electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The Concept cX first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007 is what forms the basis of the Outlander Sport. When it goes into production, the Outlander Sport will be built on the Lancer platform. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:car news, Mitsubishi, mitsubishi baby outlander, mitsubishi cx, mitsubishi news
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This is Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV Cargo that is currently on display at the Tokyo Motor Show. Even as Mitsubishi has confirmed that its i-MiEV electric car will go on sale in the UK at the end of 2010, there are more clamors for the i-MiEV Cargo. Analysts are saying that the first major use of EVs will be with small delivery vans.

The Cargo uses the same drivetrain as the passenger version. Behind the two front seats, we see a highly adaptable load bay. Similar to the hatchback, the electric battery delivers the equivalent of 63bhp to the rear wheels. A fully charged battery offers a range of just under 100 miles. Fans are eagerly anticipating Mitsubishi’s announcement of when the i-MiEV Cargo will be available. Photo gallery after the jump!

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