It’s been hard times for Mitsubishi in the past few years, as it’s trimmed its lineup and seen its only electric car fall flat in sales. But there have been bright spots too, like the Outlander PHEV, which has become the best-selling plug-in car in the UK and the Netherlands.
This has convinced executives at Mitsubishi that trucks, crossovers, and EVs are the way forward to future profits, reports Automotive News. Mitsubishi has only recently returned to profitability after years of aging products with no replacement. The Mitsubishi Galant and Eclipse, for example, have yet to be replaced, and the aging Lancer (which has been larely unchanged since 2007) is in desperate need of a successor, and it probably won’t get one.
That’s because Mitsubishi is forgoing cars altogether, to focus on trucks, crossovers, and plug-in vehicles, because that’s where the money is. Indeed, trucks and crossovers are among the two largest sales segments in America right now, and while plug-in cars are still just a blip on the radar, there’s an obvious trend within both the industry and government regulations towards electrification. The Outlander PHEV’s unexpected success in Europe has no doubt emboldened Mitsubishi’s electrification plans, as well as their taste for trucks and crossovers.
An updated version of the Outlander PHEV is coming next year, and there’s already a deal to provide Fiat a compact pickup (which Mitsu will also sell) based on the GR-HEV concept from last year. Mitsubishi definitely has a plan, but for fans of cars like the Galant VR-4 and Lancer Evolution, it seems there’s no place at Mitsu’s table for you.
But truck and plug-in car fans can rejoice…though I’m not sure anybody that buys a crossover is capable of any emotion other than acceptance and regret.
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