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Just seven years ago Mitsubishi’s future looked bright. The last financial and sales crisis appeared to be over, with three new SUVs planned for Europe and the Japanese automaker looking to make a real debut in 2017 to coincide with the brand’s 100th anniversary. As a pioneer of plug-in hybrid drives (PHEV), after joining the Renault-Nissan alliance, they were expecting great opportunities to play an important role there.
But first, things turn out differently than you thought, and second. Instead of three new products, there was only one; all-wheel drive SUV Eclipse Cross. Then came the corona epidemic. Renault and Nissan fell into the red and had to introduce austerity programmes. New alliance partner Mitsubishi is completely left behind. Development of new models planned for Europe has been “frozen”. In fact, in the summer of 2020, it looked like Mitsubishi would withdraw from the European market entirely to focus on small Kei cars, which are now only doing well in their home country.
retreat from withdrawal
However, nothing came of the feared death in installments. At the beginning of 2021, newly appointed Renault CEO Luca de Meo (56) announced another change of strategy for the alliance, making a 180-degree turn and thus initiating a retreat for Mitsubishi. Contrary to previous plans, Mitsubishi must continue to play a role in Europe. But following the self-imposed development halt, the models were incomplete. So why do you have alliance partners? And so Mitsubishi has in principle been offering the current Renault Clio since the beginning of 2023 under the Colt model name, but with Mitsubishi lettering and emblem. The same goes for the successor model of the ASX crossover, the new version of which will be launched at the end of 2022. In principle, this is nothing more than a rebranded Renault Captur. “Unfortunately, there is no 4×4,” laments Mitsubishi’s Swiss boss, Bruno Campino. “Our customers expect all-wheel drive from our SUVs.” Sales of the new French-inspired ASX are equally slow in Switzerland (see chart).
Mitsubishi model range and sales figures
| Model | Sales 2019 | Sales 2020 | Sales 2021 | Sales 2022 | Sales 2023 | Price Fr. |
| Space Star | 1573 | 1720 | 1088 | 1208 | 1305 | 15,099.– |
| Colt | – | – | – | – | 117 | 19.599.–* |
| ASX | 592 | 673 | 583 | 29 | 318 | 24.999.-* |
| Eclipse Cross PHEV | 964 | 375 | 330 | 605 | 404 | 43.299.–* |
| * 5 year warranty included |
Campino, on the other hand, is even more excited and is waiting for the new Mitsubishi Outlander to be announced at the end of the year. “We want to sell around 600 units in the first sales year in 2025,” the Swiss Mitsubishi boss hopes. The new Outlander is based on the same platform as the Renault Austral, Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail, but is an all-wheel drive vehicle developed independently by Mitsubishi and has been on sale in the American market since last year. However, the large plug-in hybrid SUV will be extensively modified again for its European launch at the end of the year. “Our Outlander for Europe will look significantly different from the US version, both inside and out, and will also have a larger battery for greater electric range,” says Bruno Campino. But he is not yet aware of more technical details.
Dance on ice
To give us a rough estimate of what we can expect from the new Outlander, Mitsubishi invited a few journalists to Kuusamo in northern Finland, near the Russian border, to “experience” the new S-AWC super all-wheel-drive control system on the frozen lakes there. . . This system was first developed for rallying in the late 1990s and has been continually improved. Mitsubishi has been using this technology for its road models since 2007. Simply put, the new add-on combines the Outlander’s dual-motor drive system (115 hp/85 kW at the front, 136 hp/100 kW at the rear) with the vehicle electronics, improving the vehicle’s handling and stability. The drive is thus controlled and the braking forces are always optimally distributed to the drive wheels.
The driver can choose from no less than seven driving modes, which can be selected using a rotary knob. These range from normal to asphalt, gravel, snow and mud, eco or power. We drive a 2023 US Outlander with winter tires and no studs on the shiny surfaces of northeastern Finland’s frozen lakes, primarily on snow, mud and gravel. And remember: The ideal setting depends largely on driving preferences. In snowy weather, electronic systems sometimes allow you to dance (drift) on the ice, but still keep the car on course as long as the driver does not overdo it. The S-AWC in the mud setting on the same surface with ongoing braking interventions hardly allows for a smooth driving style. But this shows that the system works and shows visible differences.
Mitsubishi fans can look forward to the new Outlander designed specifically for Europe. From the end of the year, you will have a versatile vehicle that can be driven mostly on electricity in everyday life, but also on petrol power if necessary, and which, thanks to the S-AWC, also has typical Mitsubishi DNA. The Japanese brand’s new Outlander is expected to boost sales in Europe and Switzerland, which have been stagnant lately.
Source: Blick
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
