A Look at the Year 2023 for Mitsubishi Motors
2023 has been surprisingly busy for Mitsubishi Motors. Now that the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is in full swing, sharing resources and even full models across the three automakers, the Japanese automaker is seeing some changes to its lineup. Growing in some segments and shrinking in others, Mitsubishi Motors is known for its SUVs and the Outlander PHEV. With recent investments into a new battery-electric vehicle (BEV) subsidiary for the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, that could change as soon as 2024. Take a look at some of the highlights for Mitsubishi Motors.
You Win Some, You Lose Some
In 2023, Mitsubishi Motors celebrated 40 years of the Outlander and Outlander PHEV with a 40th Anniversary Special Edition of each model. Since it came to America, the Outlander PHEV has been a very popular model, already a crowd-pleaser overseas in Japan. In 2023 alone, the Outlander PHEV won the Northwest Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year award from the Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA), title of “2024 Family Green Car of the Year” by Green Car Journal, and Puros Autos named the Outlander PHEV as their “SUV of the Year” for a second consecutive year. We don’t expect the love to disappear any time soon, but the automaker had discussed the possibility of another PHEV eventually taking its place.
All the love for one model overshadows another – the Mitsubishi Mirage. America’s most fuel-efficient hatchback, Mitsubishi Motors discontinued the Mirage in 2023. It’s now the most affordable car on the market, loved by many – even a popular pizza place, Tobin’s Pizza, that exclusively used the Mitsubishi Mirage to make up its commercial delivery fleet, over 200 Mirage units. We hate to see it go.
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance (Alliance) had made some pretty interesting investments in 2023. The main one affecting all three automakers was the formation of the Ampere BEV company and facility. According to Renault, the new Ampere facility will benefit Mitsubishi and Nissan first, with Mitsubishi getting a new medium SUV from Ampere. This means it will most likely be the first new all-electric vehicle to join the Mitsubishi Motors lineup, hopefully on a global scale.
Soon after the Alliance announced Alliance 2030 and its business strategy for the rest of the decade, Mitsubishi Motors released its own “Challenge 2025” business strategy. Previewing a growing lineup with new models, some unveiled and unnamed, we could see the roadmap was already including the Mitsubishi Colt, a rebadge of the Renault Clio. A hybrid option was going to come with this return of the Colt, adding another electrified option to the Mitsubishi Motors lineup.
The Mitsubishi Motors Corporation was also making some of its own personal investments in 2023 with its subsidiary Mitsubishi Electric. Behind-the-scenes, Mitsubishi Electric is the brains behind all the cool new tech popping up in Mitsubishi Motors vehicles. To help support the expansion of the lineup with BEVs, Mitsubishi Electric made some investments into Coherent, a company known for Silicon carbide (SiC) power devices that could result in stronger power devices for future BEVs. Mitsubishi Electric also partnered with Commsignia Ltd to develop autonomous car technology. On a larger scale, Mitsubishi Electric pitched the “Smart Society” concept during the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show. Like we said, definitely the brains of the operation.
With all of this new stuff happening for Mitsubishi, we’re surprised that it took so many years for any new developments. Now that the Alliance is sharing resources (like the Clio) and forming new businesses (like Ampere), we should see the Mitsubishi Motors lineup expand and introduce new plug-in hybrid and BEV options to join or even replace the Outlander PHEV. You can find a new Outlander PHEV and other new Mitsubishi vehicles at University Mitsubishi. From us at University Mitsubishi, we want to remind everyone to be safe during the holidays and have a Happy New Year!