One of the coolest things about working on the VehicleVoice team is the differing taste the team has. Trucks, SUVs, muscle cars, small cars. Lunch can be interesting, to say the least. While I appreciate anything with wheels, I’m slowly becoming more and more interested in minicars. Maybe it’s Europe-envy, or an increased sense of green, but I‘ve always been attracted to minimalism. From architecture to coffee without the fancy names.

Continue reading "New York Auto Show 2008 – Mitsubishi “i”" »

Posted by Dan Hall at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Mitsubishi showed its RA Concept at the North American International Auto Show. The RA is a two-seat diesel powered sports car with styling cues that telegraph shapes to come from Mitsubishi.

Designed by perhaps the tallest styling team in the industry, both the Chief Designer and Interior Designer are well over 6-feet 5-inches tall. Dave O'Connell, Chief Designer, who is about 6-feet 7-inches tall admitted they "kept shaving off height until the car looked fabulous". And fabulous it is. Being height challenged I should be able to get into the RA without too much problem, but wouldn't even venture it. Neither of Mitsu's stylists would volunteer to get into their head turning cocept.

All that said, the reason for a concept car is to elicit reactions from showgoers and to help get the brand and the car on consideration lists. RA does that. But, Mitsu management stress that the RA is only a design study that probably won't be on the road any time soon. RA picks up Mitsubishi's new face... a downward scowl that gives a shark-like front end appearance. This front end look premiered on the Mitsu Lancer and will go a long way at giving Mitsubishi products a readily identifiable look. The body contours now look very organic with fluid shapes providing muscular fender flares tightly wrapped around meaty tires.

RA is Teaser for Next Generation Eclipse

Being a two-seater, the RA certainly isn't a production proposition. Mitsubishi needs a product that can sell 60,000 units a year to be happy and a two-seater just won't do it. Think of RA as showing us some of the shapes that may be seen on the next Gen Eclipse.

Now, about the next generation Eclipse. The present Eclipse is based on Mitsubishi's large PS platform. So, Eclipse tends to be bigger and heavier than most would like for the small sporty car class. The next Eclipse may not be based on PS. The GS platform of the Lancer, Lancer Evolution X and Outlander could also provide the basis for the next generation Eclipse. This would give the Eclipse the hardware needed to be a truly world class sporty car. Most of those bits, of course, would come from the Evolution X.

We could conceptualize a 4-seat sporty car using RA styling and powered by a 2.4L 4-cylinder from Lancer, the 2.0L Twin Turbo from the Evolution X, and a 3.3L V6 from the present car. In that way, you'd have the secretary's car, the boy racer and the luxo model. Add AWD and Mitsubishi's outstanding paddle shift transmission and you have a winner.

Posted by George Peterson at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Watch Podcast

Subscribe via RSS

Subscribe via iTunes

Our fearless leader George Peterson got tapped by Mitsubishi to try out their all new Lancer. He gets asked to do these kinds of things a lot, but rarely does he come back from a test drive this jazzed about a compact sedan.

When he finished with his review, it was so glowing that Mitsubishi produced this video, which played in airports around the country on CNN Airport News. We got permission to play it here, for all of you folks who prefer driving to flying. Check out George's take on this new sports sedan and why he thinks it's like driving a video game.

Show Runtime - 1:25

Posted by Cameron at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

The current generation (PS41) Mitsubishi Galant has been on the market in the USA since Fall 2003. Designed to be fully competitive with the big dogs in its class - Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima - Galant is about the size of the Accord, bigger than Camry and Altima (and the Hyundai Sonata). The car feels big for a Mid-Size Car, but size alone does not make for a competitive Mid-Size entry.

Our impression of the Galant is that it is a good basic car beset by too many cost-reductions that could be obvious to the buyer. Where most product planners would lament that they were $50-$100 short of a great car, the Galant planners were probably lamenting of a $500 shortfall. Somehow, the financial community won the product content battle and it's tough to sell an obviously cost reduced car agaist the likes of Camry and Accord. The last generation Nissan Altima learned that lesson.

Premium Mid-Size Cars - Most Competitive Car Segment

In this most competitive of car segments, a car has to be superb to achieve class-leading status and Galant falls a bit short but it does deserve a look. It is now the oldest of the major competitors in the class. OK, all its major competitors are on a five-year product cycle. Camry was all new for 2007 as was the Altima. The Honda Accord received a major rear end freshening for the 2006 model year. Sonata was all new for 2006. With a normal cycle life, the Galant would be due for a major change in late 2008 as a 2009 model. So a major change for the Galant is not late - yet. Most Asian brands have a moderate mid-cycle freshening to keep interest up, but Galant got a very minor change for the 2007 model year and added the range topping RalliArt version.

We had not driven a Galant at VehicleVoice and AutoPacific since its launch and the intro of the new RalliArt edition gave us the perfect opportunity to see how the Galant has evolved.

Continue reading "2007 Mitsubishi Galant RalliArt" »

Posted by George Peterson at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

SUVs are NOT DEAD - Sport Utility Vehicles Remain Top Considered Vehicle Segment

For as long as I can remember, the New York Times and eastern media have been taking SUVs to task. While many of the people writing these stories don't own a vehicle or even drive a car or truck, they have decided that the Sport Utility Vehicle is the poster child for social irresponsibility. No matter what they say, folks continue to gravitate to SUVs. We have the data.

For the past thirteen years, Sport Utility Vehicles have been the product segment that is most considered by American driving public. 2006 was a traumatic year for SUVs. High fuel prices dampened demand for large truck-based SUVs, but in 2006 as for more than a decade, demand for SUVs was highest among AutoPacific’s seven macro product segments. When consideration for contemporary SUVs – Crossover Sport Utility Vehicles or XSUVs – is included, consideration goes even higher.

Clearly America’s love affair for this Swiss Army Knife of vehicles has not waned, nor has demand by Americans for a vehicle type that can do many different things. We used to say that people bought SUVs because they can go anywhere, go anytime, go with anything, go with anybody… an SUV could do it all. Meeting these criteria – especially the go anywhere aspect of the equation yielded SUVs that were too capable. They could go off-road over rough terrain through tough climate conditions. Even though most buyers never used them for what they were capable of, they were designed to have off-road credibility.

Let it be XSUV: Let's officially coin our term for Crossover SUVs. These are not simply "crossovers", after all, you could have a crossover of almost any two products. We don't want to call them CUVs - Crossover Utility Vehicles - because that dilutes what they really are supposed to be. The right term is Crossover SUV. This clearly defines that this is an SUV based on a car platform - something not quite as capable as body-on-frame traditional SUVs. So, for now on, it's XSUVs.

Carmakers Responded to Buyers with Crossover SUVs: By the end of the ‘90s, manufacturers began to respond to buyers’ demand for slightly softer product characteristics. For awhile terms like “soft-roaders”, “cute-utes” were used to describe vehicles like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and even the Lexus RX300. Inside the car companies engineers and designers were referring to these types of vehicles as Crossovers. And while the buyer rarely refers to his Ford Escape, Chevrolet Equinox, or Honda Pilot as a Crossover SUV, that is what they are. They are not designed for off-roading, but they are designed to provide comfortable, maneuverable, efficient transportation in the suburbs and on vacation.

VehicleVoice internet survey panel members and respondents to AutoPacific's annual Future Vehicle Survey have responded about what type of transportation they will consider next time they buy. Selected details are below the fold.

Continue reading "SUVs are NOT Dead" »

Posted by George Peterson at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Racers Rejoice: Prototype X

While most US car buyers are not that familiar with the Lancer Evolution, the vehicle has a cult-like following in Japan and among those familiar with Rally Racing . The EVO is also one of the most popular vehicles in the video game circuit. If you want to win, select the EVO.

America had to wait decades to get its hands on the EVO. The Lancer Evolution VIII was the first to be offered in the U.S. market, and gained popularity among performance enthusiasts as a true street racer.

Continue reading "2007 Detroit Auto Show: Mitsubishi Prototype X" »

Posted by Dan Hall at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

The all new Mitsubishi Lancer will be introduced at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. While some of us have been lucky enough to drive the car early, Mitsu has embargoed the driving impressions until late January.

Today, we can reveal a bit more than we could previously. We can actually show you the car. And AutoPacific and VehicleVoice staffers believe that the new Lancer could be a game changer for Mitsubishi in the USA. Mitsubishi stylists benchmarked the Mazda3 and the Alfa Romeo 156 when they began development of the new Lancer. The resulting car projects much more than simply a Mazda/Alfa clone. In fact, the Mitsubishi Concept-X show car telegraphed much of what the new Lancer looks like over a year ago.

Unique Aggressive Front Appearance

We'd describe the front end of the Lancer as very unique with a strong face that is not characteristic of small cars. Mitsubishi describes the front end with much more flowery adjectives... "A 'shark-nosed' front end inspired by jet fight air intakes".

Usually small car styling wimps out to the lowest common denominator. Not the Lancer. It looks contemporary and aggressive. Nicely done. This front end style even meets the European pedestrian protection standards and does it without becoming blunt-nosed.

From the Side, Lancer Proportions Communicate Small Car - Style Hints More Upscale

In the side view, the Lancer has a sweeping character line from front fender through the doors ending in the rear quarter. Looks a lot like the character of the Acura TL. It is in the side view where the dimensions of the car compromise its proportions. For a car with such an expressive overall style, the wheelbase looks a bit short and the decklid truncated. Not enough to neuter the image of the Lancer, but enough to reinforce that it is a Mainstream Compact Car.

The fast backlite is a complete departure from the previous Lancer that sacrificed style for package. Here, the short wheelbase and fast backlite result in a rather small rear seat. Mitsubishi planners say the parent company wanted a smaller rear seat to maximize its competitive position in rallying. Huh?

Continue reading "2008 Mitsubishi Lancer - Game Changer" »

Posted by George Peterson at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

This article by John O'Dell of The Los Angeles Times appeared in the Sunday December 3 edition. AutoPacific's George Peterson is attributed extensively in the article.

Mitsubishi hopes new Lancer gets it back on track

The redesigned compact is seen as crucial to the struggling automaker's U.S. recovery efforts.

By John O'Dell, Times Staff Writer
December 3, 2006

Mitsubishi Motors Corp., once a shooting star among the smaller Japanese automakers fighting for space in the U.S. market, needs a hit. Badly.

The company, beset by problems here and at home, has seen its U.S. sales plummet 64% from their high in 2002.

Renowned at one time for cutting-edge design and technology, Mitsubishi was among the first automakers to use four-wheel steering and to offer a convertible sports car with a retractable hard top.

It pioneered the direct-injection gasoline engine, for more power with increased fuel economy; and active "yaw," or body-roll, controls that keep a vehicle from pitching uncomfortably from side to side on curves.

These days the company is better known for cheap loans and woeful resale values.

"It's a shame, because they've always made good cars," said industry analyst George Peterson, president of market research firm AutoPacific Inc. in Tustin. "But they lost their image."

Continue reading "2008 Mitsubishi Lancer - Mitsu Back on Track" »

Posted by George Peterson at 09:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Just returned from the Long Lead Press Preview for the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer as the AutoPacific/VehicleVoice correspondent. With the USA being the lead market for the all new Lancer, there has been a series of story embargoes established. We can't show you photos of the production car until December 11. At that time we can also describe the car, its specs, etc. Driving impressions are embargoed until January 24. The actual worldwide introduction of the Lancer will be at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

While we can't officially say anything, the Lancer promises to be the car that re-establishes Mitsubishi in the USA. I think that we can safely say (while honoring the embargo) that the Lancer is a game changing car for Mitsubishi. More distinctive than all other small cars with the possible exception of the 2006 Honda Civic, Lancer will turn heads. Above is a photo of the Concept X first shown at the 2004 Paris Auto Show.

Stay tuned. Intro is late March, 2007. This one's worth waiting for.

Posted by George Peterson at 08:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Which cars and trucks are planted to the dealer's floor? In other words, which vehicles take the longest to sell? Who cars? Why does it matter, anyway?

Well, while it may not seem that important to you, it's critically important to the industry s a whole... from the manufacturese, component suppliers, dealers and quite a few financial institutions. First, if you know the time it takes to sell a vehicle, you know how much it is dragging on the dealer's floorplanning costs. Floorplanning is the term for the amount it costs the dealer to finance the a vehicle in inventory waiting to be sold. If a vehicle has been hanging around for weeks, he'll be more likely to deal aggressively to get rid of it. Also, vehicles that have high days supply may be less popular. From that perspective, they may be the ones you want to stay away from.

Continue reading "Stuck to the Dealer's Floor - Inventory Numbers Tell the Story" »

Posted by George Peterson at 02:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Though Mitsubishi dropped the Montero from its North American lineup with the 2007MY, the vehicle continues for international markets. In Europe and Japan it has been seen as the Pajero and as the Shogun, and Mitsubishi chose Paris for the worldwide reveal of the latest iteration.

Continue reading "2006 Paris Auto Show: Mitsubishi Pajero" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Mitsubishi has an all-new compact SUV for its 2007 lineup. Though it carries the Outlander name, there is little that the second Outlander shares with the first, other than the Lancer platform. This time, though, Outlander is the launch product for Mitsubishi's all-new C-segment platform. The result is a more grown-up and sophisticated compact SUV. The first generation did not fare well in the marketplace, selling only 75,000 units between late 2002 and 2005, the new version has more to offer in all areas.

Sales begin in the United States in November 2006, and AutoPacific and VehicleVoice were invited to be among the early drivers. Using the Hotel Vitale in San Francisco as a home base, Mitsubishi plotted out an entertaining drive route that took us across the Golden Gate Bridge to Highway 1 and up to Bogeda Bay.

Finally, a Competitive Package
Styling has grown up; there is a modern silhouette, better overall proportions, and more attractive styling. The first Outlander looked like a short-but-tall wagon with big bumpers (click here and here for images). The old underwhelming 160HP 2.4L I4 is replaced by a 220HP 3.0L V6 and six-speed automatic (magnesium paddle shifters are optional). There is an improved interior with thoughtful storage and convenience touches and optional jump seats give room for seven in a pinch.

For the 2007MY, there are several new or updated compact SUVs, including the Jeep Compass (click for VehicleVoice Compass review), Jeep Patriot, Honda CR-V, and Suzuki SX4. Against these products, and solid entries like the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, the Outlander brings more power, more size, and more features. The new Outlander can better justify having one of the highest MSRPs of the available Compact SUVs.

Continue reading "Highway 1 in a 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 06:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Welcome to Let's Talk Cars


Watch Podcast

Subscribe via RSS

Subscribe via iTunes

This week on Let's Talk Cars, it's all about the test drive. Which is how we've been spending our summer vacations. We've compiled a slew of new car reviews and walk arounds and test drives, and we've got the first three for you this week - the new Dodge Caliber, the controversial Nissan Quest and the not-ready-for-the-American-marketplace Mitsubishi "i".

First, VehicleVoice correspondent David Barrett takes a bright orange Caliber for a spin, and finds some surprising goodies on the inside.

Next, host Cameron Barrett introduces you to our new review segment, Rev It Up - with 90-seconds on the Nissan Quest, perhaps the most controversial a minivan can get. We review the 2006 Quest just prior to its replacement by the 2007 model with a less controversial interior design.

And finally, the Let's Talk Cars' crew got a peek at a car that isn't even for sale here in the U.S., and will never be. They say big things come in small packages, and if that's true, the Mitsubishi "i" is defintely the next big thing!

00:52 The new Dodge Caliber: David Barrett, VehicleVoice contributor

12:01 Nissan Quest: Cameron Barrett, Let's Talk Cars' Host

13:57 Mitsubishi "i": Cameron Barrett, Let's Talk Cars' Host

Posted by Cameron at 11:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Watch Podcast

Subscribe via RSS

Subscribe via iTunes

This week on Let's Talk Cars, from AutoPacific, a whole new slew of award-winning vehicles, plus a fresh look at the Mitsubishi Endeavor, and will the Suzuki Grand Vitara survive the dreaded baby car seat test!

First, "Let's Talk Cars" host Cameron Barrett chats up AutoPacific's newest analyst Keagan Patrick about the IVAs - that's the Ideal Vehicle Awards. Being new, Keegan didn't know enough to run in the other direction when he saw the Let's Talk Cars crew bearing down on him. Thanks for the interview, Keagan!

Next, VehicleVoice correspondent David Barrett takes the Mitsubishi Endeavor - winner of the AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Premium Mid-Size Sport Utilities - out for a test drive and interviews Mitsubishi stylist Robert Burns. Robert was responsible for Endeavor's 2006 facelift.

And finally, we ambushed a young family, handed over Suzuki's Grand Vitara - winner of AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award for its class, and asked them to get their baby seat in and out of this compact SUV. Oh yeah, and then we asked if they could get their baby in and out of it. See how baby Elijah held up in this unique test drive.

Posted by Cameron at 11:40 AM | Permalink

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Mitsubishi Endeavor won its first AutoPacific VSA when it was launched in 2004 and repeats in 2006. Endeavor's 5-passenger interior package gives good spaciousness to front and rear passengers without the compromises often made by SUVs trying to shoehorn 7-people into the space designed for five. Endeavor has good performance and driving dynamics. While Endeavor's somewhat controversial styling may limit its sales, clearly, once a person has made the commitment, the Endeavor clearly provides what they want.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

The all new Mitsubishi Raider is the top rated Compact Pickup. Maybe that is a misnomer because Raider is clearly Mid-Size and is the only Japanese-brand Compact Pickup available with a V8 engine. Raider is a derivative of the Dodge Dakota but with more aggressive styling. Styling makes the Raider a love it or hate it proposition which actually is good for a niche vehicle in a lower volume brand. Raider owners, having made a commitment to the new Mitsubishi entry, are very satisfied with their vehicle rating Raider tops in the AutoPacific 2006 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards. Mitsubishi's long warranty helps, and with its Dodge base, Raider is a downright good truck.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

November Sales for Updated Outlander
Mitsubishi is celebrating twenty-five years in the States, as well as giving its lineup a boost for the 2007 model year. The first-generation Mitsubishi Outlander was introduced for the 2003 model year, but its lack of a third row and V6 engine is being addressed for the 2007 model year. The all-new Outlander was unveiled to the North American public at the 2006 New York auto show, though it has been on sale in Japan for several months. VehicleVoice and AutoPacific correspondents were at the show to take a first look. The new Outlander has a grown-up look compared with the first version. With the 2007MY, Outlander takes a less-chunky look with better integrated bumpers and a cleaner, more purposeful front end.

Mitsubishi's second take on a small, car-based SUV should be more competitive in the States and help to reverse the sales crash experienced by the first Outlander. Its best sales year was 2003, when just over 34,000 units were sold. By 2005, however, sales had fallen below 12,000 units. Mitsubishi needs this new Outlander to be more successful, and to be able to maintain its success, and therefore Outlander needed its improved looks, extra seats, and updated powertrain.

Continue r