Over the last several years, Mitsubishi Motors has been a part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, and although the automaker is supposed to lead the Alliance as the first to release a new model in a specific region, we have yet to see anything come from the sharing of resources with Renault-Nissan. Mitsubishi seems more focused on sprucing up its existing lineup with new generation models, like the next-generation of the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport , and adding special Mitsubishi Ralliart editions. One reason could be because of the great acclaim Mitsubishi does receive from consumers and automotive journalists time and again. 2022 was quiet, but the Alliance 2030 promises a lot of good things in the near future.
Knowing consumer loyalty like no other, the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander was voted as the SUV of the Year by Puros Autos during their “Latin Flavor Cars of the Year 2021” awards. The Hispanic market has known to be vital to Mitsubishi Motors success and sales, with one-out-of-every-four-cars purchased in the U.S. is by a Hispanic consumer. Not only this, the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander has the highest percentage of Hispanic buyers in the industry. Recognized by another Hispanic publication, the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander was also named Crossover Utility of the Year by the Hispanic Motor Press during their annual Hispanic Motor Press Awards.
The Outlander gets a lot of attention, but some fans still show their love for the Mitsubishi Mirage. This will actually be the first Mitsubishi model to get a special Ralliart Edition of the 2023 Mitsubishi lineup. The Mitsubishi Mirage Ralliart edition will be the testing ground for Mitsubishi to bring back Ralliart special edition high-performance vehicles, or at least that’s the speculation based on a quote possibly taken out of context.
“We will also consider involvement in rallies…We made a big loss in the previous fiscal year, so we want to revive the company first and then give out as many cars as possible that fans are waiting for.” – Mitsubishi Motors President Takao Kato
None of this was mentioned during the Renault 2030 business strategy announcement, but there was a lot of talk about connected mobility and upcoming battery-electric vehicles. The Alliance invested €10 billion into electric vehicle (EV) resources with 15 plants currently manufacturing parts, motors, and batteries for 10 upcoming EV models. During its announcement, the Alliance stated that it will be increasing its investment by €23 billion to produce 35 new EV models by 2030.
We haven’t seen much success for Mitsubishi EV entries in the U.S., but the automaker currently has great success when it comes to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) like the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. In November 2022, the 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV won the 2023 Family Green Car of the Year award. Even if the automaker hasn’t seen the same success with its EV models in the states, overseas in Japan, its all-electric kei cars tell a different story. In December 2022, Automotive Researchers’ and Journalists’ Conference of Japan (RJC) concluded its RJC Car of the Year for 2023 competition and named the Mitsubishi eK X EV as the winner. We should see some interesting things for Mitsubishi Motors throughout the rest of this decade. Until then, consumers can find their award-winning Mitsubishi models at Miami Lakes Automall.