Mitsubishi planning new electric and plug-in SUVs

Mitsubishi chairman and CEO Osamu Masuko was in London last week to talk about the incredible success his company is having with its Outlander PHEV. UK sales through the end of June totalled 7255 units — more than double those of the Nissan LEAF. Last year, Mitsubishi sold more electric cars and plug-in hybrids in the UK and Europe than any other manufacturer.

Masuko told the press in England that between now and 2020, Mitsubishi will build a five tier lineup of SUVs, four of which are likely to be plug-in hybrids or EVs. Its ASX is likely to be the world's smallest SUV with pure battery electric power, based upon the eX all electric 4 wheel drive concept scheduled to appear at the Tokyo motor show later this month.

There will also be an all new SUV between the ASX and Outlander, which will grow 
a little to make space for the new model. For the UK and Europe, the company will add 
a 'Shogun Sport', described as "a conventionally powered pure off-roader," in between the Outlander and the top of the line Shogun.

Mitsubishi is Japan's sixth-largest car company, selling around 1.2 million cars and commercial vehicles each year. Masuko said its future emphasis would not be on chasing volume, "which could be dangerous", but on improving its brand image and setting "appropriate prices".

What does this mean for the US market? That picture is murky. One would think that if a company had a highly successful plug-in SUV like the Outlander PHEV, it would want to offer that vehicle to US customers. But so far, Mitsubishi has dithered about whether to bring the Outlander PHEV to America. By the time it does, its opportunity to improve is lackluster image in the US may have evaporated.

Dealers in the UK report that owners of conventional SUVs from premium manufacturers like Mercedes and BMW have been have been trading in their gas guzzlers for Mitsubishi's Outlander PHEV. That has helped MItsubishi raise its image in the UK substantially. Why would it not want to leverage that success in North America? Only Osamu Masuko knows the answer to that question.

Source: Mitsubishi planning new electric and plug-in SUVs