It seems that Mitsubishi is strong enough to try and fight for its survival in America, even though sales aren't exactly what they used to be just a few years ago.
During the first quarter of the year – although it had a sizeable increase in deliveries of more than 35% compared to Q1 of 2023 - Mitsubishi Motors North America barely passed 28k total sales. With the Mirage sedan and hatchback going away due to poor sales, it will remain a shadow of its former self, with only the geriatric Outlander Sport, the quirky Eclipse Cross, and the Outlander as the sole provider for the entire family.
No worries, say the division's corner office head honchos – Mitsubishi has a strategy to return to long-lost glory with help from Momentum 2030, its latest five-year business strategy. The hooks are simple – more electrified powertrains (HEV, PHEV, and EV), more dealers, more technology, as well as new vehicles to be introduced across additional segments with a new or completely refreshed vehicle "to debut each year between fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2030."
As far as the expansion into fresh segments is concerned, the rumor mill believes Mitsubishi will work alongside Nissan to bring a mid-size pickup truck to America. The current models, on the other hand, are easier to spot because there aren't a lot of them left anymore. As such, the imaginative realm of digital car content creators thinks that the quirky Eclipse Cross could be next in store to receive an all-new iteration.
The good folks over at the AutoYa info channel on YouTube have unofficially imagined the CGI looks of the upcoming 2025 or 2026 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, with the host explaining that this odd-styled Japanese crossover SUV appeared in late 2017 as a 2018 model year and has already gone through the classic facelift procedure for the 2022 model year. And, since the 2024MY didn't bring too many novelties aside from additional goodies and a new Black Edition, it's safe to say that something big may be in store for the next model years.
Thus, the channel's resident pixel master was tasked with an unofficial rendering of the hypothetical looks of the second-generation Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. It retains the quirky shape and gets a cool new front fascia with the signature split-bank radiator grille and different light clusters. The outlet doesn't show the rear, but there's a glimpse of the interior, which is directly borrowed from the current Outlander, complete with the wide digital instrument cluster and rather tiny central infotainment touchscreen.
Additionally, the channel doesn't forget about the traditional exterior color reel, and it turns out that some exotic shades actually look great in combination with the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross's controversial styling; what do you think?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News