Evo X vs Evo 9 rally alpe grande 2008
Friday, February 6th, 2009Evo X:
Evo 9:
Archive for February 6th, 2009
Production of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X skipped for 2009 in U.S.
Friday, February 6th, 2009
Mitsubishi has put production of the Lancer Evolution X on hold, saying there’s enough inventory to make it through the end of the year when the 2010 model is released. Mitsubishi spokesperson Christine Jew told KickingTires that no changes were planned for the 2009 model, but the 2010 variant would benefit from a few minor revisions. Inventory tracking through Cars.com confirms that there are plenty of Evos available (887 2008 models, to be specific), but that doesn’t mean the new Evo X is a flop; sales of Mitsu’s rally rocket were up over 50% in 2008.
UPDATE: We spoke with Christine from Mitsubishi about Evo production, and it’s hardly a “halt.” The 2009 Evo will continue to be produced for Canada and Puerto Rico, so Mitsubishi is only skipping the U.S. market for the 2009 model year. As some of you pointed out, this is primarily due to the late launch the Evo received last year. The 2010 model will go on sale this summer and will feature some “minor,” undisclosed tweaks.
Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/03/production-of-mitsubishi-lancer-evolution-x-halted-for-2009/
Mitsubishi focuses development on ‘green’ cars, plug-in hybrid coming in 2013
Friday, February 6th, 2009
When the average enthusiast thinks of Mitsubishi, the first thing that jumps to mind is likely the Evolution, but the Japanese automaker’s bread is buttered by the sales of large SUVs. This means that profits are pretty tough to come by these days as anything that guzzles gas has rapidly seen itself falling out of favor. In light of this fact, Mitsubishi now says that it has halted development of everything that isn’t eco-friendly. SUVs and large cars are out; electric cars, plug-in hybrids and small cars are in. What does this mean for future developments for the Evo platform? We don’t know, but it doesn’t sound promising.
According to CEO Osamu Masuko, the automaker can’t abandon its SUV roots entirely, so the future strategy will be two-fold: continue to offer larger cars like the Lancer and Galant and four-wheel drive SUVs in hybrid form, while focusing on fully electric machines on the smaller end. The first fruits of Mitsubishi’s new green plans may be production versions of the i MiEV electric car, but plug-in hybrid versions of its larger cars and SUVs are likely by 2013.
Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/02/mitsubishi-focuses-development-on-green-cars-plug-in-hybrid-c/