Mitsubishi hasn't had an entry in the popular, profitable midsize sedan segment since the long-in-the-tooth Galant made its exit in 2012. Getting back into the family-sedan game will be expensive—perhaps too expensive for the tri-diamond brand. That's why, according to reports, Mitsubishi is in talks with Nissan to plot a midsize partnership.
The report comes after similar talks broke down between Mitsubishi and Renault, according to unnamed insiders who spoke with Automotive News. When Mitsubishi severed plans for a small- and midsize-sedan partnership with the French marque, it turned to the other half of the Nissan-Renault duo.
Don't expect any immediate action, though: A Mitsubishi spokesman told Automotive News that plans for a Galant replacement are on indefinite hold while the company scrambles to develop a replacement for the aging and increasingly uncompetitive Lancer small sedan.
While the Lancer replacement would have appeal across many markets worldwide, the planned Renault-based midsize would have almost assuredly been limited to the North American market. A plan to import Mitsubishi-badged Renault sedans from the French company's South Korea assembly plant was scuttled when the value of Korea's currency shot up, making it economically unfeasible.
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The need for new Mitsubishi offerings in both the small- and midsize-sedan market is clear: U.S. Lancer sales dropped 15 percent last year, and while Mitsubishi's overall sales grew by a quarter in 2014, it was on the backs of SUVs and crossovers like the Outlander Sport.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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