Coming Soon to Dealership Near You: The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Ask anyone close to the Mitsubishi Motors brand, and they’ll tell you the ever-changing car giant is hard at work developing new, innovative products for the future. Even more, Mitsubishi has been quick to say their future lies with hybrid and electric vehicles. Case in point, in 2009, the company dipped its toe in the alternative energy pool, bringing to market the all-electric i-MiEV city car. Finding the water warm, last year Mitsubishi decided it was time to tuck up its legs and cannonball into the deep-end, releasing the more mainstream Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).

Still no debut in the states, the Outlander PHEV has been on a slow worldwide rollout since its debut in Japan in 2013. Based on the current third-generation Outlander, Mitsubishi has already delivered over 33,000 of these hybrid crossovers around the globe. And impressively, for 2014 the Outlander PHEV is the highest selling plug-in hybrid currently on sale in the U.K.

So where’s our version? Be patient, it is coming. Expect the North American version to arrive in late 2015 or early 2016.

AutoGuide recently drove the worldwide phenomenon, and this is what they had to say:

The drivetrain for the PHEV starts with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine derived from the Lancer compact sedan. To bolster refinement, balancing shafts have been added to the engine, which makes 120 hp and 145 lb-ft in this application. Joining it between the front wheels is an electric motor with 40 hp and 100 lb-ft of torque. In the rear there’s another electric motor that also generates 40 hp, but since it’s the sole powertrain for the back tires, torque has been boosted up to 144 lb-ft.

It’s What’s Inside that Counts:

The PHEV can run in three different drive modes: EV, Series or Parallel. In EV mode, the Outlander runs on pure electric power up to speeds of 75 MPH, utilizing the front and rear motors. In Series mode, the gas engine acts as an energy producing generator for the electric motors, similar to the Chevrolet Volt. When maximum power is called for, Parallel mode kicks in that uses the gas engine and electric motors to drive the vehicle. If a charge is completely depleted, the vehicle becomes front-wheel drive only since the gasoline engine is only coupled to the front wheels. But, a charge can be recaptured through regenerative braking, coasting, etc., that can store a little power in the batteries for use at the rear wheels when needed.

But How Does it Drive:

Power delivery is smooth and feels more robust than figures suggest. A fair amount of throttle application can be applied in pure electric mode before the gasoline engine will engage. Once it does, the transition from all electric to hybrid mode is smooth.

Getting up to speed on the highway with three adults onboard isn’t an issue and the Outlander will cruise comfortably at 74 MPH in pure electric mode without struggling. Being a European spec vehicle, the brakes were a bit grabbier than we are used to in North America, but otherwise worked fine. The paddle shifters from the V6 Outlander are still present, now serving a new purpose. Slap the left paddle and the vehicle’s regenerative braking force increases while clicking the right paddle decreases pressure. In all, regen braking force can be adjusted through six levels, ranging from zero (off) to five (whiplash).

Recharge on Demand:

One of the coolest features in the Outlander PHEV has to be the vehicle’s ability to recharge its battery pack on demand. By selecting the recharge button on the center console, the gasoline engine will not only produce power for the drive motors, but also enough to begin recharging the battery pack. Mitsubishi claims battery can be recharged to 80 percent capacity in just 40 minutes, which is impressive considering a stage three rapid charger needs 30 minutes to accomplish the same feat.

While on the topic of charging, a standard 110V household outlet can charge the Outlander fully in 6.5 hours which is also impressive. It almost makes a stage two 220V charger’s four-hour refill time seem redundant.

For those who do a lot of highway commuting followed by drives through a city, Mitsubishi has given the Outlander PHEV a “save” feature that allows drivers to manually engage the gasoline engine when wanted to save the electric charge for later. I experimented using both the save feature and the recharge on demand and found neither adversely affected the Outlander’s performance. In fact, when cruising on the highway, I would be interested in finding out how much more gas the Outlander uses during a forty minutes charge period compared to just running the drive motors. Is the extra gas trade off worth the recaptured electric range? Only a proper test with the upcoming North American version can answer that question.

In the meantime, come out and test drive the Mitsubishi Outlander! By the time the PHEV hits the market, it will just the time for an upgrade!

Find Your Own Lane with the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Mitsubishi’s clever marketing campaign for the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport includes the slogan: Find your own lane.

And while most people equate off-road vehicles with the Jeep Wranglers and Ram trucks of the world, we got to thinking—where have you gone in your Outlander Sport? Share your experience on our Facebook page. And in the meantime, watch the “Find Your Own Lane” Mitsubishi Sport commercial below!

Mitsubishi to Build Pickup Truck for Fiat

Mitsubishi does well with the Outlander and Outlander Sport, but does anyone remember the Mitsubishi Raider, the Mitsubishi pickup truck offering that made it’s debut in 2006? Well, as far as we know, the Raider isn’t coming back, but Mitsubishi’s name has been recently tied with other truck news.

2006 Mitsubishi Raider

The diamond-studded brand has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fiat to develop and manufacture a midsize pick-up truck that would be supplied by Mitsubishi and based on the L200.

Production is slated to begin in early 2016 at Mitsubishi’s assembly plant in Thailand. The Japanese automaker is expected to supply Fiat with 150,000-170,000 trucks over a span of six years.

Don’t look for a Fiat truck in North America anytime soon, however. Fiat wants to sell it in the Latin American market, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. But is anyone really sure what the future holds??

The New Trend to Hit North Huntingdon? The All-New 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander!

The Jim Shorkey Mitsubishi new car lot is surging with 2015 models, ready to find a new home. Leading the way is the all-new 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander! This affordable midsize SUV received some updates for 2015 that will have any driver clamoring for the keys!

The 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 166 horsepower. A 224-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 engine is available. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive are standard. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard with the 3.0-liter engine and all-wheel drive is optional with either powertrain. With front-wheel drive and the 2.4-liter engine, the 2015 Outlander earns an EPA-estimated 25/31 mpg city/highway.

Standard features in the seven-seat 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander include a new leather-wrapped steering wheel, a six-speaker audio system, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, Bluetooth, and automatic climate control. Newly standard for 2015 is Mitsubishi’s FUSE Hands-Free Link System, which allows occupants to control audio and smartphone functions using voice commands. Available features include leatherette seats, HD Radio, a 6.1-inch touch-screen display, a nine-speaker audio system, satellite radio, navigation, a rearview camera, heated front seats, and push-button start. Adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and lane departure warning are also optional.

You’ll Be Seeing Different Mitsubishi Vehicles Driving Around Pittsburgh in the Coming Years

Even great vehicles need a facelift every now and then. Enter Mitsubishi Motors with a plan improve its U.S. lineup with some fresh design touches next year. The biggest change will occur in the 2016 model vehicles, which all will get new grilles and fascias to create a more modern and unified look across the Mitsubishi board. Additionally, a new Mirage sedan is on the table for the 2017 model year (as we previously wrote about on this blog!).

All that aside though, Automotive News recently took a look at what Mitsubishi has coming your way in the next couple of years. Don’t forget your sunglasses because the future is bright! Here’s what they had to say:

Mirage: After some minor updates for the 2015 model year, the Mirage will be reengineered for the 2016 model year with new sheet metal from the small car’s A-pillar forward and some minor design tweaks to its rear. The update will include the brand’s new grille and fascia, plus a new hood design, headlights, and other updates. Production for the 2016 Mirage is slated to begin in late 2015, and the first vehicles could arrive stateside before the end of the year or slip into early 2016.

Mirage sedan: The sedan variant of the Mirage should arrive in the first half of 2016 for the 2017 model year, though timing has not been set in stone.

Lancer: Like the Mirage, the Lancer gets a major design update for the 2016 model year. The compact car will get new sheet metal from the A-pillar forward and the new grille and fascia. The Lancer’s interior also will be freshened for the 2016 model year, which goes into production in the fourth quarter of 2015 and should go on sale before the end of the year.

Mitsubishi eventually may replace the Lancer in the U.S. with a rebadged Renault vehicle.

Lancer Evolution: Fans of the high-performance Lancer Evolution should head to dealerships soon because the car will be phased out. Production of the Evolution MR trim will end in December; Evolution GSR production will wind down over the course of 2015; and Mitsubishi will drop the Evolution’s Recaro racing seats. The 2015 model year will be the Evolution’s last.

Before it’s gone, the Evo will get a send-off in the form of a so-called Special Action Model. The car, built specifically for the U.S., will get extra horsepower and other performance improvements. About 2,000 to 2,500 will be built during the Evo’s final 6 months of production next year.

Midsize sedan: Mitsubishi and Renault executives have been in talks since November about Renault supplying a midsize sedan to fill the hole in Mitsubishi’s lineup left by the cancellation of the Galant. Talks are continuing and are likely to produce a deal, but timing remains unclear.

Outlander: A freshened Outlander went on sale in July for the 2015 model year. The 2016 Outlander will get the new grille and fascia included in Mitsubishi’s new brand identity, part of 12 new pieces of sheet metal from the A-pillar forward and rear of the C-pillar included in the midsize crossover’s update.

Outlander plug-in hybrid: Another delay has pushed back the U.S. launch of the Outlander plug-in hybrid until late 2015. After unexpectedly high demand from Europe and Japan pushed back the Outlander PHEV’s U.S. introduction, this latest delay stems from a request from California regulators to equip the vehicle with a battery-life monitor that will warn drivers of possible degradation in the crossover’s lithium ion battery pack, Mitsubishi has said.

Outlander Sport: Mitsubishi put a new continuously variable transmission in its compact crossover for its 2015 model year re-engineering, and a new 2.4-liter engine will be added in February as a midyear addition to the lineup.

Next fall, the Outlander Sport will receive the brand’s new front-end styling updates as well as new sheet metal on the doors, fenders, hood and other areas — the most extensive update the vehicle has received since it first went on sale in 2011. Those changes arrive in the 2016 model year.

Pittsburgh Loves Mitsubishi, And Jim Shorkey Mitsubishi Loves Pittsburgh

Mitsubishi brand across the nation has experienced tremendous growth in sales, and Jim Shorkey Mitsubishi in North Huntingdon is helping lead the way! We would like to send a big THANK YOU to everyone in the North Huntingdon and Pittsburgh areas for making us not only one of the top Mitsubishi dealerships in our region but also the country!

Here is a breakdown of how Mitsubishi is doing across the board and how a slew of vehicles contributed to this success.

The American-made Outlander Sport 5-passenger compact crossover/SUV was the brand’s sales leader among its diverse model lineup with sales of 2,869 units in August – the best August sales month and the second best all-time month of sales since its release in 2010.

Like the Outlander Sport, the extremely fuel-efficient Mirage 5-door sub-compact scored its second best all-time month of sales in August with 1,666 units sold.

The recently redesigned Outlander 7-passenger crossover/SUV also demonstrated exceptional sales momentum with sales of 1,134 units for August. Sales for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) “Top Safety Pick+”-rated Outlander are now up 19.9 percent year-to-date and represent the best January through August sales for the model since 2008.

“Outlander Sport and Mirage continue to lead the way with consistently strong sales,” said MMNA Executive Vice President of Sales, Don Swearingen. “And it is equally gratifying to see our redesigned Outlander crossover/SUV have its strongest sales run since 2008. Outlander offers excellent fuel efficiency and highly advanced safety technologies all at a very affordable price.”

Check out these great vehicles and more today! Or better yet, come and see us on Route 30 in North Huntingdon!

2015 Mitsubishi Mirage Gets Pittsburgh Drivers Where They Want To Go

Jim Shorkey Mitsubishi is taking note on the new generation of drivers—the millennials.

In the age of less is more, Mitsubishi is listening to what the younger generation of drivers want: an affordable, more environmentally responsible, easy-to-drive car. To meet the demands of millennials, Mitsubishi has met the supply with another model year of the Mirage.

The 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage is one of the most affordable vehicles on the market. This vehicle really does fit the “less is more” motto for the amount of vehicle and standard features that are included for the price. The 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage gets astounding fuel economy without even being an electric or hybrid model. The 2015 Mirage is a great vehicle for the young Pittsburgh drivers looking to get around town quickly, easily, and affordably.

Not only does the Mirage have easy handling and fun features, it is also one of few vehicles that come in a variety of vibrant colors like purple and lime green!

And for the millennials who have recently graduated college, Jim Shorkey Mitsubishi offers a recent college grad discount!

Stop by Jim Shorkey Mitsubishi on Route 30 in North Huntingdon, and take one for a test drive today!