Currency fluctuations and a lack of volume helped bring an end to a deal that would have seen Mitsubishi sell Renault-Samsung vehicles as their own in North America, according to a report by Just-Auto.
While Renault-Nissan and Mitsubishi will continue to share production of a kei-class minicar in Japan, proposed plans to sell a large Renault-Samsung vehicle as a Mitsubishi in North America have been put on hold, along with the potential to export other models in the future. Currency issues and a lack of profitability for Renault-Nissan were cited as the main reasons that the deal fell through. Mitsubishi is apparently still open to searching for a new partner, while dealers are said to be growing anxious about a lack of competitive sedans in North America.
My life long dream of owning a vehicle styled by Mitsubishi & designed/built by Renault is dead!
It’s really designed/built by Nissan though!
Here was my favorite. The SM520V
http://www.yangdaeyong.com/data/cheditor/0807/2_copy.jpg
In no way does it look like an I30.
So if your only available options were the ATS or a Renault-Mitsu product, you would….. walk? :)
MITSUBISHI, think affordable 4-door GSX, think Galant VR4.
You’re getting a lot of performance for the dollar but $38k is pricey for an Evolution 10.
If I’m using my own money, I walk. If it was free, I’d ride the Renault-Mitsu product till the wheels fell off 28K later (ha a pun!).
Actually with an auto tranny, at the end it turns out to be a hair under $50k out the door for an evo10.
I know of at least one Renault-Samsung built car sold in America today: the 2015 Nissan Rogue. I should know because I bought one last week and the VIN starts with a “K”. It turns out they are importing about 1/3 of them from Korea because the demand is too great for their Tennessee plant. I’m hoping that their quality is as good or better than Nissan of America.
I’m pretty sure that Mitsubishi USA dealers are well beyond “anxious” by now about the lack of a product line, and keep their dealerships open as a “lottery ticket” against a new Mitsubishi product coming out of nowhere to become a hit. I cannot imagine the remaining dealerships are exactly stocked by the cream of that particular corporate parent’s crop. I expect they are used more as training facilities to those new to the industry (or punishment grounds for those who are not) rather than viable dealerships.
The dealer nearest me is one small room off to the side of used car dealer (so yeah, only a few of the cars in the lot are actually Mitsubishis), and the “service department” is a couple of bays in a nearby body shop.
Sounds like Walpole Mitsubishi.
Depends on how much effort they’re willing to put into it. The Mitsubishi dealer closest to me sells them like $1.00 Big Macs at a fat camp. And this is in an area saturated by dealerships of every other marque currently for sale in the US, it’s not like Mitsu the only game in this town. Of course you can assume every customer of theirs is a sub-600 FICO score, recent bankruptcy, desperate single parent, escaped convict, etc. if you want – and you might actually even be right on some – but the fact is they’re moving inventory.
This isn’t an opinion on Mitsubishi as a company or their cars, nor a speculation as to their future in the US, I’m just saying if a dealership really wants to move product and actually knows how to speak to their market, it can be done.
As much as Mitsu needs SOMETHING new, I’m a little relieved. Bringing a boring Renault midsizer didn’t seem like the answer they needed.
Well, a mid-sizer is a gigantic hole in their product line, so a Renault re-badge would be better than what they have now. But yeah, it would not have been a brand-saver.
Alas, what Mitsubishi actually needs is a real reason to buy Mitsubishi vs. any one of the competition, most of which have more/better marketing, dealer network, and pricing that is not much higher than what Mitsu wants for their cars.
Their only hope is either some real stunner of a car that becomes a “must-have” or some rock-bottom pricing, which they may not be able to stomach.
If Mitsubishi can’t design an build by themself a mid size sedan, they should just throw the towel and move to something else. We don’t miss Mitsubishi stereos, we don’t miss Mitsubishi vcr’s and TVs, we wouldn’t miss Mitsubishi vehicle.
Anyway what’s the point of a Japanese car if it’s not made or at least engineered in Japan. Remember the Suzuki Verona?
Like keep making Nikon Cameras? Perhaps remain in the top-tier of Nuclear Power plant manufacturers? Mitsubishi’s automotive business really is the only failing part of Mitsubishi heavy industries and that’s because it is a far more fickle beast than the other segments. Still, at this point they’re probably better served taking leave of the industry and focusing on aspects that actually make money.
My experience with Japanese cars is that their point is similar to others: to carry people and their belongings from Point A to Point B.
I thought Mitsubishi should have made a deal with Suzuki and badge-engineered the Kazashi into the new Gallant.
When I read about the deal between N-R-S and Mitsu, that thought crossed my mind also…
I thought so too, but then realized Suzuki had messed up and made the car a C/D class car – about 1/2 way between the compact and mid-sized categories, and thought – it didn’t work for Suzuki, at Suzuki dealers. Why would Mitsubishi dealers be enamored with it?
Now if they added about 3″ to the center of the car in a bid to give it more leg room, it might have worked.
I always thought the Suzuki Kizashi SHOW CARS (which were D-class in look) were cool and actually wanted one! When the “real” car came out, it was more than a little let-down. It was like a slap in the face with a wet fish after being coaxed into the nicest restaurant in town with 50% prices.
My next business venture will be to go to Mitsubishi’s US headquarters and sell suitcases. They’re going to need plenty of them.
Hey Dereck,
Looks like one of my 2015 predictions came true…
Oh, Mitsu…just throw it in and license the Evo to Nissan.
Here’s a novel idea out of left field, so to speak. Mitsubishi has had a collaborative deal with Peugeot (and thereby also Citroen) in Europe, providing them with badge-engineered SUV’s.
Why not take the Peugeot 508 and put a new grille in it, sell it as a Mitsubishi Galant? Perhaps a 3 year contract, giving Mitsubishi time to develop their own D-class (mid-sized) car – or else just sign an extension to the contract if Mitsu can’t be bothered to compete properly in China and the US (both places where D-class sedans are popular).
The Euro is now almost at par with the dollar, so this should work. If the Euro-to-dollar relationship goes pear shaped, then bring the cars in from Dongfeng-Peugeot in Wuhan, China.