Dive Brief:
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Mitsubishi Motors North America announced an updated version of its Momentum 2030 plan on Tuesday and said it “intends to re-enter the pickup truck segment in North America through its collaboration with Nissan, further expanding the brand’s reach and relevance in the U.S. market.”
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For North America, “an expanded focus on adventure-oriented and off-road capable vehicles” is central to the strategy, Mitsubishi underscored. That includes a more rugged Outlander variant set to arrive early next year, although the automaker hasn’t yet confirmed whether a new version of the Pajero, an off-road-focused SUV known to this market as the Montero, will be U.S.-bound.
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“This is the most comprehensive growth plan we have ever undertaken in the region, built around delivering greater value to customers, creating new opportunities for our dealer partners, and strengthening the long-term future of the brand," Mitsubishi Motors North America President and CEO Mark Chaffin said.
Dive Insight:
While the 2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback EV will be sourced directly from Alliance partner Nissan Motor Co., Mitsubishi hasn’t yet confirmed whether its upcoming pickup will be sourced from Nissan’s U.S. plant, but that remains likely given earlier reports suggesting it might be based on the next Nissan Frontier.
Mitsubishi outlined that its Momentum 2030 plan extends to growth in electrification, in a renewed and expanded product lineup, and in network expansion and sales growth — plus a modernized retail sales model.
The automaker said that customers and dealers “have consistently expressed a desire for Mitsubishi Motors to compete in additional segments.” Under the plan, it will expand its U.S. lineup from a total of four models today to six in 2027 — including the Outlander Sport, Eclipse Cross, Eclipse Sportback EV, Outlander, Outlander Plug-In Hybrid, and the new, more rugged Outlander variant.
Refreshed Outlander and Outlander PHEV models have already arrived at dealerships and the Eclipse Sportback EV is expected to launch later this year. Mitsubishi promised to announce the name of the new Outlander variant “in the coming months.”
At an event earlier this month introducing the Outlander PHEV and Sportback EV, Mitsubishi told WardsAuto that it seeks to cover more than half of U.S. sales markets, from about a third of markets at present.
The truck will be an important part of the market expansion that it seeks to gain with Momentum 2030. Mitsubishi hasn’t sold a pickup for the U.S. market since the Raider, a version of the Dodge Dakota that was discontinued after 2009. The brand’s dealer body in the U.S. has for many years been requesting the return of a Mitsubishi pickup to the market.
