Diesel variants of the Mitsubishi ASX and Outlander SUVs have been axed from the brand’s line-up, with no replacements planned.
Mitsubishi says sales will continue while dealer stocks remain of the two models, but once these are gone, no replacement will be introduced, with the brand choosing instead to focus on alternative powertrains such as plug-in hybrids.
Mitsubishi says both engines have reached the end of their life cycles, although the decline in diesel sales means it "makes more sense" for electrification to take priority.
The decline isn’t as sharp as many other axed diesels’ sales figures, though. Diesels made up 44% of ASX sales and 23% of Outlander sales last year. The latter’s plug-in hybrid model soaked up the remaining 77%, although Mitsubishi has just introduced a petrol-only Outlander to the range, to replace the diesel.
This move makes Mitsubishi’s smaller models - the Mirage, Mitsubishi ASX, Eclipse Cross and Outlander - petrol-only, while the larger Shogun Sport and Mitsubishi L200 are diesel-only, being powered by the same 2.4-litre diesel unit. The Mitsubishi Shogun is now out of production.
Mitsubishi is the latest manufacturer to trim diesels from multiple model lines, as the industry moves away from the black pump. In 2015, almost half of all new car registrations were diesels, but this has dropped to less than a third so far in 2018.
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Mitsubishi Outlander adds petrol option
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great range Mitsubishi, not
As Autocar knows, the industry (japanese) is moving away from the black pump, meanwhile Skoda brings the fastest SUV you can refill at the black pump.
Surely, both black pumps and Skoda forecourts will be busy serving their customers...now, concerning those of Mitsubishi...
Autocar 29/8/18 you can now
Autocar 29/8/18 you can now buy an Outlander with three different power trains: Phev, Petrol and Diesel.
Autocar 30/8/18 diesel outlander axed.
Surely both the launch of petrol model and deletion of diesel was announced in one press release? I find it hard to believe that Mitsubishi would waste time having two press releases 24hours apart about mundanity like Outlander niche powertrain options?
Bob Cat Brian wrote:
Unfortunately stumbled upon this post...which begs the question...why bother posting about it, if you found the original premise...a waste of time?.
Petrol outlander
I imagine you'd need to remortgage your house to pay for the fuel for the thing!