Mitsubishi Reveals U.S. Expansion Plan With Outdoorsy Plug-In Vehicles

The Japanese automaker doesn’t sell too many vehicles in the US, but it plans to change that with plug-in models that can go off-road.

Mitsubishi has revealed its long-awaited plan to expand and revitalize its US lineup, which currently consists of the Outlander, Outlander Sport, Eclipse Cross and Mirage. Only the Outlander is available as a plug-in hybrid, but that’s about to change by implementing what Mitsubishi calls its “Momentum 2030” business plan.

With one new vehicle released every year between 2026 and 2030, the Japanese automaker intends to add more hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles. It also wants to increase the number of dealers in the US, and it wants to give its existing ones a visual makeover as well as implement a “modernized retail sales model.”

Mark Chaffin, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America said, referencing the 2030 business plan, that “the next 10 years will be great for this brand,” adding that “Mitsubishi Motors is at a pivotal point in North America, charting a bold, clear and attainable plan for our future success in the United States.”

Mitsubishi shared one image showing the obscured outlines of the future additions to the lineup. One of the new models that Mitsubishi wants to win back US buyers with is the production version of last year’s D:X concept (in the center of the image). This all-new model could best be described as a lifted off-road van with seating for six and a plug-in hybrid powertrain providing motivation.

There appear to be two more tall and off-road-oriented vehicles planned for release by 2030. You can see them on the far left and right of the image. They don’t appear to be models or concepts that the manufacturer has shown before, but they both appear to have lifted suspension and high ground clearance.

Automotive News says Mitsubishi will launch a more rugged and lifted version of the Outlander in 2025. It’s also expected to unveil a small plug-in hybrid crossover to replace the Mirage, which will go out of production at the end of 2024.

Last year, Mitsubishi also revealed the XRT Concept, which previews the evolution of its L200 pickup that’s sold as the Triton in some markets. However, this model will still have a conventional combustion powertrain, and the manufacturer has not indicated that it plans to start selling it in the United States, although it has teamed up with Nissan to make a US-spec electric pickup, which should arrive sometime between 2025 and 2028.

There is no set timeline for Mitsubishi to reintroduce an EV into its range. Even though it was a pioneer of modern EVs, with the i-MiEV, the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle introduced in 2009, it has not offered an EV in the US since August 2017. It currently only sells an electric kei car in Japan, the eK X EV co-developed with Nissan, which has a tiny 20-kilowatt-hour battery pack and is designed exclusively for urban driving.