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Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Buying a Mitsubishi? Prices Just Jumped
According to a new report by Reuters, Mitsubishi is the latest to join a growing list of automakers that are passing on the economic burden of tariffs and their effects on the supply chain directly onto the buyers of Outlanders, Outlander Sports, and its other vehicles. The newswire reports that as of June 18, prices for Mitsubishi vehicles sold in the U.S. will increase by an average of 2.1%, a move that the automaker itself claims is due to a combination of market factors and ongoing internal pricing evaluations. In its statement, Mitsubishi said the pricing adjustment was "a direct result of our regular and ongoing review of pricing to ensure we are aligned with segment expectations." However, they also emphasized that the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration were a significant factor, as increased import levies are making the cost of importing vehicles into the U.S. more expensive, leaving automakers with few options other than to raise sticker prices. However, Mitsubishi reassured consumers and concerned dealers that the price increase would not affect vehicles already on showroom floors or on dealer lots. It clarified that the price bump will apply to new cars shipped to dealers following June 18. Mitsubishi's price increase comes on the heels of a temporary pause in deliveries triggered by Trump's tariff policy. In April, a Mitsubishi spokesperson said that the automaker was holding its vehicles at the port before any levies could be applied, as it awaited more color and clarity on the tariff situation. "We are holding vehicles at the port until we have additional visibility on tariffs and decisions made on next steps," the spokesperson told AutoNews on April 11. "We have sufficient stock on the ground at dealers for the moment to not impact customer choice." Compared to its Japanese automotive compatriots like Honda, Toyota, Subaru, and Nissan, Mitsubishi is in a precarious position. While its contemporaries produce U.S.-market cars in several states in the Midwest and American South, Mitsubishi imports every single Outlander, Mirage, Outlander Sport crossover, and Eclipse Cross it sells in the United States from Japan, prime candidates for 25% tariffs when they land at the port. Despite the tariff stress, Mitsubishi seems to be doing well in the United States. In Q1 2025, year-over-year sales increased by 11%. Last year, the company sold 110,000 vehicles, a 26% year-over-year increase and the best U.S. sales year for Mitsubishi since 2019. Mitsubishi credits this growth to its refreshed product lineup and the strong performance of the Outlander and Outlander Sport models in a competitive compact SUV market. However, the auto industry is showing coping mechanisms as tariffs reshape the cost of business. Last month, Subaru of America raised prices on multiple models by up to $2,055, citing "current market conditions." Weeks earlier, Ford became one of the first major automakers to respond to the new tariffs directly, increasing prices on three Mexican-made models by as much as $2,000. Additionally, Volvo's new order guide for 2026 shows several price increases, with some as high as $3,200. It seems that the tariff fiasco will not go away very soon. Last week, President Trump warned that he may raise the 25% auto tariffs, arguing that it could be an incentive for automakers to accelerate U.S. investments. "I might go up with that tariff in the not-too-distant future," Trump said on June 12. "The higher you go, the more likely it is they build a plant here." The tariff troubles are showing results in economic activity. According to Nikkei Asia, new data shows that Japan's total exports by value to the U.S. fell by 11% year-over-year, and the number of cars exported from Japan to the U.S. fell by 3.9%. To make matters worse, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Trump were unable to strike a tariff deal at a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit this week, as they couldn't agree on tariffs on Japanese automobiles, something the U.S. considers to be a main cause of its trade deficit with Japan. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
NDTV
3 days ago
- Automotive
- NDTV
Mercedes-AMG G63 Worth Over Rs 3.02 Crore Goes Missing- What Went Wrong?
Dealerships are among the first ones to shoulder the weight of responsibility of handling a new car that rolls out of the production plant. The responsibility becomes even bigger when the car in question is a Mercedes-AMG G63, which apart from being a vehicle with legendary name is also a model that carries a hefty price tag. The one in this incident is from the US and is worth around $350,000 (around Rs 3.5 crore). The unit of the Mercedes-AMG G63 in this incident went missing while from a dealership in Texas. This happened after two dealers shook on a deal and an unknown third party managed to swipe away the car from one of the dealers. Presently, both the dealers involved have no information where the G63 is now. Also Read: Skoda Octavia RS Snapped Sans Camo Before Launch: Potential Golf GTI Killer? The story begins with the Mercedes-Benz dealership from Laredo in Texas who owned the SUV and sold it to Loeber Motors in Illinois. After receiving the payment of $347,225 (around Rs 2.99 Crore), the Texas dealer was supposed to set up transport and handle the paperwork. However, things did not go down as per the plan. As reported by AutoNews, the actual car carrier arrived to collect the SUV several days after it had already been taken. Mercedes-Benz of Laredo expressed surprise but acknowledged that three days earlier, an employee had handed the keys to "an unidentified individual." It remains uncertain who that person was, what kind of paperwork or documentation they presented, and how they were aware of the transaction and collection specifics. Loeber Motors is currently working through the legal system to recover its funds because the Texas-based dealership has apparently not issued a refund. The general manager there reportedly admitted, "we screwed up," but that statement falls about $347,000 short of being adequate in this kind of situation.
The Drive
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
The Last 5-Speed Manual in the US Is Gone as Nissan Discontinues Base Versa
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The $17,190 base-model Nissan Versa S, the last U.S.-market production car with a five-speed manual, is ending production. According to Automotive News , the manual Versa is the latest automotive tariff victim, as all Versas are built at Nissan's Aguascalientes, Mexico, plant and the base car is least popular. Looks like Nissan is trying to create as much savings as possible to handle the 25% tariff on cars imported from Mexico. A Nissan spokesperson told Auto News that it's trimming the fat down to the models with the 'strongest business performance.' The Drive reached out to Nissan for a comment, and we'll update this story if we get more details. When you go to Nissan's site and check out the Versa, the first thing you see under its name is 'Get the Nissan you want free from new tariffs.' So if Nissan is going to eat the additional tariff cost for customers, it can't be manufacturing cars that won't sell well. And manuals reportedly only accounted for 5% of Versa sales in 2024. Nissan As the manual Versa dies, it brings the five-speed manual transmission down with it. What was once a common drivetrain configuration is now a memory—when the last stick-shift Versa leaves a Nissan lot, there won't be any new five-speed manual vehicles for sale in the United States. Only six-speed and a few seven-speed manuals will remain. That isn't much of a surprise, given that six-speeds have been the norm for years. Nissan killed the five-speed manual in the last-generation Frontier pickup in 2020, Volkswagen killed off the entry-level five-speed manual Golf after the Mk7 ended in 2021, and Mitsubishi dropped the Mirage's five-speed in 2023. Still, this feels like a minor moment in car culture. Killing the manual Versa won't be a big sales hit, since barely any customers wanted it, but it will end Nissan's ability to market a sub-$18,000 car. It's always a bummer to see a manual transmission die, since they're are so few of them left. But I'm not sure how many people will care about the ancient five-speed Versa's. It's like when Lexus ended SC430 production, which was the last car with a cassette player. When a technology is so far past its sell-by date, does it really matter that it's gone? If you happen to buy one of the last stick-shift Versas, or if you've got one already, drop us a line because we're curious to hear what they're like to drive. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Nissan's new hybrid powertrain promises EV-like benefits. Will it be available in India?
Nissan's e-Power hybrid powertrain technology works in a different manner than other hybrid systems, offering more efficiency similar to electric vehicles. Check Offers Nissan is working on a new hybrid powertrain for its cars that is expected to go on sale in the North American markets soon. The Japanese car manufacturer that has been sailing through troubled waters for quite some time had initially promised to bring hybrid cars that would offer cost parity with petrol models. However, now it has been revealed that its new hybrid cars, which will come promising electric vehicle-like benefits, will cost significantly more than their pure ICE-powered counterparts. Nissan's hybrid system, dubbed e-Power, has been on sale in other parts of the world for some time. Currently, in its third generation avatar, the Nissan e-Power hybrid powertrain comes as a 5-in-1 system, which combines the electric motor, inverter, generator, reducer and increase into a single module. The OEM claims that this integration helps in reducing weight, boosts efficiency and helps minimise noise and vibration as well. Also Read : Upcoming cars in India The new Nissan e-Power system enables the internal combustion engine (ICE) to act as a generator to charge the battery pack, and it powers the wheels. This mechanism is in contrast with other hybrid powertrains where battery and electric motors supplement power from the engine, which is routed to the ground directly. Hence, the new e-Power is a different take on hybrid powertrain technology. The new e-Power technology acts in a manner that is more commonly found in diesel trains and a few cars, but Nissan is bringing it to the mainstream passenger vehicle powertrain technology. While this can offer benefits like electric vehicles, it is expected to be significantly costlier than other hybrid powertrain technologies. Back in 2023, Nissan debuted the e-Power and claimed that it would arrive at a price point that reflects what many competitors offer with petrol power alone. The automaker claimed that it would be a huge win in terms of value proposition. However, now Nissan is backtracking on that. Auto News has quoted Shunichi Inamijima, Nissan's corporate executive in charge of powertrain and electric vehicle technology, saying that the new plan is to sell above the promised price tag, but only because of increased prices for materials that go into it. 'We still want to realise cost parity as soon as possible," Inamijima reportedly said. However, the Nissan official didn't reveal any timeline for the launch of this technology. Will Nissan bring e-Power technology to India? Nissan Motor India teased its upcoming products a few days ago, which include a compact SUV and a B-segment seven-seater MPV. The auto company had first revealed both products in March 2025. The company noted that the new MPV is scheduled to launch in 2025 as a brand-new addition to the India product portfolio. Meanwhile, the five-seater C-SUV (compact sports utility vehicle) will be launched in early 2026. The SUV will compete with the likes of Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Skoda Kushaq and others. Nissan Motor India said that it is on target to have four products by FY26 for Indian customers in the B/C and D-SUV segments. In the meantime, the MPV will compete with the Renault Triber. Considering the higher cost of the e-Power technology, it is unlikely that Nissan would introduce this system into the upcoming models that have already been confirmed for India launch. However, in future, if the market evolves to the right condition for the brand, we may see Nissan bringing this technology to the Indian passenger vehicle market. Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India. First Published Date: 27 May 2025, 10:23 AM IST
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Toyota's Chairman Shared This Controversial Opinion About EV Sports Cars
As the former President and CEO and now chairman of Toyota's board, Akio Toyoda has long balanced his corporate responsibilities with a passion for racing. Under the pseudonym "Morizo Kinoshita," he created a second identity on the track, competing in major motorsport events such as the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 2009, 2014, and 2019. Often behind the wheel of Toyota- and Lexus-branded race cars. In fact, his input behind the wheel at races and behind development, production, and race cars has been cemented so deeply into Toyota lore that cars like the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition have been named after him. In a recent interview with Automotive News, Toyoda doubled down on his skepticism of battery-electric vehicles. However, when acknowledging that some Toyota engineers want an EV sports car, he said that the idea doesn't exactly align with his values. "There will always be people inside Toyota passionate about developing electric sports cars," Toyoda told AutoNews. "But for me, as the master driver, my definition of a sports car is something with the smell of gasoline and a noisy engine."In addition, he still believes that the company has a mountain to climb when it comes to building a selection of EVs that fit with Toyota's mantra of providing affordable, high-quality cars to its customers. Currently, in the United States, Toyota offers only one EV: the bZ4x, a crossover co-developed with Subaru. "Toyota is a mass-production brand, so we also need to think about affordability, even with BEVs," he said. "Once Toyota has the capacity to offer affordable BEVs, then maybe that's a moment when I as a master driver will be introducing a BEV sports car." In response to a question asking him if in his capacity as Toyota's "Master Driver," would he ever race an EV in a competitve race, the man known to enthusiasts simply as Morizo expressed that he wouldn't want to race an EV because the kind of races he likes to do (endurance races) would be less about driving skill and more about the cars' technical limitations. "No! It's not exciting," he said. "Because you won't be able to go around the circuit for more than an hour. The kind of races I enter are mostly endurance races, so with the current BEVs, it's not going to be a race of the cars. It's a race of charging time or battery exchange or something. The next master driver will have to take on that challenge. That's their job." I am not exactly surprised about Toyoda's deterrance towards this sort of thing. He has been openly critical about EVs in the past, and this is just more ink in that section of the book. In a statement at a Toyota company event in January 2024, Morizo argued that EVs "come as a set with infrastructure," arguing that many Toyota drivers live in parts of the world with little to access to electricity. "No matter how much progress BEVs make, I think they will still only have a 30 % market share," Toyoda said. "Then, the remaining 70% will be HEVs [hybrid-electric vehicles], FCEVs [fuel cell electric vehicles], and hydrogen engines. And I think [gas] engine cars will definitely remain. I think this is something that customers and the market will decide, not regulatory values or political power." In the same AutoNews interview, he defended the company's push toward hybrids by saying: "we said as a company the enemy is carbon," additionally noting that in the span of making 27 million hybrid cars, it "had the same impact as 9 million BEVs on the road." "But if we were to have made 9 million BEVs in Japan, it would have actually increased the carbon emissions, not reduced them. That is because Japan relies on the thermal power plants for electricity," he said. "We should look at all options and work in all directions. As a company, we have been very consistent in saying what we're fighting against is carbon dioxide." Taken together, Toyoda's on-track alter ego and his cautious stance on EVs paint a clear picture: he's someone who believes driving should remain an emotional, accessible experience, not just a political or regulatory checkbox. Whether it's pushing Toyota's race cars to their limits or advocating for a more flexible approach to carbon reduction, Toyoda consistently champions a future where car enthusiasts still have a say in how that future looks.
