As we mentioned a few days ago, Nissan’s Kix goes on sale today, October 30. It’s a rebadged Mitsubishi Pajero Mini kei-sized SUV, and makes Nissan officially the automaker with the most bedfellows in the world. Slut.
[Nissan]
This angry Pokémon-looking thing is actually supposed to be a Lancer with a 3.0L turbodiesel V6 producing 276hp and 650N-m of torque. It will be making its maiden motorsports voyage in the Baja Portalegre from October 30 to November 2. Lancer, I choose you!
[Mitsubishi]
Nissan is set to debut a new kei-class SUV called the Kix on October 30. If it looks familiar, that’s because it’s simply a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi Pajero Mini. (more…)
There’s an overdose of Subaru special edition cars coming out this month in celebration of the company’s 50th anniversary. One of them is the Forester Black Leather Limited, available on 2.0XS and 2.0XT trim levels. It’s comes in standard Subaru colors Sparkle Silver Metallic, Obsidian Black Pearl and Satin White Pearl (¥31,500), but also a new hue introduced on the limited edition, Sunlight Gold Pearl. Special equipment list after the jump. (more…)
Mitsubishi will unveil the newly redesigned Montero Sport at the upcoming Moscow Motor Show. Those crazy Russians and their love for all vehicles sport and utility! This one has 7-passenger seating and a Triton-like front end, while the rear end evokes the Lancer Evo.
Mitsubishi is deviating from the Pajero for its new Dakar racer, opting for a Lancer Sportback-based body instead. It will be powered by a 260hp 3.0L turbo diesel capable of 480 pound-feet of torque. Mounted under a 1900kg body draped across a tube frame, it’s ready to scare the crap out of alpacas as it thunders across Argentina and Chile in January 2009.
[Mitsubishi]
I’ve been a huge fan of the Mitsubishi i ever since I had one as a rental in 2007. It was extremely peppy for a 660cc kei car, and the styling was unbearably cute. Compared to the Subaru Stella CVT I rented on another day, it was a Lexus. The i-MIEV has a different, all-electric powertrain, but the motion is still directed where it counts, through the rear wheels.
But if I was the fuzz, I might want to hand over my badge and gun before driving one of these. While they’ll be used as minipatos (mini-patrols) on surface streets and leave the high-speed pursuits to the Mitsu GTOs and Subaru Impreza WRX STIs, you’ll still have to face down the occasional peace disturber, and this thing is only slightly more intimidating than Hello Kitty.
Mitsubishi’s funky bulldog-looking Concept-cX from the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show is headed for production with a 134hp 1.8L clean diesel mated to a version of the Twin Clutch SST transmission from the Evo X. It’ll be a bit smaller than the Outlander and will probably not look as cool as the concept.
[Car Central via Autoblog]
The seven most powerful men and one woman who lead the eight most powerful nations on the planet and make decisions that affect the lives of all of its inhabitants are meeting at a secret evil ice cave somewhere in Hokkaido right now. As part of the G8 Summit, Japan’s automakers are showing off their fleet of green vehicles. I can’t believe this, but I’m at a loss for what the first one on the left is, but the rest are the Subaru Stella electric vehicle, Honda FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, and the Mazda RX-8 and Premacy hydrogen rotaries. Toyota donated 78 cars, ranging from a hydrogen-powered Kluger/Highlander to Crown and Lexus LS600h hybrids. Mitsubishi contributed i-MIEVs while Nissan showed off X-Trial clean diesels and Suzuki supplied SX4 FCVs.
[Image: Subaru]
I’m not sure what the point is of a car that has everything the Evo X does except with 40 fewer horsepower, but nevertheless, here it is. It’s got the full-time AWD system and the Twin Clutch SST transmission, but the turbocharged 4B11-type 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC MIVEC engine has let 40 horses out of the barn.
[Mitsubishi]