Mitsubishi bets big on SUVs, crossovers

Forget about the next-generation Lancer.

Mitsubishi won't replace the now-defunct Lancer with another four-door sedan. The plans of a launching a development project with Renault and/or Nissan fell through. Instead, the company is betting big on crossovers and SUVS.

"We are definitely focusing our future on crossovers, for sure. The majority of our sales will be CUVs," Nate Berg, Mitsubishi's senior manager for product planning, told Motor1.

The decision hardly comes as a surprise. Berg pointed out Dodge and Chrysler canceled the Dart and the 200, respectively, and rumors indicate Ford won't redesign the Fusion as planned. It's difficult for a relatively small company like Mitsubishi to make a favorable business case for competing in a segment that's hardly profitable.

The prospect of another Mitsubishi coupe looks grim, too.

"The coupe market is a very small market. We don't see a lot of potential there," Berg said. Fans who want to see a born-again Eclipse will have to settle for the Eclipse Cross (pictured) introduced last year.

The exception to the rule is the tiny Mirage, which will seemingly stick around in the foreseeable future. Insiders indicate Mitsubishi has already started developing a replacement for the current car using components from the Renault parts bin. It's unclear at this point whether the model will be sold in America, however.

Photography by Ronan Glon.