Mitsubishi gives sneak peek of Outlander plug-in hybrid

DETROIT -- Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. offered a sneak peek at the U.S. version of the Outlander PHEV plug-in hybrid crossover at an event Thursday evening ahead of the Detroit auto show.

Mitsubishi is skipping the Detroit show. The plug-in will have its official auto-show debut at the New York show this spring.

The Outlander PHEV will go on sale in August, said Ken Konieczka, vice president of sale operations. The non-electrified 2016 Outlander went on sale in July 2015.

In addition, Konieczka said the 2017 Mirage G4, a sedan version of the Mirage hatchback, will debut at the Toronto auto show in February.

Konieczka and other Mitsubishi executives declined to provide detailed specs for the plug-in crossover, saying some of those details were still being determined. The vehicle on display at the event was to be shipped back to Japan immediately afterward for further development, one said.

Sales forecast

Meanwhile, Konieczka said Mitsubishi will continue its momentum in the U.S. market in 2016, where it will sell more than 100,000 vehicles.

Mitsubishi sales rose 23 percent in 2015 in the U.S. market to 95,342 vehicles, led by the crossovers Outlander and Outlander Sport. 

He also said that Mitsubishi had the highest percent of profitable U.S. dealerships last year than any year since 2002.

Reuters contributed to this report.