Mitsubishi pivots to crossovers and plug-ins

LOS ANGELES — This has been a rocky year for Mitsubishi abroad, as fallout from a fuel economy scandal in Asia led Nissan to come to the rescue with a deal to buy a 34 percent stake.

Yet in the U.S., Mitsubishi’s largest market, things have been relatively calm. Sales are up 4.2 percent through July, and Mitsubishi is hoping to ride that momentum — and consumers’ unending appetite for trucks — to new growth in the near future. The brand is pivoting away from cars and toward a lineup dominated by crossovers, many of which will include a plug-in hybrid option.

Mirage: This subcompact hatchback got a refresh for the 2017 model year that includes new interior and exterior styling and refinement. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are optional. A re-engineered Mirage should bow in 2019, using a new 1.1-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine.

Mirage G4: When the refreshedMirage hatchback returned, it brought a cousin: the G4. This new subcompact sedan uses the same powertrain as the Mirage: a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine and either a five-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable transmission. Like the Mirage hatch, the G4 likely will be re-engineered around 2019 with the 1.1-liter turbo.

Lancer: One of the oldest surviving Mitsubishi models in the U.S., it has a limited life ahead of it. It exits our shores after the 2018 model year. A replacement isn’t expected as Mitsubishi focuses on crossovers and PHEVs.

i-MiEV: Mitsubishi’s tiny all-electric hatchback is ancient at this point, yet it soldiers on for the 2017 model year. What comes next is unknown. Mitsubishi’s U.S. arm is in a holding pattern until October, when Nissan’s deal to acquire a 34 percent stake in Mitsubishi is finalized. A new pure EV from Mitsubishi isn’t a matter of if but of “what form?” Bet on a crossover, possibly one that shares components with Nissan’s second-generation Leaf.

Outlander Sport: This compact crossover was freshened for 2016 with minor updates inside and out. Bigger updates loom: The next-generation model will shrink — possibly to Honda HR-V and Chevy Trax size — after the addition of Mitsubishi’s new ’tweener crossover, the XR. The redesigned Outlander Sport is rumored to debut in the spring of 2018 as a 2019 model.

XR: Mitsubishi’s new crossover has been seen in prototype form recently undergoing hot-weather testing, and it’s expected to be unveiled sometime next year — the Geneva auto show is the best bet — as a 2018 model. The XR will come with a new 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine or a PHEV version that shares the Outlander PHEV powertrain.

Outlander: Mitsubishi has been promising a PHEV version of its midsize crossover in the U.S. for a while, but that launch now has been pushed back to summer 2017 as the automaker struggles to get the right power/efficiency mix for U.S. consumers. Such a version already is available abroad and uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motors. A redesigned Outlander should arrive in 2019. It will push upscale and grow incrementally, though not to the size of other three-row crossovers that dominate the U.S. market. This new version likely will come with a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the neighborhood of 2.0 liters or an updated PHEV drivetrain. The Ground Tourer Concept debuting in Paris next month is a likely preview of the next Outlander’s looks.

Montero: Sorry off-road fans: A return of Mitsubishi’s much-heralded SUV isn’t happening for the U.S., if it happens at all. Blame crash and emissions regulations in the U.S. that are too costly for a small company that’s focused on developing turbocharged and PHEV powertrains.