Nissan unveiled a sweeping plan final week to promote extra vehicles all over the world. Referred to as The Arc, it outlines 30 new car launches within the subsequent three years as a part of a long-term plan aimed toward transitioning to electrical automobiles, all whereas considerably growing income. Standing out to us amid all of the monetary discuss got here phrase that Nissan and Mitsubishi are pumping up their partnership with new fashions, together with a brand new pickup truck.
Proper now particulars on the truck are unknown, except for it being collectively developed between Nissan and Mitsubishi. Automotive Information suggests it may finally function a next-generation Nissan Frontier, however it may additionally carry a Mitsubishi-badged pickup truck again to the States for the primary time since 2009. Again then, Mitsubishi partnered with Dodge to construct the Raider, based mostly closely on the midsize Dodge Dakota. It lasted just some mannequin years, and the Dakota died shortly thereafter in 2011.
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Mitsubishi already has a reasonably cool truck: the Triton. However the pickup is forbidden fruit within the States due to the so-called Hen Tax. This tax levies a 25-percent tariff on gentle vans imported into the US, however does not apply to automobiles inbuilt North America. The Nissan-Mitsubishi partnership would see manufacturing happen in Mexico, making a truck with hybrid and electrical powertrains. Thus freed from the tariff, Mitsubishi may have a competitively priced pickup to counter Ford, Ram, Basic Motors, Toyota, and its Japanese companion Nissan.
We contacted Mitsubishi in hopes of gleaning extra details about a future pickup truck. A spokesperson informed us the automaker is “at all times contemplating numerous collaborations with Nissan” however declined to remark past that.
The expanded partnership would additionally see Mitsubishi make the most of Nissan’s increasing EV tech to supply extra electrified automobiles in its lineup. The Outlander PHEV is already carrying this torch, using on Nissan bones and using a Nissan powertrain. The partnership on Outlander has been massively profitable for Mitsubishi; the usual mannequin is the model’s best-selling car by a large margin at 49,182 gross sales for 2023. Of these, 6,681 have been PHEV fashions.
