Mitsubishi Picks Site Near Nissan in Tenn. for New N.A. HQ
Mitsubishi plans to lease 40,000 square feet of office space in the Cool Springs district of Franklin, Tenn., for its new North American headquarters -- just across I-65 from alliance partner Nissan North America. According to Automotive News, the company has temporarily occupied another building in Franklin as it transitions from Cypress, Calif., to be closer to Nissan. It invited about 60 of its 250 employees to make the move to suburban Nashville. "Our move to Tennessee marks the most visible part of the broad and substantive reinvention of every aspect of our business that is underway at Mitsubishi Motors North America," Fred Diaz, the unit's CEO, said in a statement on Tuesday. Mitsubishi told Automotive News in October that the move presents an opportunity for the company to reinvent its culture. "It really is a complete reinvention of everything that we do in the U.S., whether it's looking at new organizational structure, whether it's changing job functions based on our new approach to the future of our growth," Jeremy Barnes, senior director of communications for Mitsubishi Motors North America, said at the time. Read more here.
EVs and SUVs as Far as the Eye Can See at Los Angeles Auto Show
The Los Angeles Auto Show opening this week represents two seemingly contradictory trends in one as automakers try appeasing the divergent demands of buyers and governments, reports The Detroit News. Automakers are debuting a flood of low-volume battery-powered vehicles — headlined by the Ford Mustang Mach-E — as they rush to meet demands for electrification by governments around the world. But the high-volume consumer market is elsewhere, and to satisfy them, gas-powered SUVs will be rolled out by Buick, Mazda, Alfa Romeo, Land Rover, and others. In some cases, the two paths will cross: Toyota and Honda introduce electrified variants of their best-selling RAV4 and CR-V compact SUVs. As global emissions standards have grown more stringent over the last 20 years, automakers have electrified vehicles by adding batteries and motors to existing vehicle platforms in order to comply with government rules. Thus the term "compliance vehicle," a pejorative phrase rarely uttered publicly because automakers didn’t want to jinx vehicles they needed to sell. Read more here.
Land Rover Defender's Return at Los Angeles Auto Show Thrills Off-Road Enthusiasts
The Land Rover Defender isn't just another off-road vehicle. To its admirers, it holds a special place in the four-wheel-drive pantheon for its history and capability, reports USA Today. "They are used as pack mules," says Chad Manz of the Arizona Land Rover Owners . "It's nice to be able to take these things off-road and go and explore." Gone from the U.S. market since 1997, they are coming back: A 2020 Defender was unveiled Tuesday night as part of the Los Angeles Auto Show. The new Defender draws a direct line to Land Rover's beginning in 1948 — distinctly British vehicles famous for their ability to navigate African jungles and splash through Asian swamps, exactly the kind of heritage sure to draw a reaction from off-roaders. How to describe their reaction? Like other automotive icons — from the Volkswagen Beetle to the Chevrolet Corvette — Defender will be instantly recognizable. Read more here.
Volkswagen Offers New Take on its All-Electric Future with Space Vizzion ConceptOver the decades, automakers have been fond of rolling out fantasy-in-chrome concept cars, but few have pushed the design and engineering envelope as far as the Volkswagen Space Vizzion Concept making its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week. According to CNBC, with its over-the-top design, long-range battery-electric drive and digital technologies that include an augmented-reality touchscreen appearing to float in space, the Space Vizzion show car might seem to have rolled off the set of a nearby movie studio. But VW insists it’s more than a sci-fi fantasy. The automaker says a production version will come to market “in late 2021.” Make that multiple versions, as VW plans to tweak the design slightly to reflect regional differences. The wagon-like shape of the concept car would better fit European tastes, while a more SUV-like take on the Space Vizzion Concept would better connect with U.S. buyers, a spokesperson for the company suggested. How much of the concept will carry over into production remains to be seen. Read more here.
Honda Fends Off Hyundai Challenge in KBB Best Buy Awards
Honda continues to tower over rival brands in Kelley Blue Book's annual Best Buy Awards, announced on the eve of the auto show here, even as it faces continued gains from Hyundai. According to Automotive News, the namesake brand of Honda Motor Co. took home the most trophies for best-in-segment vehicles with five, followed by Hyundai's three. Kia took best new model with its Telluride, which won KBB's three-row SUV category. The brand was one of four one-category winners. Ford and Audi each won two segments. The Best Buy Awards are intended to help shoppers identify models with the best combination of quality, safety, comfort, driving dynamics, dependability, low ownership costs, and affordability. Honda continues to beat out rival Toyota consistently including repeat winners in its key segments like Civic (compact car), Accord (midsize car) and CR-V (compact SUV) over Corolla, Camry and RAV4. Read more here.
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