Volvo, Mitsubishi, Road & Track among brands predicted to disappear from US next year

[NikoFab]

Link is HERE Edited July 6, 2013 by NikoFab

[Dave-O]

I don't know how much I believe that ...

 

Well, Volvo and Road & Track ... I knew Mitsu was on the downward slide years ago.

[87redcat]

Heard rumors of Mitsu leaving the States last year. Same reason, sales...

[Eirewolf]

I hear this every year. Mitsu is bringing the Mirage in this fall ( not that i'll buy one, I just bought a 2013 Evo GSR ) and next year they'll bring the Pajero back to the states. They just sunk a bunch of money in a redesign of the new Outlander, which I think looks worse ( we own a 2011 Endeavor SE AWD, suits us more ) but it might compete better with the other fem-looking small - medium SUVs out there. Guess we'll see, but I don't buy it. My dealer friends got back from a big Mitsu event where they rolled out the new Outlander, they were pretty upbeat.

[Guest]

I just saw about 12+ brand new Mitsubishi's test vehicles thrown away at Ecology in Santa Fe Springs Ca. I was junking two cars when I saw all them new Outlanders and Electric vehicles.

 

Asked an Ecology employee, they all came from the Mitsu headquarters in Stanton where MOD is held. I can't imagine they're dumping $$ into test vehicles in the states is they plan on bailing.

 

And Volvo? I don't know about other states, but there are ton of new Volvos rolling on SoCal streets. The new models are really nice looking. XC Suv's are selling like nuts and te new S lines look nice.

[Cloud81918]

Wouldn't be surprised. R&T has dropped readership and hasn't made good inroads into online media, like say Car and Driver.

 

Mitsu has been on the ropes for a while the Eclipse and Evo dying were sure sign of the way things were going. Then they threw money they didn't have at electric vehicles and that idea isn't producing. Nissan did the same, but they had enough sales in regular cars to support a poor move. Mitsu did not. They may want to put a gas engine in that "I". It is a funky car I can see people buying gas versions of. And get a hot version of that new Mirage out soon. Still, I think the last generation of the Gallant not selling well was the beginning of the end. Mitsu has to offer a lot if they want to stay in the US. They need a hit car people buy.

 

I don't think the Mirage will be it. And even then look at Suzuki and the SX4 and Kisashi, great cars, but sales sucked and they had to leave our shores.

 

Volvo, yeah that I don't get. Certainly they are a smallish, non-gawky premium car, but They have a pretty devoted buyer pool and with Saab out they should be better set to capitalize on that. They do have a delivery problem as their platforms are aging and they are no longer owned by Ford (it was easy to share platforms then). Their power plants are getting a older and Tata (current owner) doesn't have any similar brands that they could share with. Not sure they be leaving now, but they should be feeling the pressure to develop right now before the door starts closing.

[hachi_destroyer]

I really doubt Mitsu leaves the states next year. Yes they're struggling, but my dad works for them and has heard and seen nothing of the sort. I keep telling him that they need to make better looking cars but sadly he has no control over that. =/

[creakyjoints]

Might help if Mitsu actually made some commercials!

[Squrlsquash]

is volvo still owned by ford? just need to make a performance car with the hatchback thing they make to really compete with ford, mitsu, subaru and the sort

already have front/four wd platforms to play with

 

mitsu has been crying the blues for 10 years since they started selling evos in the us

 

pressure from initial d and whatnot made them sell it here- which is awesome- but they always complain that they dont make money on them

 

 

what ive heard over the last couple years-

Edited July 6, 2013 by Squrlsquash

[NikoFab]

I really doubt Mitsu leaves the states next year. Yes they're struggling, but my dad works for them and has heard and seen nothing of the sort. I keep telling him that they need to make better looking cars but sadly he has no control over that. =/

Might help if Mitsu actually made some commercials!

 

So do you think the value of our cars will go up, go down, or be unaffected if Mitsu pulls out of the US?

[clow340]

i would assume the value of our cars will not change for many years after mitsu pulls out of the states, IF they pull out of the states. and honestly im not sure if it will go up due to the popularity of them. ive talked to many people at car shows who have had them and they all loved the cars but almost every single one of them blew the engine up in them and wouldnt want another because of that.

[dmdvzla]

So do you think the value of our cars will go up, go down, or be unaffected if Mitsu pulls out of the US?

 

I think if indeed Mitsubishi motors leaves the U.S., all mitsubishi cars will automatically loose value.....that's how it has always happened to all brands. When Saturn closed, look at what happen to their cars.......when Daewoo stopped their sales, their cars were worth crap (not that they were worth something new)......Same thing happened with Fiat and Alfa Romeo when they left U.S. .....those are just some examples.

 

It's a shame what has happened to Mitsubishi Motors. Specially for my brother, father and myself, which we have been die hard mitsubishi fans since 1989. For Sure Mitsubishi has not come out with beautiful designs since the late 90's. Back then all mitsubishi vehicles were very attractive and for sure better looking than any honda, toyota or Nissan. Now, all these brands have long surpassed mitsu with their designs.

 

In another note...and this is just my opinion......VOLVO just as SAAB, have always designed UGLY cars from the begining of time (yet some people would argue of superb mechanical quality). Personally, I would not miss them at all....LOL!

Edited July 7, 2013 by dmdvzla

[NikoFab]

i would assume the value of our cars will not change for many years after mitsu pulls out of the states, IF they pull out of the states. and honestly im not sure if it will go up due to the popularity of them. ive talked to many people at car shows who have had them and they all loved the cars but almost every single one of them blew the engine up in them and wouldnt want another because of that.

It's a hard question to answer. I know the value of offers I was getting on my S2000 went up the moment they stopped making them...but then again, Honda wasn't pulling out of the market to boot. Guess it just rests on all of us gluttons for punishment to keep these things going!

[Guest]

If Mitsu were to bail from US, the market value for Mitsu's will tank state side. International buyers will reap the benefits, they'll snatch every late model Mitsu they can get their hands on, starting with SUV's, Lancers, Evo's then gradually the older models.

 

They'll flood the auctions buying up all the Mitsu's that Americans have devalued. They already flood the auctions now. Mitsu pulling out State side will benefit all the international buyers.

 

You need to take into account how big Mitsu is around the world. They sell a boat load in Central and South America. Diesel trucks are very popular in other parts of the world, it's here that we get screwed with crap cars.

Edited July 9, 2013 by louswheel01

[NikoFab]

If Mitsu were to bail from US, the market value for Mitsu's will tank state side. International buyers will reap the benefits, they'll snatch every late model Mitsu they can get their hands on, starting with SUV's, Lancers, Evo's then gradually the older models.

 

They'll flood the auctions buying up all the Mitsu's that Americans have devalued. They already flood the auctions now. Mitsu pulling out State side will benefit all the international buyers.

 

You need to take into account how big Mitsu is around the world. They sell a boat load in Central and South America. Diesel trucks are very popular in other parts of the world, it's here that we get screwed with crap cars.

Do you see this being so as a result of poor economics, or just a lazy attitude to the US market? I passed one of the Mitsu dealers here in Houston today...they had more used cars than new on their lot.

[4WStarion]

Volvo is owned by Geely, don't know if you guys get Chinese cars but if you did you'd know that it's most likely over for them. Or they'll release the 1980's models again.

 

For us any car company that is going to pull out of the largest market is a good thing, our roads and our tastes are for smaller cars so not having models designed for sales in the US is good.

 

They always make them larger, heavier and duller when trying to get sales in the US.

[Cloud81918]

Ah that's right Geely ended up with Volvo. Yeah they are dead. Volvo will be a sticker on a Geely in China and little else.

 

Not certain I agree with the idea that pulling out of the US market is a good thing. The market here is changing and small cars, especially premium small cars, do pretty well. I do agree with you that shaping your product line for the US should be carefully calculated. But any manufactures have done it well. Honda for example has a US (North American) accord and a European Accord. The larger accord helps them compete in the US market (still on of the largest in the world) and make solid profits in that arena. But they also sell the Euro-Accord here as well. It is the upscale Acura TSX. And again it sell very well.

 

I think Mitsubishi in the US is a story of misplaced steps. They had the engineering, design and passion, but they never made the transition to being a buy word when is comes to a thoughtless purchase. Honda, Toyota and Nissan all pulled it off (in some ways selling their souls to do it), if you bought one no one said anything; It was always considered a sensible purchase. Mitsubishi just never made that transformation in the US. It isn't that they made bad cars, they just didn't make problemless toasters. They weren't what the other Japanese had become and that was dangerous.

 

Mitsubishi probably would be in a bit different state if it would have launched a premium brand like Honda, Nissan and Toyota did. Mazda and other Japanese makers also failed to reach that market and suffered for it.

[4WStarion]

Oh I never said it was a good thing, just good for us.

 

I see what your talking about with the other brands, we get US made Hondas (second hand via Japan)and we used to get the Camry (sceptor?) v6 wagons also but I've never seen any other Japanese brand have US made cars here. (Except possibly the worst car ever the Toyota Caviler) When I first worked at Lexus I was all what the hell are these barges, Luxury EXport US. I get it.

 

Mitsubishi have sold 100,000 Mirages already, they sell build or assemble in 160 countries the can probably afford to keep everything going in the USA at a loss for a fair while yet.

 

 

[NikoFab]

Volvo is owned by Geely, don't know if you guys get Chinese cars but if you did you'd know that it's most likely over for them. Or they'll release the 1980's models again.

 

For us any car company that is going to pull out of the largest market is a good thing, our roads and our tastes are for smaller cars so not having models designed for sales in the US is good.

 

They always make them larger, heavier and duller when trying to get sales in the US.

Ah that's right Geely ended up with Volvo. Yeah they are dead. Volvo will be a sticker on a Geely in China and little else.

 

Not certain I agree with the idea that pulling out of the US market is a good thing. The market here is changing and small cars, especially premium small cars, do pretty well. I do agree with you that shaping your product line for the US should be carefully calculated. But any manufactures have done it well. Honda for example has a US (North American) accord and a European Accord. The larger accord helps them compete in the US market (still on of the largest in the world) and make solid profits in that arena. But they also sell the Euro-Accord here as well. It is the upscale Acura TSX. And again it sell very well.

 

I think Mitsubishi in the US is a story of misplaced steps. They had the engineering, design and passion, but they never made the transition to being a buy word when is comes to a thoughtless purchase. Honda, Toyota and Nissan all pulled it off (in some ways selling their souls to do it), if you bought one no one said anything; It was always considered a sensible purchase. Mitsubishi just never made that transformation in the US. It isn't that they made bad cars, they just didn't make problemless toasters. They weren't what the other Japanese had become and that was dangerous.

 

Mitsubishi probably would be in a bit different state if it would have launched a premium brand like Honda, Nissan and Toyota did. Mazda and other Japanese makers also failed to reach that market and suffered for it.

Oh I never said it was a good thing, just good for us.

 

I see what your talking about with the other brands, we get US made Hondas (second hand via Japan)and we used to get the Camry (sceptor?) v6 wagons also but I've never seen any other Japanese brand have US made cars here. (Except possibly the worst car ever the Toyota Caviler) When I first worked at Lexus I was all what the hell are these barges, Luxury EXport US. I get it.

 

Mitsubishi have sold 100,000 Mirages already, they sell build or assemble in 160 countries the can probably afford to keep everything going in the USA at a loss for a fair while yet.

 

US News and World Report are carrying this story now too: Click Here

Edited July 11, 2013 by NikoFab