OH SAY, CAN THEY C? Mitsubishi hangs recovery on new C-segment entries.(News)

Byline: MARK VAUGHN

Sales like this would put a GM division out of business, but Mitsubishi sees only opportunity. After peaking at 345,111 sales in the United States in 2002, Mitsubishi sold only 123,995 last year.

"We believe this is the bottom,'' said Shinichi Kurihara, corporate general manager of product strategy.

And when you're on the bottom, at least you're looking up. After years of low-profit fleet sales (Alamo, anyone?), product controlled by Chrysler (hello, Raider!), sales incentives that could get your dog behind the wheel of a Galant with no money down (woof!), no marketing support (anybody see a Mitsu ad lately?) and more scandals than a Hollywood weekend retreat (yee-haw!), Mitsubishi is hanging its recovery hopes on several C-segment (compact) cars and a sport/utility vehicle.

The first C out of the box is the Outlander SUV. It is already on sale in Japan and will hit showrooms here in October starting with well-equipped models in the low $20,000s. It has a new 3.0-liter 220-hp V6 with variable valve timing on the intake side that should get you to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds. It will be offered in two- and four-wheel drive, with a new six-speed automatic transmission complete with paddle shifters up on the wheel.

The next C is the Lancer, due in the first quarter of 2007, followed by the next Evo and then another unnamed C-segment variant. The latter might be a hatchback for Europe derived from the Frankfurt show car, but who knows?