Mitsubishi Motors Corp

Mitsubishi Motors Corp., Japan's No. 4 carmaker, said it would invest $200 million and add 300 jobs at its U.S. auto plant to increase its capacity by one quarter in an attempt to boost North American sales. Mitsubishi, 34% owned by DaimlerChrysler, in April will start work to enlarge the Normal, Ill., plant's annual production capacity to 300,000 cars and light trucks, the company said. From Bloomberg News

Mitsubishi Motors Corp., maker of the Outlander sport utility vehicle, has filed a lawsuit to block Bombardier Inc. from copying the model name for its all-terrain vehicle, or ATV. Mitsubishi's North American unit said consumers would be mistakenly led to believe it makes the ATV and it wants a federal judge in Santa Ana to halt Bombardier's use of the Outlander name in any products or advertisements. The Japanese carmaker said it filed for a U.S.

When the invitation arrived for the Mitsubishi Endeavor press preview, my first thought was: "Jeez! Not another wannabe SUV. Hope it isn't as big a slug as the last one from Mitsu." Well, it is another wannabe SUV. But it isn't a slug. And though it isn't a true off-road vehicle like a Cherokee or a four-wheel-drive Explorer, the Endeavor with optional all-wheel drive tries hard enough that you won't notice most of the time. The Endeavor is Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. plans to almost double North American sales to 600,000 by 2007, betting that the world's biggest auto market will make up for a drop in Japan. Japan's No. 4 automaker expects sales of cars and light trucks to increase from last year's 322,393, said Pierre Gagnon, Mitsubishi's North American chief executive. Mitsubishi, 37%-owned by DaimlerChrysler, will push further into Mexico and Canada, where it began selling cars in September. Tokyo-based Mitsubishi's U.S.

AUTOMOBILES * DaimlerChrysler is paying more than $1.1 billion for stakes in commercial vehicle businesses being spun off by Japan's Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co., a move intended to strengthen the German American auto maker's position in the growing Asian market. DaimlerChrysler said it will buy a 43% stake of the Mitsubishi spinoff, to be called Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp., for about $750 million.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. posted its first annual profit in three years despite lower sales, helped by cost cutting as part of a turnaround plan with German partner DaimlerChrysler. Executives said the Japanese auto maker still faced a challenge in repairing its battered corporate image. Mitsubishi Motors posted a net group profit of $89 million for the fiscal year ended in March, largely on cost-reduction efforts with DaimlerChrysler, which owns 37.3% of Japan's No. 4 auto maker.

Lancers, in days of yore, were a formidable force of fast-moving cavalry armed with long, needle-sharp lances: a first line of offense in any meaningful attack on a foe. Mitsubishi might have envisioned that same role for its entry-level Lancer sedan, because surely the Lancers that have carried Mitsubishi drivers to scores of victories on the European rally circuit have been formidable indeed.

On the heels of Toyota's announcement that it will spend a record amount to advertise and promote its 2002 Camry, Nissan North America Inc. and Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America Inc. on Thursday launched campaigns for their own mainstream cars: the 2002 Altima and 2002 Lancer, respectively. The U.S. arms of Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said they too will spend as much as on any previous launch, if not more.