No replacements in sight for Lancer, Pajero

Mitsubishi is no closer to finding a partner to develop its next-generation Lancer small car and says a replacement for its similarly aged Pajero is years away, if ever.

The bleak news was confirmed at today's Tokyo motor show by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation president and CEO, Tetsuro Aikawa, who also revealed plans for a new compact SUV positioned between ASX and Outlander, which will expand the company's SUV family to five models.

Mitsubishi announced two years ago at the 2013 Tokyo show that it had formed an alliance with Renault-Nissan to develop its next Lancer from the same CMF platform that underpins the new Renault Megane, but that plan was killed off by January this year.

Aikawa told motoring.com.au today that a new Lancer was not a priority for Mitsubishi, and that no discussions were currently under way with any potential joint-venture partners, meaning a replacement for the fifth-generation Lancer launched in 2007 is years away.

“C-segment [small] car is not a matter of priority (for Mitsubishi),” he said.

“One thing I can say is for us to develop a [new Lancer] sedan independently is very difficult ... the business case did not work out with Renault.

“If we can find an OEM partner, as soon as possible we will get this new product underway,” he said.

Aikawa said that in the meantime the current Lancer will continue to be updated in an attempt to keep it relevant in Australia's largest single vehicle sales segment, but he would not reveal specific new technologies.

A facelifted Lancer was revealed in the US earlier this month but Mitsubishi is yet to reveal timing for its Australian release.

Similarly, Mitsubishi's focus on small, efficient SUVs also appears to have come at the expense of one of its longest running and best regarded models – the Pajero.

Aikawa said tighter CO2 emissions regulations post-2020 in Europe, where its new Triton-based Pajero Sport (nee Challenger) will not be sold, was the main stumbling block for a redesigned Pajero – a nameplate first introduced in 1982.

“There is an issue about the weight and fuel economy, so the market we can sell is going to be limited,” he said.

“With regard to Europe beyond 2020 and stringent CO2 regulations, rather than this type of vehicle I think people will look more into vehicles that produce less CO2 and [better] fuel economy."

Despite insisting that the company's future was SUVs rather than conventional passenger cars, Aikawa said Mitsubishi would be “continuing on with the present [Pajero] model for some time”.

"We have to clear these stringent regulations to come in future, so we’re focusing on FF (front-drive) based SUVs," he said.

Mitsubishi's global chief would not reveal a timeframe for a new Pajero and could not confirm if a replacement would be forthcoming, as indicated by his company with the GC-PHEV concept at the 2013 Tokyo motor show.

Asked directly if the current Pajero -- which dates back to 16 years to 1999 but has received a series of updates in recent years -- will be the last, Aikawa said: "I'm not saying that; I'm saying that the current Pajero will stay in production for some time."

When pressed further on whether Mitsubishi could justify the investment in a new-generation large seven-seat monocoque SUV in the face of relatively low global sales volumes, he said: “I’m not saying this is the last Pajero for the time being,”