We Finally Have a Real Timeline for Mitsubishi's U.S. Plans

A new SUV and maybe a pickup are included in Mitsubishi's plans

written by Kirk Bell
edited by Nick Yekikian
8/18/2026
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What's new: Well, quite a lot. We now have more concrete details around what Mitsubishi plans to do here in the U.S.
Why it matters: Mitsubishi, once a storied brand, has recently been in desperate need of revival.
Edmunds says: The plans sound promising, but we'll wait until Momentum 2023 is complete to pass final judgment.

"The stories of 'Is Mitsubishi in it for the long run in the U.S.?' are old and tired, and we are finished hearing them." So says Jeremy Barnes, senior director of communications for Mitsubishi Motors North America. "The commitment is made. We are here. We are very proud of what we are, of where we're going, and have a strong plan to get us there."

That plan is still what Mitsubishi calls Momentum 2030. It was first announced in April 2024, but now we have more clarity on what it involves, what the products will be, and what it means for Mitsubishi in the U.S.

A quick recap. Momentum 2030 has four pillars. It starts with a new or significantly refreshed product every year from 2026 to 2030. Second, it involves a path to electrification that will give the brand every type of powertrain from gas-only to hybrid to plug-in hybrid to fully electric. Third, it includes a path to modernized retail sales with Tesla-like gallery showrooms. Lastly, it involves sales and dealership growth.

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The product plan

Even though Momentum 2030 was supposed to start in 2026, it actually began in 2025 with an updated 2025 Outlander. Several products are arriving for 2026, including an updated Outlander PHEV with more power and electric range, a new mild hybrid version of the Outlander, and the new 2027 Eclipse Sportback (which is essentially the Mitsubishi version of the Nissan Leaf EV) that arrives this October. Also late in 2026, the 2027 Outlander and Outlander PHEV will get another minor update, though Mitsubishi hasn’t announced what those changes will be yet.

In the spring of 2027, Mitsubishi will release an off-road version of the Outlander — think something along the lines of the Nissan Roque Rock Creek and not necessarily a Bronco rival. That's the last bit of solid timing we have, but we do know what some of the other products will be. Sometime after spring 2027, Mitsubishi will also team with Nissan to build a midsize pickup in the U.S. It will be a body-on-frame pickup and will likely be based on the next-generation Frontier.

Also after spring 2027, Mitsubishi will release another new SUV, which will be built in the U.S. While Mitsubishi isn't saying what this SUV will be, the company has said it is in talks with Nissan about it. The company has also said it will offer a new body-on-frame Pajero overseas. That could mean the new SUV will be a Montero, which has been the U.S. name for the Pajero in the past. It could also be a rebadged Xterra, either as a Montero or under another name.

That leaves at least one more vehicle slot for Mitsubishi to fill by 2030. Fans might like to see a revived Evo hot compact, a midsize sedan (not likely), or a reborn Eclipse coupe (also not likely). That said, sedan sales have seen a small jump lately, so we're going to cross our fingers and hope for the Evo.

When it announced Momentum 2030, Mitsubishi had five vehicles in its lineup — the Outlander, Outlander PHEV, Outlander Sport, Eclipse Cross and Mirage. It has since lost the Mirage but added the Eclipse Sportback. Mitsubishi says the lineup will include almost double the number of models by 2030. We read that to be eight or nine offerings.

As far as its relationship with Nissan is concerned, it appears Mitsubishi is pursuing a two-pronged approach. Some vehicles will be badge-engineered with Nissan, such as the Eclipse Sportback, the pickup, and perhaps this new body-on-frame SUV. Others are developed more by Mitsubishi, though with engineering shared by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. As of now, all vehicles except the Eclipse Sportback have engines that are designed and engineered by Mitsubishi.

Mitsubishi has also announced a global commitment to increase the thermal efficiency of new internal combustion engines for global applications, likely to meet ever stricter emissions standards.

2027 Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback front 3/4

Would Mitsubishi want to use the new ePower hybrid system Nissan is launching in the 2027 Rogue? "Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi will work together on shared engineering programs where and when it makes sense for all brands," says Barnes.

Increased footprint and sales

Mitsubishi currently has just under 300 dealers in the U.S., and they cover about a third of the market. The company says it aims to get to 50% of the market by 2030, which means that number could balloon to a total of 450 dealers. By the same math, the company would increase sales from the 94,754 vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2025 to about 140,000 by 2030.

Mitsubishi has a lot of work to do to get to those numbers, but if it can offer the right products at the right prices, it could achieve the goals set by the Momentum 2030 plan. If the company executes the plan, its commitment to the U.S. market set back in 2024 will finally be realized. We'll be keeping a close eye on Mitsubishi.

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by Kirk Bell

Cars have been an important part of his life since Kirk learned to identify them by their headlights as a toddler. He grew up helping pit crew for his dad’s highly unsuccessful drag racing escapades, and he turned his knowledge of the car culture into a career when he became an editor at Scale Auto Enthusiast magazine starting in college. Kirk has been writing about full-scale cars for more than 20 years and was named to the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury in 2014. He was most recently senior editor at Motor Authority, where he specialized in luxury and performance cars. Kirk also authored and edited several car books, including the award-winning Hot Rod & Custom Chronicle and NASCAR Chronicle when was managing editor at Consumer Guide Automotive. Kirk enjoys nothing more than a track day, but he’s also a Wisconsin sport fan and he enjoys spirited drives in his 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

edited by Nick Yekikian

Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.

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