Mitsubishi Motors Corporation last week revealed it is exploring opportunities to jointly produce SUVs in the US with Nissan Motor Company, in response to the recent hike in import duties by the US administration.
Mitsubishi Motors sold a total of 31,637 vehicles in the US in the first quarter of 2025, an 11% increase on the same period last year, as the company front-loaded shipments ahead of the tariff hikes. Two-thirds of its sales comprised the Outlander SUV, with the Eclipse Sport and Mirage models combined accounting for the remainder of its sales. The company does not have vehicle manufacturing facilities of its own in North America and therefore relies on imports to supply the US market.
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Mitsubishi Motor’s president, Takao Kato, stated at a recent press conference that local production “is essential” to selling vehicles in the US. Last week the company announced it had agreed to sell a rebadged version of the next generation Nissan Leaf battery electric vehicle (BEV) in the US, starting in the second half of 2026, and also to rebadge the Nissan Rogue SUV later this year.
It is clear that the two Alliance partners plan to collaborate closely in the US to lessen the impact of the recent US import tariff hikes. The two companies are considering jointly investing in an existing Nissan plant in the US to produce a new SUV model, although details of the investment amount, production date and plant were not disclosed.
In Japan, Mitsubishi and Nissan are jointly developing a new range of ICE and battery-powered Kei cars (mini-cars), while Mitsubishi has also agreed to provide its Thai-made pickup truck to Nissan and source a van from Nissan in the Philippines.
Other partnerships recently announced by Mitsubishi include sourcing a battery-powered BEV model from Yulon Motors in Taiwan, based on Foxtron’s MIH open platform, for sale locally and also in Australia and New Zealand, and sourcing an SUV and a BEV model from Alliance partner Renault for sale in Europe.
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By GlobalDataMitsubishi last week said it expects its operating profit to drop by 28% to JPY 100 billion in the current fiscal year, ending on 31 March 2025, largely due to the US import tariffs.
