Other news points to newer, better products coming to N.A. tri-diamond dealers

Mitsubishi, a brand that hasn’t had a mid-size sedan in its lineup since the Galant was killed off in 2012 in North America, will be waiting a little longer than anticipated for a replacement. At a NADA franchise meeting yesterday, Mitsubishi Motors North America executive vice president Don Swearingen delivered the bad news.

“I told them [dealers] that the plan has stalled,” Swearingen explained to Automotive News. “And I said that’s really all I can tell you at this time.”

The plan was for Mitsubishi to source a D-segment sedan from Nissan, likely sourced from South Korean subsidiary Renault-Samsung, to be rebadged as a Mitsubishi for North America.

This is dire news for U.S Mitsubishi dealers. Americans bought almost 2.5 million midsize sedans last year making up almost 15 percent of all vehicles sold.

However, not all news delivered to Mitsubishi dealers was negative.

Another sedan from the partnership with Nissan, fully expected to be the new Lancer, seems to still be on track. A newly designed Outlander will arrive in July in the U.S. followed by a redesigned Outlander Sport (RVR in Canada) and Lancer before the end of the year. A new Mirage hatchback will arrive next spring along with a Mirage sedan in the second quarter. A plug-in hybrid Outlander is due to arrive with the Mirage sedan.

Mitsubishi is due to reintroduce the Montero at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show next month.