By Andrew Ganz
Friday, Feb 4th, 2011 @ 12:32 p.m.
Mitsubishi and
Nissan aren’t exactly known for global cooperations, but the two automakers are said to be in talks about a trade that could see the three diamond brand wind up with a version of the
Infiniti M as its new flagship
sedan in North America.
Mitsubishi has already announced that it plans to
pare back its lineup by dropping all of its U.S.-built offerings in just a handful of model years and it has indicated that it plans to form new partnerships with other brands in order to keep competing in this market. Now, reports from Japan suggest that it is interested in acquiring a version of the Infiniti M – and it could rebadge the new flagship with a now-vintage name, Diamante.
The Diamante was last offered in North America about seven years ago as an Australian-built flagship sedan. Although its predecessor helped
Mitsubishi achieve some of its best-ever sales years, the second-generation model failed to be competitive against rivals like the
Nissan Maxima and
Toyota Avalon.
Japan’s
Nikkei says that the Infiniti M, sold in Japan as the Nissan Fuga, could be rebadged as a Mitsubishi for Japan as early as the end of 2011.
It’s not clear just what powertrains would be offered in a North American Mitsubishi Diamante, let alone what options and features. Given that the cheapest Infiniti M lists for over $40,000, it could be tough for North American Mitsubishi dealers to lure buyers into showrooms
Naturally, both Nissan and Mitsubishi have remained mum on the subject, but there’s no question that Mitsubishi dealers are hankering for something new to offer in their showrooms. Mitsubishi’s freshed North American sedan is its entry-level Lancer, which was last refreshed for the 2008 model year and its current “flagship” – if it can be called that – is the circa-2004 Galant.
