Filed under: Sedan, Japan, Infiniti, Mitsubishi, Rumormill
Mitsubishi is reportedly considering selling a rebadged version of the Infiniti M sedan in order to fill its void of premium offerings in its home market of Japan. However, Automotive News notes that Mitsubishi’s President, Osamu Masuko, has stated that the automaker will not leverage manufacturing deals with other companies in order to expand its lineup here in the United States, so don’t expect to see a Mitsu-branded Infiniti on our shores anytime soon.
Mitsubishi’s last endeavor into the luxury sedan market was with the Diamante – a car that suffered from lackluster sales numbers during its run throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Due to Mitsubishi’s financial woes during the mid-2000s, luxury car development was put on hold. Now, though, selling a rebadged version of the Infiniti M (or Nissan Fuga, as it’s known in Japan) would insulate Mitsubishi from research and development costs, making it easier for the automaker to launch back into the luxury segment.
Automotive News reports that the Mitsubishi-badged Infiniti could go on sale in Japan as early as this year. Expect the standard gas version to be the first to wear a triple-diamond badge, though Mitsubishi may sell a version of the M Hybrid, as well. Top tip, Randy!
Gallery: 2011 Infiniti M37: Review
Photos copyright (C)2011 Michael Harley / AOL
[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]
Rumormill: Mitsubishi to sell rebadged Infiniti M… new Diamante in the cards? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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