Mitsubishi Unveils Plan to Rebuild by 2030 — and There’s a Pickup Truck

• Mitsubishi plans to grow its Canadian lineup from four to six vehicles by 2027, headlined by the upcoming Eclipse Sportback electric SUV and a rugged, off-road-focused version of the Outlander.
• The automaker is exploring, pending necessary approvals, a return to the pickup truck segment in Canada through a partnership with Nissan.
• The Elan 2030 strategy, unveiled exclusively to the dealer network, rests on four pillars: electrification, lineup renewal, a modernized retail model, and network expansion.

Mitsubishi Bets on Elan 2030 to Strengthen Its Presence in Canada

Mitsubishi has unveiled an updated version of its Elan 2030 strategic plan, designed to guide the development of its product lineup and the expansion of its dealer network in Canada over the coming years.

The automaker brought its dealer network together for a closed-door meeting to reveal its future product plans, along with concepts and design studies backing this growth phase.

Unsurprisingly, Mitsubishi wants to follow the trend, and one of the central pillars of its North American strategy is beefing up its lineup of adventure-oriented vehicles with genuine off-road capability. It’s a growing segment, according to the company — and it’s easy to believe them. Mitsubishi also says it’s studying, pending the necessary approvals, a return to the pickup truck segment in Canada through a partnership with Nissan. It’s nothing new for fans to want a Mitsubishi pickup, whether that’s the L200 sold worldwide or a reworked version of the Nissan Frontier.

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Four Pillars

The Elan 2030 plan is built around four strategic pillars: electrification, the renewal and expansion of the product lineup, modernization of the retail model, and expansion of the dealer network.

In a separate announcement released in Japan, parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation also confirmed the return of the Pajero (known as the Montero in North America), although no decision has yet been made on whether it will be sold in the Canadian market. As part of a broader diversification push, the model could draw even more families into Mitsubishi dealerships.

“The updated Elan 2030 product plan we presented to our dealer network across Canada has strengthened their confidence in Mitsubishi Motors’ commitment to the Canadian market,” said Kenichi Kawaji, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada, who noted the company will mark its 25th anniversary in the country next year.

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In the short term, Mitsubishi’s Canadian lineup will grow from four to six vehicles by 2027: the RVR, the Eclipse Cross, the new all-electric Eclipse Sportback, the Outlander, and the Outlander PHEV. The Outlander will also gain a new, rugged variant built for off-road use, with its name to be announced at a later date.

Thanks, Nissan

Overall, while the short-term expansion leans heavily on Nissan, dealers will finally have some fresh product to work with. The Eclipse Sportback is a restyled LEAF underneath, but it marks Mitsubishi’s return to the EV space since the i-MiEV was finally discontinued in 2018.

The pickup — possibly badged the Raider — will follow the same playbook as the Eclipse Sportback, except this time the Nissan Frontier will serve as the base. Competent as it is, the Frontier isn’t exactly cutting-edge: introduced in 2022, it’s already five years old and offers only a single V6 engine. Mitsubishi is still awaiting confirmation on the project.

As for the midsize SUV, the Pajero, there’s reason for optimism. It’s set to be unveiled on September 2. Whether Canada will make the list of markets where it’s offered remains to be seen.

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