50-State Diesel

Mitsubishi Motors North America says its Outlander cross/utility vehicle will offer a diesel option in the U.S. shortly after the Lancer compact car gets a next-generation common-rail turbodiesel engine, beginning in 2010.

The all-new '08 Lancer goes on sale in March in the U.S., meaning the diesel mill will be debuting mid-cycle.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. currently is developing a turbodiesel engine with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for European export models.

The engine in the U.S.-spec Lancer will be based on this powerplant, which will use a diesel particulate filter and oxides of nitrogen trap to meet U.S. Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions regulations.

Mitsubishi joins Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. in planning a diesel capable of being sold in all 50 states.

It will be the first time since 1985, when it sold a diesel pickup truck, that Mitsubishi has offered a diesel engine option in the U.S.

Features include an aluminum block; common-rail fuel-injection system with piezohydraulic injectors; and a new variable-geometry/variable diffuser turbocharger, Mitsubishi says. Turbo lag is minimized with varying degrees of exhaust turbine flow because of the turbocharger's design, the auto maker says.

Horsepower and torque figures have not been finalized.

Meanwhile, the Prototype X model unveiled at the auto show hints at the upcoming Lancer Evolution, for sale in first-quarter 2008.

The Prototype X has an all-new 2L DOHC turbocharged I-4 and Mitsubishi's new Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel-drive system. Both will be offered in the production Lancer Evolution.

The new 2L turbo's aluminum engine block is 53.4 lbs. (20 kg) lighter than the outgoing iron-block in the 4G63 series engine of the current Evolution, the auto maker says.