Poor Mitsubishi. The troubled automaker will face another hurdle towards solvency when the new year begins.
The automaker's new Lancer sedan, which goes on sale in March, will be the first to be rated under the Environmental Protection Agency's new federal fuel-economy standards. The new tests includes more stop and go driving, heavy acceleration and high speed driving to calculate fuel economy in the city and on the highway. While the new standards will apply to 2008 and beyond vehicles, the current system will continue to be used for 2007 models.
The rating could impact on the sales of the Lancer since it is competing in a segment of the market in which gas mileage usually weighs on a buyer's decision.
Mitsubishi is not the only automaker to be delivering '08 models to market in 2007. All 2008 Honda models will be introduced in 2007. Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GM, Toyota, Subaru and Volkswagen will be introducing at least one '08 model in 2007. That means that these vehicles will be tested under the new system.
Our take? Since all automakers will be affected, we think they should heavily advertise how the EPA's new guidelines have impacted the numbers so consumers won't think the new generation of cars are "less" efficient than prior generations.