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Mitsubishi appears set to send the Lancer to the big carpark in the sky.
The under pressure Japanese brand was taken over by the Nissan-Renault alliance in 2016 and long-time Nissan executive Trevor Mann was promoted to the role of chief operating officer.
Speaking to media at the 2017 Geneva motor show, Mann said his vision for the brand is to focus on the expanding SUV segment with the resources he has available. The new Eclipse Cross SUV was publicly unveiled in Geneva to fill a gap between the compact ASX and mid-size Outlander.
The current fifth generation Lancer is now in its 10th year on sale, putting it at least three years past typical replacement for a passenger car.
While Mann said he was not in a position to confirm the company's plans for the Lancer in the future he did paint a bleak picture of its chances continuing.
"We can never say never but obviously we've got a short-term focus," Mann explained. "We've got a pipeline that's coming with vehicles we've developed and Eclipse Cross is the latest one, it was obviously done before I came and before the alliance. But the design symbolises what we're going to do in the future.
"Some of the old cars and some of the stronger names might not continue. But I don't think that's a problem. You look at many brands and you look at their history they have changed their names and changed their history because you got to. You've got to keep changing to move forward and you've got to keep up with what customers want... You shouldn't necessarily keep banging the same drum just because you used to have a car everybody liked."
Mann played down the suggestion that Mitsubishi's new place as part of the Nissan-Renault alliance could help save the Lancer. To save development and manufacturing costs a new Lancer could be based on an existing Nissan or Renault small car platform.
"I'm not saying yes and I'm not saying no," Mann said. "Obviously with the scale we will be able to share common platforms, common powertrains, be able to have the same types of product line ups - if we want. I'm questioning internally what we want and what do our customers want. Because if you just start saying 'we should make another Lancer because we've always had a Lancer' - well should we?"
Despite the small car segment still being one of the largest around the world, Mann appeared unconvinced it was the right place for Mitsubishi to be playing in.
"It's also the most competitive segment and it's also shrinking on a global basis," he said.
He added: "We have a great opportunity to reflect on where we are and where we want to be."
Mann has been working on a new product plan for Mitsubishi under the Nissan-Renault alliance and said he was aiming to have it finished by the end of the Japanese financial year which comes at the end of March.
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