Mitsubishi is Renewing Its Focus on Trucks in North America: TDS
The Mitsubishi Raider, based on the Dodge Dakota, marked the final occasion the brand provided a pickup truck in the U.S.
Mitsubishi
The most significant automotive news and reviews—no nonsense.
Welcome to The Downshift, often referred to as TDS, The Drive’s morning news summary that delivers the most important automotive headlines globally.
The Downshift offers a brief recap of the news and includes links to full articles for those who want additional details. Happy Friday! Here’s your update for May 29, 2026.
♦️ Mitsubishi announced on Friday that it will introduce a midsize pickup truck for North America with assistance from Nissan and will bring back its Pajero SUV for international markets. The new truck is expected to be based on and produced alongside the Nissan Frontier, providing Mitsubishi with a way to produce vehicles in the U.S., which it currently lacks. The company is still considering whether the new Pajero will be sold in the States. [Automotive News]
🛻 GM has introduced the Hummer X concept, a version of the large electric vehicle designed for off-road use, featuring removed body panels that give it a resemblance to the company’s electric variant of the Jeep Gladiator. [General Motors]
🚗 In recall news, Honda and Acura are recalling nearly 100,000 Accord and TLX sedans due to faulty weight sensors in the front passenger seat, which could unintentionally trigger airbag deployment. [Reuters]
🚗 Stellantis is also issuing a recall for 419,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L vehicles starting from the 2022 model year due to side airbags that may not deploy promptly following a collision. [Reuters]
⚡ Lastly, Lucid is recalling just over 2,000 Air sedans from the 2024 and 2025 model years due to an inverter issue that could result in a loss of drive power. The company states it will replace the inverter in the affected cars. [Reuters]
🐍 AC Cars has returned with a new Cobra coupe, featuring a 5.0-liter Ford V8 engine, a tradition that delivers up to 800 horsepower. [Autocar]
🐎 Ferrari, having found considerable success in the World Endurance Championship with its 499P hypercar, has stated it will remain in the series only if it can fully manufacture its car in-house, rather than being required to comply with the LMDh regulations, which dictate a standardized hybrid system and other supplied components. [Motorsport.com]
🏁 Weekend Races to Watch (all times Eastern):
- WRC Rally Japan: All weekend on Rally.TV
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Nashville: Friday at 8 p.m. on FS1
- NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Nashville: Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on CW
- MotoGP Italian Grand Prix: Sunday at 8 a.m. on MotoGP Video Pass
- IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix: Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on FOX
- IMSA Detroit Grand Prix: Sunday at 4 p.m. on NBC
- NASCAR Cup Series at Nashville: Sunday at 7 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video
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Mitsubishi is Renewing Its Focus on Trucks in North America: TDS
Mitsubishi is set to introduce a midsize pickup derived from Nissan in the U.S., and a new Montero could be on the horizon.