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The Port of Baltimore
■
November/December 2013
T
he new Mitsubishi Mirage
comes in so many bright
colors that one automotive
reviewer compared the cars
to Skittles.
But there are other reasons why it stood
out so prominently as the first shipment to
hit the U.S. market arrived at the Port of
Baltimore in late September. The five-door
Mirage posts some appealing numbers:
MSRP starts at just $12,995, and its three-
cylinder engine gets 44 miles per gallon on
the highway (40 mpg combined/37 mpg
city), giving buyers hybrid-like gas mileage
in a gasoline-powered car.
A comprehensive, seven-airbag Supple-
mental Restraint System allays safety
concerns, and the number of no-cost stan-
dard amenities includes tilt steering, keyless
entry, power windows, automatic climate
PORT
PARTNERSHIP
control, a 60/40-split folding rear seat,
intermittent wipers, a sporty rear spoiler and
a four-speaker, 140-watt AM/FM/CD/MP3
audio system with USB/iPod
®
input.
The diminutive car with big interior
space is expected to appeal to millennials,
who are increasingly opting for city living, as
well as their baby-boomer parents, who are
dumping the no-longer-needed gas guzzling
minivans and large suburban homes.
“Mitsubishi Motors North America
(MMNA) is leading the way in the
development of highly efficient, affordably
priced new gasoline-powered automobiles
— like the new Mirage — while using our
industry-leading knowledge in battery
electric vehicles to develop future electric
vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
models,” said Dan Irvin, Director of Corporate
Communications for MMNA.
That translates to yet more automotive
business for the Port of Baltimore, which
was the No. 1 port in the nation for
automobiles last year.
Randy Casebolt, Manager, National
Vehicle Logistics for Mitsubishi, said the
company plans to import 20,000 vehicles
through the Port and export another
30,000. Arriving onboard an NYK Line
vessel, the first shipment contained cars
built in Thailand and transshipped through
Japan.
“The Port of Baltimore offers exceptional
location to the Mitsubishi dealer network in
the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast,” Casebolt said,
adding, “The Port personnel have provided
tremendous support for our business over
the years and they have always provided
additional land and facility space when
needed.”
BY NANCY MENEFEE JACKSON
Mitsubishi
AT A GLANCE
•
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation was
established in 1970 as a spin-off of
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
•
Mitsubishi Motors North America
sells cars, crossovers, sedans, sports
sedans, sport wagons and
electric cars through a network of
approximately 400 dealers
•
Sells 85,000 cars a year in
North America
•
The Mirage is available in a choice
of eight colors, including Mitsubishi
Motors fan-selected options such
as Kiwi, Plasma Purple, Infrared and
Sapphire Blue.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL MCALLEN
M
IR
AGE
Appears at Port
Mitsubishi Introduces Colorful
New Car In U.S. Market
