On April 1st at the New York Auto Show, Mitsubishi lifted the veil on a cute little SUV created for the North American market. Its name? Um, we’re not sure.
No, it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke.
In Asia it’s called RVR and in Europe ASX. But over here the new model, which is expected to hit dealerships next fall, is still without a name.
At the end of 2009 though, rumour had it that it would be dubbed Outlander Sport. Which would suggest that the “plain old” Outlander was never sporty. Which doesn’t make sense, as it’s introduced as a “Sport Utility Vehicle” – even if that doesn’t necessarily make it a sport vehicle. Do you follow?
The truth is, Mitsubishi’s executives, without wanting to admit it, may simply have run out of inspiration. So let’s help them out a little.
The brand’s strategists may have forgotten about the rights they have stashed away on two trademarks already used for small pick-ups: Durocross and Raider. Further investigation reveals two other, more evocative badges that could also do the trick: Monsoon and Remix.
Remix has a nice ring to it. It’s perfect for a crossover (another word for “melting pot” or “hodgepodge”). You know, the class that was invented to avoid using SUV and that evokes vehicle crossbreeding. So what do you get when you “remix” a Lancer and an Outlander? An ASX – I mean an RVR – I mean, well… that!
With this legacy in mind, why not call it Lancer ASX? Simply because Mitsubishi doesn’t hold the rights to that badge, at least not according to the information gleaned from the US Patent and Trademark Office. Too bad.
I also found out that this is the case of the Diamante, Mirage, Cordia, Celeste, Tredia and Starion names, used for as many products in the US back in the day. The Japanese brand has also lost the rights to four rather whimsical names: Montecruz, Morocco, Tangier and Crusoe. I think it’s better that way.
For lack of any better ideas, my colleague Michel Deslauriers had a stroke of genius: “First came the Endeavor, then the Outlander – why not the Whatever?” Not bad for a crossover… plus it kinda rimes.
No, it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke.
In Asia it’s called RVR and in Europe ASX. But over here the new model, which is expected to hit dealerships next fall, is still without a name.
At the end of 2009 though, rumour had it that it would be dubbed Outlander Sport. Which would suggest that the “plain old” Outlander was never sporty. Which doesn’t make sense, as it’s introduced as a “Sport Utility Vehicle” – even if that doesn’t necessarily make it a sport vehicle. Do you follow?
The truth is, Mitsubishi’s executives, without wanting to admit it, may simply have run out of inspiration. So let’s help them out a little.
The brand’s strategists may have forgotten about the rights they have stashed away on two trademarks already used for small pick-ups: Durocross and Raider. Further investigation reveals two other, more evocative badges that could also do the trick: Monsoon and Remix.
Remix has a nice ring to it. It’s perfect for a crossover (another word for “melting pot” or “hodgepodge”). You know, the class that was invented to avoid using SUV and that evokes vehicle crossbreeding. So what do you get when you “remix” a Lancer and an Outlander? An ASX – I mean an RVR – I mean, well… that!
With this legacy in mind, why not call it Lancer ASX? Simply because Mitsubishi doesn’t hold the rights to that badge, at least not according to the information gleaned from the US Patent and Trademark Office. Too bad.
I also found out that this is the case of the Diamante, Mirage, Cordia, Celeste, Tredia and Starion names, used for as many products in the US back in the day. The Japanese brand has also lost the rights to four rather whimsical names: Montecruz, Morocco, Tangier and Crusoe. I think it’s better that way.
For lack of any better ideas, my colleague Michel Deslauriers had a stroke of genius: “First came the Endeavor, then the Outlander – why not the Whatever?” Not bad for a crossover… plus it kinda rimes.