Mitsubishi wants to revive Lancer Sportback and Montero

The Japanese brand has filed two trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): the first for the Montero name and the second for the Lancer Sportback. And if everything was in order with the first application (it, by the way, was registered in the “cars” category), then the second department rejected it, and Mitsubishi filed an appeal. Motor1.com speculates that the revived names could be for future electric cars.

The five-door Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback hatchback debuted as a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2005, after which its mass production began. The emphasis was on versatility, but the model sold poorly in the United States. For example, in 2012, Lancer Sportback failed to cross the mark of a thousand units sold. Now, according to rumors, this name may be revived for an electric car, which will become an analogue of the Nissan Leaf from Mitsubishi.

Mitsubishi suddenly registered a number of trademarks in Russia Mitsubishi left the plant in Kaluga and paid billions in compensation Mitsubishi announced a whole bunch of new products

As for Montero, this is one of the names of the Mitsubishi Pajero, which is well known to Russians. Insiders claim that the Japanese automaker is hatching plans to revive the body-on-frame SUV, which was discontinued in 2021. According to the latest information (still unofficial), the next Pajero will retain its frame design – it will supposedly be built on the platform of the Triton/L200 pickup truck. Whether this is so, we will not find out soon – the next generation Pajero is expected only in 2027.

It is possible that Mitsubihsi will not use registered trademarks at all – this is just a bureaucratic process designed to protect the rights to them. For example, in the spring of this year, a Japanese company protected in Rospatent several model names that it no longer supplies or produces in the Russian Federation. Among them are ASX, Outlander, Eclipse Cross, Eclipse, Attrage, Colt, Lancer, Triton and others. In addition, applications were submitted for the technology acronyms DI-D, AWS and S-AWC.

One name: old names for new cars