According to the Detroit News, the AIADA newsletter reported that Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. is in talks to supply vehicles to Saturn dealers if the brand and dealer network is sold this year.
From the source, including Nissan, Mitsubishi is among several manufacturers are talking to parties interested in acquiring Saturn’s dealer network from General Motors. Although it is unclear whether Mitsubishi vehicles would be sold under the Saturn name or vice versa, a deal would give Mitsubishi a stronger presence and help it boost production in the U.S. by tapping into a network of about 380 Saturn dealerships, which need new vehicles once Saturn stops production.
Only in North America, Mitsubishi sells coupes, convertibles, sedans, sport utility vehicles, and light trucks through a network of about 430 dealers. For the last month, the company sold 3,919 vehicles, down 55.9 percent from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, according to sources, Saturn has narrowed its list of potential bidders to two or three hopes to conclude a deal by the end of the third quarter. GM also has said that Saturn will be phased out at the end of this year but could supply vehicles on a contract basis beyond 2009.
