"We didn't start full out of the gate with the Evo X," said Durand. "We launched the GSR in February (2008) and the MR in July (2008), which would have made for a shortened 2009 model year."
Although Durand said the decision was made earlier to skip 2009, he does admit that it also has something to do with the slow economy. "Dealer traffic is good on the Evo, but the credit problem has hurt the ability to translate traffic into Evo sales."
Durand also said that it's possible only the U.S. market will miss the 2009 Evo. "I can only speak for the U.S. market, but every market situation is different. Japan launched the Evo X in 2007, the MR in December 2007, so it's likely they'll have a 2009 model."
The 2009 Evo would have been carryover, with the first round of changes affecting the 2010 Evo X. Durand would not elaborate on the future updates, but said the 2010 will "feature several refinements" when it launches late this summer.
Inside Line says: Evo fans can relax as the lack of a 2009 model is nothing more than a timing issue and no reflection on Mitsubishi's commitment to the product. — Kelly Toepke, News Editor
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