{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"Nov. 14, 2025 | Can Mitsubishi plot a U.S. comeback?; lease calculation pitfalls","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/nov-14-2025-can-mitsubishi-plot-a-u-s-comeback-lease-calculation-pitfalls","audioUrl":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.buzzsprout.com/2447022/episodes/18192622-nov-14-2025-can-mitsubishi-plot-a-u-s-comeback-lease-calculation-pitfalls.mp3","description":"Mitsubishi seems confident it can turn around U.S. sales and jump into new segments. Volkswagen delays investments amid financial doubts. Plus, Tim Yalich of Carleton discusses the challenges dealerships face to quote accurate lease payments these days."},"annotations":[{"startTime":0.0,"endTime":5.0,"type":"company","title":"Curator","url":"/glossary/curator","quote":"Right. We can sense it. \n[0.0s] You have data everywhere, but is it working together? Meet Curator, the automotive industry's first unified intelligence engine.","canonicalId":"company:curator","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Curator is a software platform that aggregates and analyzes dealership data to improve marketing, sales, and customer interactions.","simplifiedExplanation":"Curator is a tool that helps car dealers collect and use data from all parts of their business to make better decisions."}},{"startTime":30.0,"endTime":35.0,"type":"brand","title":"Rivian","url":"/glossary/rivian","quote":"VW Delays investments amid financial doubts, and VW and Rivian look to sell EV tech to other automakers.","canonicalId":"brand:rivian","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Rivian is an American electric vehicle startup that produces pickup trucks and SUVs.","simplifiedExplanation":"Rivian is a newer company that makes electric trucks and SUVs."}},{"startTime":30.0,"endTime":35.0,"type":"brand","title":"Volkswagen","url":"/glossary/volkswagen","quote":"VW Delays investments amid financial doubts, and VW and Rivian look to sell EV tech to other automakers.","canonicalId":"brand:volkswagen","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Volkswagen (VW) is a German automaker known for models like the Golf, Passat, and Tiguan.","simplifiedExplanation":"Volkswagen is a big German car company that makes many popular cars."}},{"startTime":30.0,"endTime":35.0,"type":"term","title":"EV tech","url":"/glossary/ev-tech","quote":"VW Delays investments amid financial doubts, and VW and Rivian look to sell EV tech to other automakers.","canonicalId":"term:ev-tech","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Electric vehicle technology, including batteries, powertrains, and charging systems.","simplifiedExplanation":"EV tech refers to the parts and systems that make electric cars work, like batteries and motors."}},{"startTime":48.0,"endTime":56.0,"type":"concept","title":"lease payment calculation","url":"/glossary/lease-payment-calculation","quote":"Ultimately, precision in the lease payment calculation is really not optional, it's foundational to the profitability and compliant operations.","canonicalId":"concept:lease-payment-calculation","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The process of determining how much a customer pays monthly for leasing a vehicle, factoring in depreciation, interest, and fees.","simplifiedExplanation":"When you lease a car, the dealer calculates how much you’ll pay each month based on the car’s value and other costs."}},{"startTime":56.0,"endTime":61.0,"type":"brand","title":"Mitsubishi","url":"/glossary/mitsubishi","quote":"Ultimately, precision in the lease payment calculation is really not optional, it's foundational to the profitability and compliant operations.\n[56.0s] Let's run through all the news you need to know to keep up in the auto industry. Mitsubishi seems confident it can turn around U.S. sales and jump into new segments.","canonicalId":"brand:mitsubishi","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Mitsubishi is a Japanese automaker known for models like the Outlander and Eclipse Cross.","simplifiedExplanation":"Mitsubishi is a Japanese car company that makes cars and SUVs."}},{"startTime":66.0,"endTime":70.0,"type":"concept","title":"sedan","url":"/glossary/sedan","quote":"In a letter to dealers, North America's CEO, Mark Chaffin, hinted at a strategic shift that could bring the brand back into sedance and possibly expand into pickups and vans.","canonicalId":"concept:sedan","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.8,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"A passenger car with a separate trunk and typically two or four doors.","simplifiedExplanation":"A sedan is a common type of car that has a trunk and usually four doors, like the Toyota Camry."}},{"startTime":84.0,"endTime":98.0,"type":"concept","title":"crossover","url":"/glossary/crossover","quote":"Dealers say they've seen early product concepts including a midsize crossover that could sit above the outlander.\n[98.0s] Mitsubishi also plans to launch an all-electric small crossover next summer.","canonicalId":"concept:crossover","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"A vehicle that blends features of a sedan and an SUV, typically with higher ground clearance and all-wheel drive.","simplifiedExplanation":"A crossover is a car that looks like an SUV but drives more like a regular car, often with extra space and better handling."}},{"startTime":112.0,"endTime":118.0,"type":"concept","title":"multi-billion euro spending package","url":"/glossary/multi-billion-euro-spending-package","quote":"Germany's build newspaper reports that VW's supervisory board has postponed approval on its multi-billion euro spending package.","canonicalId":"concept:multi-billion-euro-spending-package","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"A large financial plan approved by a company’s board to invest in new projects, often involving billions of euros.","simplifiedExplanation":"A multi-billion euro spending package is a big budget plan that a company uses to build new cars or upgrade factories."}},{"startTime":122.0,"endTime":127.0,"type":"concept","title":"factory upgrades","url":"/glossary/factory-upgrades","quote":"That move delays decisions on new models and factory upgrades across nearly 100 global plants.","canonicalId":"concept:factory-upgrades","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Improvements or expansions to manufacturing plants to increase production capacity or introduce new models.","simplifiedExplanation":"Factory upgrades mean a car company is adding or improving parts of its factories to make more cars or new types."}},{"startTime":139.0,"endTime":141.0,"type":"brand","title":"Audi","url":"/glossary/audi","quote":"The delay could also stall plans for a potential Audi plan in the U.S., which VW CEO Oliver Bloom has said would require government support to move forward.","canonicalId":"brand:audi","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Audi AG is a German luxury automobile manufacturer and part of the Volkswagen Group. It produces high‑end cars such as the A4, Q5, and e-tron electric models.","simplifiedExplanation":"Audi is a fancy German car brand that makes stylish cars like the A4 and Q5. They’re part of the same company as Volkswagen."}},{"startTime":159.0,"endTime":162.0,"type":"term","title":"EV","url":"/glossary/ev","quote":"The two automakers say their joint venture, RV Tech, is making progress on a new EV and software platform that could eventually be sold to other car makers.","canonicalId":"term:ev","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"EV stands for electric vehicle, a car powered primarily by electricity stored in batteries rather than internal combustion engines.","simplifiedExplanation":"EV means a car that runs on electricity instead of gasoline. It uses batteries and can be charged at home or stations."}},{"startTime":159.0,"endTime":164.0,"type":"term","title":"software platform","url":"/glossary/software-platform","quote":"The two automakers say their joint venture, RV Tech, is making progress on a new EV and software platform that could eventually be sold to other car makers.","canonicalId":"term:software-platform","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"A software platform in automotive refers to the underlying operating system, applications, and services that manage vehicle functions such as infotainment, connectivity, and autonomous features.","simplifiedExplanation":"A software platform is the computer system inside a car that controls things like music, navigation, and safety features."}},{"startTime":353.0,"endTime":359.5,"type":"car","title":"Nissan Frontier pickup","url":"/cars/nissan/frontier","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/2018_Nissan_Frontier_SV.png","quote":"But obviously Nissan has the as the frontier pickup and they are designing a new generation of the frontier, which is going to be a hybrid.","canonicalId":"car:nissan:frontier","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The Nissan Frontier is a mid‑size pickup truck that has been sold in North America since 1995. It’s known for its ruggedness and off‑road capability.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Frontier is a truck made by Nissan that people use for work or adventure. It’s like a smaller version of the big trucks you see on highways.","imageAttribution":"LukaCali (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":392.0,"endTime":395.5,"type":"brand","title":"Nissan Infinity Brands","url":"/glossary/nissan-infinity-brands","quote":"It would be basically a hybrid crossover, which Nissan is already developing for the Nissan Infinity Brands.","canonicalId":"brand:nissan-infinity-brands","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Nissan Infinity Brands refers to the line of vehicles under the Infiniti luxury brand, which is Nissan’s premium division. They produce sedans, SUVs, and crossovers.","simplifiedExplanation":"Infiniti is Nissan’s fancy car line that sells more upscale cars and SUVs."}},{"startTime":460.0,"endTime":466.0,"type":"brand","title":"Subaru","url":"/glossary/subaru","quote":"When one of the largest volume Subaru dealers in the country wanted to tap into its data goldmine, they turned to Curator.","canonicalId":"brand:subaru","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Subaru is a Japanese automaker known for its all-wheel-drive vehicles and boxer engines.","simplifiedExplanation":"Subaru makes cars that can drive well in bad weather and have a special flat engine. It’s popular for its safety and reliability."}},{"startTime":501.0,"endTime":505.0,"type":"term","title":"FNI teams","url":"/glossary/fni-teams","quote":"[501.0s] He spoke with automotive news senior retail editor Dan Shine about how dealerships can better train their sales and FNI teams to understand the nuances of lease payment structures...","canonicalId":"term:fni-teams","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"FNI stands for Finance and Insurance; FNI teams are dealership staff responsible for structuring financing, leasing, and insurance products for customers.","simplifiedExplanation":"These are the people at a car dealership who help you figure out how to pay for your car, whether through loans, leases, or insurance plans."}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Automotive News","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/nov-14-2025-can-mitsubishi-plot-a-u-s-comeback-lease-calculation-pitfalls/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}