The move will mean a boost in annual production at Mitsubishi's Normal, Illinois plant to 70,000 vehicles, according to the Japanese business daily Nikkei. Though it currently builds the midsize Galant sedan (which will be discontinued over the next few months), the plant will switch to producing the Outlander Sport crossover this summer.
Mitsubishi will join a growing number of Japanese companies that are shifting production of export-bound vehicles from domestic plants to North American factories in order to take advantage of the weak dollar and avoid the profit-robbing strength of the yen.
