Mitsubishi announced today that it will withdraw from the Dakar Rally, the Dakar Series and all cross-country rallies due to the deterioration in the global economy.

Mitsubishi said that the move was necessary for the company to focus its resources more tightly.

Mitsubishi Motors won the rally a total of 12 times in its 26 entries in the event including 7 consecutive wins. The company also gained 4WD technology that it will continue to incorporate in its production vehicles.

Following GM’s decision to not offer a 2009 Saturn Astra, Mitsubishi spokeswomen Christine Jew said the high-performance Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution sedan will take a break for 2009.

Jew said that there were no changes planned for a 2009 Evolution Lancer and that there is enough inventory to last until the 2010 model is released until later this year. According to KickingTires, Cars.com’s listings show 887 Lancer Evolutions from the 2008 model year are still available.

Sales of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution were up over 50 percent in 2008. Jew said that there will be minor changes to the 2010 model year.

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X:

Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko has planned to postpone all product development spending except on small cars and electric vehicles.

“We have stopped all product investments except for environmental developments. That means small cars, plug-in hybrid developments and electric car projects,” said Masuko in an interview with Automotive News Europe.

Besides focusing on small electric-vehicles, Mitsubishi will begin developing plug-in hybrid technology. He said that Mitsubishi’s plug-in hybrid technology will arrive in 2013 in lower-medium , upper-medium segments and in SUVs.

Mitsubishi officially confirmed today that it will launch the all-new five-door Lancer Sportback in the U.S. by this summer as a 2010 model year.

As noted before the 2010 Mitsubishi Sportback will be available in the U.S. in two trim-levels including the Sportback GTS and the Sportback Ralliart. The GTS will feature a 2.4L engine making 168-hp with a peak torque of 167 lb-ft. It will be mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed CVT automatic transmission. The Sportback Ralliart will be powered by a 2.0-liter MIVEC turbocharged engine that pumps out 237-hp and 253 lb-ft of torque. The Sportback Ralliart comes with All-Wheel Control with Active Center Differential as standard along with the 6-speed Twin Clutch-Sportronic Shift Transmission from the Lancer Evolution. Both the CVT and Twin-Clutch transmissions include magnesium-alloy paddle shifters.

Standard features will come from other Lancer sedans including a 140-watt CD/MP3 audio system with 6 speakers (you can upgrade to a 710-watt Rockford-Fosgate Premium Sound System), in-dash CD changer with MP3 capability, plus Sirius Satellite Radio. Options include a hard disc-drive navigation system with Mitsubishi’s exclusive Diamond Lane Guidance and Recaro sport seats.

Pricing will be announced closer to launch date.

Follow the jump for the high-res images.

2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback and Lancer Sportback Ralliart:

Mitsubishi announced today that it will extend its seven-week shutdown at its Illinois plant by five weeks. According to Automotive News, the plant will be closed for a total of 12 weeks from Feb. 16 to May 11 in an effort to reduce inventory.

The plant is responsible for the production of the Mitsubishi Galant, Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder. It also produces the Mitsubishi Endeavor crossover.

At the 79th Geneva International Auto Show in March, Mitsubishi will show the third iteration of its iMiEV electric-car concepts. Mitsubishi says that the iMiEV SPORT AIR Concept “explores the future possibilities for zero-emission vehicles, placing a greater bias on exhilarating driving pleasure.”

While exploring zero-emissions vehicles, the i MiEV SPORT AIR places a greater emphasize on driving pleasure. The concept shows a more powerful electric-motor with more torque, stabilized driving and handling due to the in-floor lithium-ion batter and of course - zero CO2 emissions.

Check out the few sketches released by Mitsubishi.

Mitsubishi iMiEV SPORT AIR Concept:

Mitsubishi said it will kill the Raider pickup as it plans to overhaul its North American lineup with more fuel-efficient vehicles. The Japanese automakers saw its sales fall 24.6 percent last year.

Chrysler LLC builds the Raider for Mitsubishi as a rebadged Dodge Dakota. Mitsubishi said it will not renew the contract with Chrysler when it expires. According to Automotive News, that means the 2010 model year Mitsubishi Raider will be the last.

Shares of Mitsubishi Motors Corp jumped 5 percent today after Japanese business daily Nikkei reported that the company will start supplying France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen Group with a version of its i MiEV electric-car. It has been previously reported that the Japanese and French automaker will team up to develop electric powertrains for use in small vehicles.

Nikkei reported that Mitsubishi will supply 10,000 units of the i MiEV passenger car to PSA Peugeot Citroen Group by 2011 on an original equipment manufacturer basis, the Nikkei added.

“We are considering collaborating with PSA on electric cars as we said officially last June,” said company spokesman Fumio Nishizaki.

We already know that Nissan and Infiniti will be taking over displays abandoned by their respective automakers at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. It was announced on Thursday that Mitsubishi dealers will also occupy auto show space that was originally allocated to their company before it pulled out.

Nissan and Infiniti won’t have any bells or whistles, high-tech video displays or spinning platforms.

“The cars are going to be the stars,” Joe Serra, the show’s senior co-chairman told Automotive News. “It’s not going to be an elaborate exhibit. We’re going to make it work.”

The 2009 World Green Car of the Year candidates have been announced prior to the 2009 New York Auto Show which is still about 5 months away.

Previous years winners include the BMW 118d in 2008, the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec in 2007 and the Honda Civic Hybrid in 2006. The 2009 candidates must be on sale by Dec. 31st.

Some of our favorites from the list include the BMW 335d BluePerformance, Audi Q7 3.0 TDI, Honda FCX Clarity, MINI E, Tesla Roadster and the Toyota iQ. The

Follow the jump for the full list.