Mitsubishi to kill re-badged Dodge pickup

Struggling Japanese automaker Mitsubishi will not renew its contract with Chrysler for the Raider pickup, a re-badged Dodge Dakota. The Japanese automaker is ending the deal with Chrysler as part of its overhaul of its North American product line after seeing its U.S. sales tumble 24.6 percent last year.

Mitsubishi sold just 2,935 Raiders in 2008, down 64.5 percent from 2007. The Raider, introduced in 2005, has been a major disappointment to Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko. The company has no plans to introduce a new pickup to replace the Raider as it wants to shift to a smaller, more fuel-efficient product line.

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