Car and Driver has pointed out that Mitsubishi has renewed its application to register the Lancer Sportback trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office on 12 March this year.
Speaking of the Lancer, the Japanese carmaker filed an application to register the Lancer Evolution trademark on 8 August last year. The USPTO denied the registration, Mitsubishi filed an appeal, which is still pending.
Which Car? publication, for its part, notes that the Japanese automaker has recently been reusing old names around the world, such as Airtrek, Colt and Eclipse. Against this backdrop, the return of the Lancer name would be a natural fit.
As for the new Nissan Leaf, which is supposed to be a platform donor for the electric Mitsubishi, according to the latest rumours, it will be a miniature version of the Nissan Ariya crossover. The design model of the new Leaf is the Nissan Chill-Out concept presented at last year's Tokyo Mobility Show.
Sources: Car and Driver, Which Car?