Mitsubishi’s master plan for North America is beginning to take shape, in the form of its first U.S. gallery dealership.

Mitsubishi Motors North America announced a gallery dealership in a new retail development in Antioch, Tenn., southeast of Nashville, is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2026.

The new store will be one of the first visible pieces of MMNA’s North American-focused five-year business plan, dubbed Momentum 2030. The plan is focused on paths to electrification, a renewed and expanded product lineup, network expansion and sales growth, and a modernized retail sales model, embodied by the gallery dealership model.

“Mitsubishi Motors is on the cusp of a full brand-wide reinvention in the United States, with our Momentum 2030 roadmap charting our path forward,” MMNA president and CEO Mark Chaffin said. “One of our strengths is we are both small and nimble, enabling us to make fast decisions and pivot quickly as necessary. But our small dealer network across the U.S. limits our ability to grow our share and sales volume.”

Momentum 2030 was unveiled in May 2024, outlining the company’s business and product plans through fiscal year 2030. It touches nearly every aspect of business, including new vehicles, new technologies, new dealerships and new ways of going to market.

The goal is to increase awareness, increase choices, increase access for shoppers, and, ultimately, to increase the number of vehicles MMNA sells in the U.S. And, the company said, gallery dealerships will be on the front lines as perhaps the most visible part of the plan, changing the way new and existing customers will interact with the brand.

“I often receive letters from customers saying they saw our car on the road, that they love the design and love the value proposition we offer, but have no Mitsubishi dealer partner nearby to make a purchase,” Chaffin said. “In my mind, we are underrepresented, with a presence in about one-third of the new-car markets across the U.S. By 2030, I would like to see us represented in over half of the U.S. sales markets.

“Our gallery dealership program is key to not only achieve that growth in volume, but also to raise the experience to better meet shoppers’ expectations in a modern, busy retail world. The gallery dealership program is key to introducing customers to our vehicles in a welcoming, surprise-and-delight way.”

The Gallery dealership model is designed as a partnership between MMNA and local dealer partners around the U.S., located in high-traffic, multi-use areas such as retail-heavy areas, mixed-use commercial/retail areas and shopping malls.

Once the proof-of-concept model is completed MMNA expects other Mitsubishi dealers around the country to pursue their own gallery dealerships.

The first of those dealerships is being developed in partnership with Murfreesboro, Tenn.-based City Auto Mitsubishi. The City Auto team will provide trained brand specialists, knowledgeable with Mitsubishi’s vehicles, in-car technology and brand history, to help navigate the entire shopping process from discovery to final paperwork.

The dealership will be located in Century Farms, a 300-plus-acre mixed-use planned development incorporating retail, office and entertainment options just off Interstate 24. The development, currently home to a Tanger Outlets mall and Nashville Soccer Club’s practice facility, is set to add Whataburger, Chick-fil-a, In-n-Out and four hotels.

As part of Momentum 2030 plan, MMNA also said it is introducing a new mild-hybrid powertrain for the 2026 Outlander, an updated 2026 Outlander Plug-in Hybrid and a new battery electric vehicle in summer 2026, as well as a joint study with Nissan to develop a new SUV for each brand to be built in a U.S. Nissan manufacturing facility.

California Chevy store changes hands

Automotive executive and consultant Braeden Mueller has acquired Covina Hills Chevrolet in Covina, Calif., from Jim Ross, according to Performance Brokerage Services, which represented the seller in the transaction.

Ross also owns and operates Chevrolet of Puente Hills and Ford of Montebello in California.

The brokerage firm’s Jason Stopnitzky said Mueller’s “enthusiasm and commitment to carrying forward the dealership’s legacy were evident from the start … and I look forward to watching Covina Hills Chevrolet continue to thrive under Braeden’s leadership.”