Why are people surprised by this?

OEMs have been shitting all over their legacies for years now.

The new Mustang is an SUV. The new Charger is a sedan. The new Dart was an economy car. BMW M badge is just a body kit, along with Cadillac's V. Hell Hyundai's N branding carries more prestige these days. Ford's Lightning went from compact sport performance truck to electrified behemoth. Hardly anyone makes cars of any kind, much less sports cars.

The crossover SUV was a mistake

Their cars were pretty unreliable unlike most other Japanese brands and they likely got destroyed in the US from the 08 recession since their cars were marketed toward younger crowds (Lancer) when those people were getting laid off left and right. Most new car buyers are in their 50s.

My wife had a 99 Eclipse GS and the motor blew up at 120k miles. Unsurprisingly, this was the 420A engine built in partnership with Chrysler who also has a reputation for unreliabiliy. They used a similar engine in the PT Cruiser and Neon which are rare sights to see on the roads these days.

That Mistubishi SUV is the #4 best selling car in Australia right now. This is why we're fucked.

Days go by and still I think about you

I think it's still a pretty strong brand in Asia. In the US not so much. I've read reviews about the Outlander being a good choice for a compact 3-row SUV, but one the main issues is that there are too few dealerships that it's hard to get service and warranty claims.