Mitsubishi has released a sketch of a new “Compact Crossover” based on the Mitsubishi Concept-cX concept car that it displayed two years ago. Mitsubishi claims it will be a game changer for it in the European market. They say they’ve been associated mostly with SUVs in the past, mostly thanks to the Pajero and now the Outlander. The new vehicle continues to have the same family look that they’re slapping on every car they have out there including the Colt, and will be the firm’s first ‘crossover’. The new car will go on sale in Japan from February 2010 onwards, and will make its European debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Mitsubishi has announced some changes for the 2010 model year of the Lancer Evolution X. At the moment these changes only affect the Evolution X sold in Japan and it is unclear if the updated Evolution X will reach our shores.

Exterior wise, the ‘Evo’ has received thicker side skirts while the plastic parts up front (around the front bumper) are now collectively lighter by 1.5 kg. This should improve power to weight ratio but Mitsubishi did not reveal performance figures for the 2010 model. On the inside, the trim has been tweaked and there is a new colour LCD screen that is nestled between the speedometer and tachometer. The screen features better readability and offers more functions. Under the hood, the only update is the engine cover that is now made of resin, although the auto maker did not reveal the benefits offered by the material – perhaps weight reduction (like the bumpers, etc)?

Other updates includes a windshield with noise reduction properties, an improved cruise control function, “welcome lights” and “coming home lights” features that turn on headlights when entering and leaving the car at night as well as a one-touch window washer function with improved water atomization. Chrome rings have also been added to the air conditioning control knobs.

The 5-speed manual for the range-topping GSR Premium Edition model has been dropped. Instead, it only comes with a 6-speed dual clutch SST transmission. The 5-speed manual is now only offered with GSR and RS trim levels.

Pricing in Japan starts from 3,150,000 yen (about RM 116,000) for the RS and tops out at 5,071,500 yen (about RM 186,000) for the GSR Premium Edition.

Look for more images after the jump.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Some UK police departments will begin trialling Mitsubishi i-MiEV police cars, starting with the West Midlands police department in December 2009. A small zero emissions city car like this will be perfect as a patrol vehicle, zooming around quietly and cleanly through neighbourhoods watching out for any baddies. The i-MiEV has a 160km radius with decent driving behaviours, and a 120km/h top speed. Over here in Malaysia I think we used to use Kancils as these short distance patrol cars but I rarely see them in my area anymore – all the cops use Wajas here in Cheras.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

I’m sure all of us here have seen a garbage collector truck going about doing it stuff around our neighbourhoods before. Once in a while they would stop and the engine would begin revving high while stationary. The engine is actually powering the garbage compactor. This of course causes both environmental and noise pollution.

Kyokuto Kaihatsu Kogyo Co., Ltd. has worked with Mitsubishi to install the i-MiEV’s electric drive into the garbage truck. Of course, the tiny system designed for a compact car isn’t powerful enough to move the whole truck on electric power. Instead, only the garbage compactor runs on the i-MiEV system.

According to them, the results are decent. They managed a 75% cut in truck CO2 emissions during use by utilizing battery power for the trash compactor instead of the engine. And of course if you just shut off the engine while you’re compacting the trash this can be reduced to zero in terms of both noise and CO2 emissions. There is even a benefit cost-wise as the electricity cost to run the trash compactor is significantly less than diesel fuel usually used in normal trash compactors.

With almost no noise and no gas emissions during compactor use, the new truck is optimal for trash collection from within buildings, during early morning or late at night. Of course here in Malaysia there is no such consideration for noise pollution – everyone just does whatever they want without thought for others.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

In Europe you see alot of little hatchbacks like the Peugeot 206 running around as “vans”, so this little car you see above probably makes sense. Mitsubishi took the i-MiEV and converted it into a little zero emissions goods transporter that seats two and has a luggage compartment measuring about 1,350mm wide by 1,180mm deep and 1,100mm tall.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

I’m actually pretty amazed. Here is a concept car that’s quite obviously an SUV, but it has not been given the sloping coupe roofline treatment by its designers. They must have not really bought into that whole tall four door coupe with large wheels thing, which I feel is refreshing. What’s wrong with the traditional SUV shape. I mean, some might argue that everything about it is wrong since it’s an SUV to begin with, but hey there are people who still like and buy SUVs.

A wheelbase of 2,630mm and dimensions of 4,510mm by 1,830mm by 1,65mm makes this about the same size as the first generation Outlander/AirTrek actually. It’s smaller than the current second generation OutLander (which is also sold as a Peugeot 4007 and a Citroen C-Crosser).

So this could be a prototype for a new compact SUV slotted beneath the Outlander. The interior is definitely concept for now but the exterior looks pretty much production-ready. But if that’s the case, where does that leave the old Concept-cX that’s supposedly going into production? Is that some kind of new cross-Colt kind of compact hatch?

The PX-MiEV is powered by a new hybrid powertrain called the Mitsubishi Plug-in Hybrid System. The name’s definitely not as cool as Hybrid Synergy Drive but the system consisting of a petrol engine and electric motors can operate in either EV mode, series hybrid mode, parallel hybrid mode, regenerative mode, charging mode, and finally power supply mode. While driving, the various drive modes are selected using the MiEV OS system according to the data it has access to.

The EV mode is probably the most simple to understand – powered by the vehicle’s batteries, the front motor drives the vehicle. The MiEV OS also has all-wheel drive logic in it so if there is front wheel slip, the rear motor also activates to provide traction. Both front and rear motors can produce a combined 60kW and 200Nm on their own. In terms of EV mode range, you can expect to travel over 50km on the Japanese 10-15 drive cycle.

The petrol engine is a 1.6 liter MIVEC unit making 85kW and 125Nm of torque. It has a generating capacity of 70kW. When the battery energy level falls to a predetermined level, the gasoline engine starts and generates electricity to charge the batteries. This is called the series hybrid mode and the MIVEC engine does not drive the vehicle – it just generates electricity for the motors which drive the vehicle.

The other hybrid mode is the parallel hybrid mode. Probably because of gearing and the fact that Mitsubishi says a combustion engine is more efficient at high engine revolutions, the car runs on parallel hybrid mode at higher speeds such as highway speeds. In this mode, the MIVEC engine drives the wheels, and is assisted by the rear motor whenever the additional traction is required such as during sudden lane changes or other maneuvers. If additional power boost is needed, both the front and rear motors activate to provide peak power.

And then there is of course the regenerative mode, charging mode and power supply modes. The regenerative mode is easy to explain – its basically brake energy regeneration when the car is slowing down or coasting along a long descending slope. The charge mode is when the car is plugged in to the wall to charge. You can define your own schedule to begin charging or to run other functions such as use air conditioning to cool down the vehicle at preset times.

The power supply mode is something interesting. Basically it allows the vehicle to be part of a “Smart Grid” concept. The car can store electricity at night (where in some countries the rates are lower as it is off-peak) and then allow you to use that electricity later during the day via regular connectors. The car’s battery can be used as a power source during natural disasters, or in situations such as powering cooking or lighting equipment when you bring the vehicle to a campsite. If the charge level drops below a certain predetermined level, the MIVEC engine will fire up to maintain the power supply.

As if debuting a new plug-in hybrid system is not enough, there are also a few active safety technologies implemented in the car. It’s equipped for the Driving Safety Support System (DSSS (Level II)) currently being promoted by the Japanese National Police Agency. An on-board receiver picks up signals transmitted by roadside optical beacons and the system urges the driver to take extra care when other vehicles or pedestrians have been detected by roadside sensors and cameras at intersections and pedestrian crossings.

There is also a system that uses wireless technology to know the position of other vehicles and warn the driver if they are in a dangerous distance to the PX-MiEV. This is part of the Advanced Safety Vehicle 4 (ASV4) project being promoted by the Road Transport Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

A Driving Monitor System uses a camera mounted facing the driver to monitor eye movements to determine their level of alertness. If the system detects a decrease in their concentration it issues not only audible but visual and vibrational warnings and also emits an aroma to alert him or her to the situation.

The Concept PX-MiEV also has an electronically-controlled air suspension which is user-definable at three heights: auto, high or low. Naturally when set in auto the suspension sets its own height to whatever makes sense such as reducing the height for better aerodynamics and less drag during highway travel.

This is all really not bad for a company that’s not really seen as doing very well. If Mitsubishi was in a strong position right now it would not have had to license the latest Lancer platform to Proton for money.

Look after the jump for hi-res photos of the Concept PX-MiEV.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

There are currently three different sizes available – 1.8 liter, 2.0 liter and 2.4 liter. In Malaysia, there are a few cars that use engines derived from the GEMA project – the 2.0 liter motors in the Lancer and Lancer Evolution X, and the 2.0 liter motors in the Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima and Naza Rondo.

Chrysler says it intends to replace its GEMA engines with new small engine technology it will gain access to from its new Italian partner Fiat. But interestingly, despite Chrysler stating an intention to replace its GEMA products with Fiat products, Chrysler is the one who has ended up with full ownership of the GEMA plant. Mitsubishi and Hyundai have just sold their stakes to Chrysler. It is likely that the plant will be converted to a plant making Fiat engines in the future.

Technology bought to GEMA by an individual company will remain the intellectual property of that company, so Hyundai and Mitsubishi will likely be able to continue using their Theta/Theta II and 4B series of engines respectively.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Mitsubishi and Peugeot have finalised its EV agreement where Mitsubishi will be supplying PSA Peugeot Citroen with an electric car for the European market based on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. Both Citroen and Peugeot-badged vehicles will be available, and production will start in October 2010, with a launch happening shortly after.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia has put up a teaser image on its front page of what appears to be a facelift for the Mitsubishi Triton. There’s a new mesh front grille that looks like the one found on the Triton 3.2, and a new front bumper with smaller but sleeker foglamps.

This is clearly the facelifted Triton that has already been launched in Thailand, but in Malaysia we’ll get it sometime next week. Look after the jump for full unshrouded images of the Triton facelift from Thailand, but the Thai images show the Triton sporting a different grille from the one that the teaser image from MMM shows above.

UPDATE: Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia will be using the double chrome bar grille for the Triton Lite which you can see after the jump, while the normal Triton will be getting the mesh grille shown above.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Mitsubishi unveiled a new revision of the Mitsubishi Grandis with updated equipment when they unveiled the new facelifted Lancer 2.0 GT today. The Grandis now comes with the following extra features:

• A bodykit – front and rear lips and side skirts
• Door visors on all four doors
• Scuff plates on the interior
• Combination black leather for all 7 seats and door inserts
• Black leather for the steering wheel and gearknob
• 2-DIN 6.2 inch Kenwood DVD receiver with touch screen interface, USB connectivity as well as iPod and Bluetooth support

The Grandis continues to be powered by a 165 PS 2.4 liter MIVEC engine. The engine is the 4G69 which produces peak power at 6,000rpm and 217Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. This engine is mated to a 4-speed INVECS-II automatic.

The updated Mitsubishi Grandis is priced at RM160,557.80 OTR without insurance and is available in White Pearl, Black Mica, Cool Silver and Gray Mica. This is roughly a RM2k increase over the previous price when the facelifted Grandis was launched in 2007.

Look after the jump for more photos from the Grandis launch.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia launched the 2009 update for the Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 GT today alongside an updated 2.4 liter Grandis. As previously revealed, the new Lancer features the updated front end that first made a debut on the Lancer Sportback.

It continues to be powered by the 2.0 liter 4B11 engine producing 155 PS and 199Nm of torque, mated to an INVECS-III CVT transmission with paddle shifts that allow you to swap between the CVT’s 6 predefined virtual ratios. The 2.0 GT also features ABS, EBD, dual two-stage front airbags, disc brakes all-round, Nappa leather seats that fold 60:40 at the rear, and a 6-speaker CD and MP3 sound system with steering wheel controls.

Only three colours are available – White Solid, Black Mica and Red Metallic. According to MMM, it goes for RM123,980.00 OTR with insurance. It will be in showrooms from tomorrow in the Peninsular, and from the 21st August onwards for East Malaysia.

Look after the jump for a full live photo gallery of the updated Lancer 2.0 GT. You’ll notice one car that’s slightly modified with 18 inch wheels of a darker shade, and a few stickers on the body. That’s a demo car that Mitsubishi prepared to show us how the Lancer can be “pimped up”, and they took a low-cost, subtle and tasteful route to it.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

A new facelift for the Mitsubishi Lancer is scheduled to be released sometime this week and as a teaser, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia have posted a teaser image on the frontpage of their website. The teaser reveals the new Lancer through a moving shroud but I’ve managed to piece together the whole car so you can have a clearer view.

The Lancer sedan has a new front end with a cleaner front bumper, somewhat like the cleaner look that the Lancer Evolution’s bumper has. If you think it looks familiar, it’s basically the same bumper that can be found on the 5-door Lancer Sportback.

The original Lancer bumper put more prominence on the bumper area that flows between the upper grille and lower grille. Given that so many people just loves to paint the center piece black to emulate the Evolution’s style, Mitsubishi seems to have done this for them from the factory. The look is complete with a trim piece surrounding the grille as a whole, top to bottom.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

A 160km range on the Japanese 10-15 urban mode driving pattern, a 7 hour 200V charge time, 30 minutes on a 200V 3-phase quick charger, and LED headlamps and tail lamps to add a finishing touch. You’ve just read the spec sheet of the new production Mitsubishi i-MiEV EV, a production electric car that has just gone on lease by Mitsubishi for nearly 4.6 million Yen inclusive of consumption tax.

That’s nearly RM165k, and with the taxes you have here in Malaysia it could end up pretty darn pricey. But it does have a lithium ion battery, which is more advanced than the nickel-base ones that go into most hybrid and EVs these days.

The battery which consists of 88 li-ion cells connected in series is installed under the floor, and the 64 PS 180Nm electric motor which is mated to a single-gear transmission is installed under the luggage compartment. Yes, like the regular combustion engine Mitsubishi i, it uses a rear midship layout.

Mitsubishi will be preparing 1,400 cars for leasing this year, mainly to corporations and local authorities. Individual leases are expected to begin in April 2010, but order-taking will begin in July 2010. Look after the jump for a video of the i-MiEV’s test run through the Tateyama Kurobe alpine route surrounded by 3,000-meter-high mountains.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Those who are looking for a rugged ladder frame-based 4WD vehicle as an alternative to the Ford Everest or the Toyota Fortuner can now opt for the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, which is based on the multi-Malaysian-award-winning Mitsubishi Triton pick-up truck.

Mitsubishi has engineered a SUV body for the Triton’s ladder frame and change the rear leaf spring suspension to one based on coil springs mated to a 3-link live axle with stabilizer bar. The front rides on double wishbones with coil springs and a stabilizer bar. It is essentially the replacement for the Mitsubishi Challenger which can be found on Malaysian roads, which is a 4WD SUV version of the Mitsubishi Storm which preceded the current Triton.

Under the hood is a 16 valve 4 cylinder direct injection intercooled turbocharged 2.5 liter diesel engine producing 136 PS at 3,500rpm and 314Nm of torque at 2,000rpm. This is mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission with INVECS-II shift control. No 3.2 liter version like the one in the Triton currently available.

The 4WD system features Super Select 4WD. SS-4WD features four modes – 2H for regular driving, 4H for a 50:50 torque split between the front and rear axle, 4HLc which locks the center differential for equal power to all four wheels, and 4LLc which engages 4WD, the center differential lock, and in addition drives power through a set of low gear ratios for torque multiplication. 2H to 4H can be selected at speeds of up to 100km/h. 4LLc provides a maximum climb angle of 35 degrees. Departure angle and approach angles are 25 degrees and 36 degrees respectively. The ramp break-over angle is 23 degrees. Lateral travel angle (tilted sideways) is up to 45 degrees.

The Pajero Sport features a beige interior with three rows of seats in a 2-3-2 configuration, which means space for 7. The second row splits 60:40, with two 3-point seatbelts for the sides and one 2-point center lapbelt for the middle. The third row has 3-point seatbelts for both seats. For smaller families that don’t require the third row, it can be folded down flat and kept that way most of the time to make way for a larger boot space. The second row shares air conditioning vent airflow from the front dash with the first row while the third row gets their own side vents with manual fan speed control.

The interior’s dashboard design looks quite close to the Triton but there are a few subtle changes such as a different steering wheel, a slightly different design for the center dash area, and a different automatic shifter to accommodate the Tiptronic manual shifting ability. The area where the Triton featured an RV meter has been replaced with a 2-DIN touch screen DVD/CD head unit with USB and AUX input, mated to a 6-speaker audio system (including 2 tweeters).

The Pajero sport rides on 265/65R17 tyres. It has dual SRS airbags for the front. Brakes are ventilated discs at the front and drums at the rear. To help with maneuvering its larger bulk it has both front and rear sensors. The wing mirrors have power folding function. A total of 5 body colours are available – Eisen Grey Mica, Cool Silver Metallic, Platinum Beige Metallic, Dark Blue Mica and White Pearl. It goes for RM162,980.00 OTR with insurance for individual private registration, and RM163,450.51 for company private registration.

Now that’s a huge gap of tens of thousands between the price of the Pajero Sport and the Triton but it’s all because of taxes as the price difference between the Pajero Sport and Triton in Langkawi is just slightly more than RM3k – RM88,888.00 for the Pajero Sport SUV versus RM85,299.05 for the Triton pick-up, both for individual private reg. The Pajero Sport is brought in as a fully imported CBU from Thailand.

Look after the jump for more images of the Pajero Sport.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Mitsubishi Motors UK has finally added the FQ-400 to its Lancer Evolution X range. The Lancer Evolution X FQ-400’s 2.0 liter engine puts out 403 horsepower at 6,500rpm and 525Nm of torque from just 3,500rpm, and it gets up to 100km/h in a scorching fast estimated 3.8 seconds.

So what’s changed in the engine department to allow it to produce the higher power and torque? Well firstly motorsport specification high-flow fuel injectors have been fitted, along with a new turbocharger that features low-friction bearings, a high temperature turbine and a strengthened thrust bearing to increase response and reduce turbo lag.

A better intercooler has also been fitted, and the exhaust system now has a 3 inch diameter high flow stainless steel pipe which exits in the middle of the rear bumper. The ECU has been reprogrammed to take advantage of all the new hardware and this took over 500 hours of development time.

The Evo X also has some aesthetic changes on the outside. Wheels are 18 inch 9-spoke lightweight alloys wrapped with Toyo Proxes R1R tyres. There is a new vented bonnet and a new lightweight composite front bumper with carbon fibre elements. The Bilstein shock and Eibach spring suspension’s ride height has been dropped by 30mm at the front. The rear bumper has also been restyled with a carbon fiber diffuser, and in the middle of the diffuser you will find the central exit exhaust tailpipe.

Like the previous top of the line FQ-360, the car comes with a manual as it is likely the 6-speed twin clutch SST cannot take the high torque that the FQ-400 puts out. The FQ-300 and FQ-330 have SST models though, with the FQ-330 SST only just recently added as the original line-up only specified SST on the FQ-300.

Related Posts:
Mitsubishi UK unveils new range of FQ cars for the Evolution X

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Now which car do you think Mitsubishi is going to splice the Lancer GT’s nose on next. The Triton? The Colt has not been spared, despite it being a nice-looking tall-ish B-segment hatch originally. Now it’s a weird mini-me of the Lancer. The latest model to get the GT treatment is the Outlander.

Other than the new front end, the Outlander GT also gets new side mirrors. It has an aluminium polished roof panel that hepls lower the car’s center of gravity. it has been lowered slightly via a shorter and stiffer suspension system, and fitted with 19 inch OZ RAcing wheels hiding large Brembo discs and calipers behind them.

The little instrument panel between the two meter pods has been upgraded to a 3.5″ QVGA colour display. Mitsubishi is also using the vehicle to showcase its FUSE Handsfree Media Gateway, which features a Bluetooth handsfree with phonebook management and A2DP audio system, voice recognition, and a 40GB hard drive for Navteq GPS navigation data.

The SUV’s 3.0 liter SOHC MIVEC V6 engine has been upgraded from 220hp to 230hp, with the peak torque remaining the same but coming in earlier in the rev range. This is thanks to different camshaft timing and compression ratio. It is mated to a 6-speed auto with Idle Neutral Logic, which means it shifts to neutral automatically when you stop.

The all-wheel drive system has been upgrade to S-AWC, which features 3 selectable modes: “Normal”, “Snow” and “Traction”. This adjusts the power delivery according to various input data including throttle input, wheel speed, engine output, steering angle, gear selection, acceleration and yaw rate, and the data coming from the stability control sensors. Look after the jump for full gallery of the new shark-nosed Outlander.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Mitsubishi will debut the vehicle above at the NYIAS 2009. It will be called the Mitsubishi Outlander GT Prototype, essentially what looks like an Outlander with a Lancer face up front, which makes it look more aggressive.

Of course for an American show debut you mustn’t talk about anything being a performance model without at least a V configuration engine so it uses a 3.0 liter SOHC MIVEC V6 engine, never mind the fact that the 4-pot in the Evo or even the Lancer Ralliart is more powerful.

The Outlander will also reportedly gain a new feature called Idle Neutral Logic, which basically shifts your auto transmission into neutral automatically when you stop. This really isn’t something new I think, heard of it years back but I forgot which car… but new for the Outlander I guess.

Stay tuned for more details when the MYIAS rolls along in a few days time.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Mitsubishi will be launching its Triton-based 3-row 7-seater SUV soon, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. The Pajero Sport is based on Triton running gear and uses Mitsubishi’s Super Select 4WD system.

While it shares the Pajero brand name with the Mitsubishi Pajero, the Pajero Sport does not use the Pajero’s monocoque platform. It is common these day for manufacturers to build SUVs on ladder frame pickup platforms. The Ford Everest and Toyota Fortuner are classic examples, being based on the Ranger and Hilux respectively.

In the world market it is available with a few engines similiar to the Triton – a 2.5 liter turbodiesel, a 3.2 liter turbodiesel or a 3.5 liter V6 petrol engine.

No news yet on which engine the Malaysian model will come with but it will be a diesel, so its either the 2.5 or the 3.2 or maybe both. No specs yet either but it will have 4WD and an indicative price tag is pegged at the region of RM170,000, which is the equivalent to the diesel Fortuner 2.5G. The petrol Fortuner costs more at RM178k. The Everest has cheaper models from RM145k to RM168k but the most expensive Everest 3.0 TDCi is also around the RM170k range.

The Pajero Sport will be launched in Malaysia in May 2009, but you can already book the Pajero Sport from tomorrow onwards and I understand there is a special pre-launch booking promotion. There is of course another Mitsubishi 7-seater based on a ladder frame, the Zinger which is an Innova competitor.

Look after the jump for a small photo gallery of the Pajero Sport.

Related Post:
New Mitsubishi Pajero Sport based on Triton platform

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia now has its first 3S center in Sarawak, located at Lot 2527, Boulevard Commercial Centre, 98000 Miri, Sarawak. The new 3S center by Auto Pacifica spans over 20,000 square feet and was built at an investment of over RM 1 million. The 3S center will house a sales showroom, discussion area, customer lounge, meeting rooms, delivery bay, service reception area and a service workshop with seven dedicated working bays.

A dedicated service center is important for the Mitsubishi Triton to increase its popularity in East Malaysia, especially Sarawak. The Triton holds a market share of 19.1% in the segment, making it the second most popular pick-up in Malaysia, but alot of that is in West Malaysia.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Buletin Utama featured the Royal Malaysian Police’s new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X cars yesterday night. PDRM says the Evos will be used in high-speed car chases, particularly in cases of carjacking, kidnapping and highjacking.

Police personnel assigned to the vehicles have undergone intensive driving classes to ensure they are able to drive the Lancers effectively, said a PDRM source. The cars are equipped with 5-speed manual transmissions instead of the twin clutch version that we are able to buy from Mitsubishi Malaysia. We first saw the cars without decals, but now they have decals and are called “Helang Lebuhraya Polis”.

Check out a clip of the feature after the jump which features the current PM in his last days check out the ride and giving it his thumbs up. Perhaps we may see a unit or a mock-up unit featured in Yusof Haslam’s Gerak Khas eh?

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Mitsubishi has proposed a new business model for its business in Europe, with both product offering and management structure changes to reflect the new way it is taking forward. They want to switch from a mainly SUV nameplate in Europe to one focused on environmentally friendly passenger cars and crossovers. This will probably begin with the Mitsubishi i MiEV (shown above), which will also be sold in Europe by PSA.

Design & Engineering functions will be located to a central hiub in Japan, shifting its product planning strategy from one that is regional-based to a new global car strategy. It’s also proposed that all vehicle-related functions such as Sales, Marketing, Product Management, Business Planning, etc be relocated back to Japan.

Support functions like logistics, planning, ordering, finance and HR would remain in Europe but will be trimmed to be leaner. Aftersales functions including sales and marketing of parts and accessories, technical services and training would be moved to MMC’s European Parts Distribution Centre in The Netherlands.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

The Geneva Motor Show officially comes to an end, and just before the shutter rolls down, here is a report on Mitsubishi’s iMiev Prototype and the iMiev Sport Air Concept. The iMiev Prototype is basically meant for the European market, and is expected to debut sometime in 2010, while the iMiev for the Japanese market is set to hit showrooms by summer this year.

Compared to the Japanese market model, the European Prototype iMiev features widened front and rear tracks and extended rear overhangs to help provide higher levels of pedestrian protection expected in Europe as well as better occupant protection in the event of a rear-end shunt. With a clean and simple Ice Blue interior treatment, the exterior is finished in a snow-white body finish.

Propulsion power of the iMiev with a rear-midship layout is provided by an electric motor that can output 47kW and 180Nm of torque. This rear wheel drive 4-seater prototype stores energy in a 330V lithium-ion battery pack.

Next up is the iMiev Sport Air Concept which is a sporty concept version of the electric iMiev. Sharing the same platform as the iMiev, this tear-drop shaped Sport Air Concept features a number of new fitments and accessories including front and rear lights that have a 3D look as well as a detachable “clear cutaway” roof panel that also features a solar inlay.

The interior is treated to a high-contrast colour scheme of greyish blue and “greige”, which is an intermediate color between grey and beige with blue illumination for the instruments and interior lighting. Compared to the iMiev, this 4-seater concept features a more powerful electric motor which generates 60kW and 230Nm of torque. The Sport Air Concept is also about 100 kilograms lighter than the iMiev thanks to its body structure that uses tailgate panels and plastic body to help reduce weight. Continue reading to view an image gallery.


Mitsubishi iMiev Prototype

Mitsubishi iMiev Sport Air Concept

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Words are being exchanged that Japanese auto maker Mitsubishi is planning to reveal the a plug-in hybrid crossover at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show.

There are no other details thus far regarding this matter, but we just know that this hybrid would equal the size of the Nissan Qashqai. Apparently, an executive from the company revealed that Mitsubishi would now like to focus on more fuel efficient, smaller engines to power its SUV’s.

In line with that, the auto maker will also launch a new 1.8 diesel power plant later this year. The executive also mentioned that Mitsubishi has re-assigned its motor sport engineers who were part of the Dakar racing program to help develop the company’s electric vehicle program.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

It seems that one by one all the Japanese manufacturers are pulling out of motorsports (Honda, Suzuki, Subaru, Kawasaki). The latest casualty is Mitsubishi’s Dakar rally team. Some expected this as Mitsubishi’s luck in the rally took a down turn this year after it won the event 7 times running. It could be the new V6 diesel-based Racing Lancer (shown above), or simply because its opponents got better.

“It is extremely regrettable. I am sorry for our fans. We were a good team too. Since 2004, we continued to participate in the rally even in difficult times by cutting costs. We gained much technologically during this time. It pains me to say we will no longer be able to participate,” said president MMC Osamu Masuko.

According to Mitsubishi, pulling out from the race will cost it some money but in the long run it would be saving money. This decision comes after announcing an expected net loss of 60 billion yen (670 million dollars) for the current financial year to March, attributed to dropping sales and a strengthening Yen.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

We first heard of a joint study between Mitsubishi and PSA Peugeot Citroen to evaluate a potential cooperation between the two companies on the supply of electric vehicles back in June 2008. The study also included evaluating the feasibility of shared production sites for producing components for electric vehicles.

Japanese newspaper The Nikkei (the same guys who reported the Suzuki Kizashi would be axed) now reports that the deal went through and Mitsubishi will supply the French company up to 10,000 electric cars a year by the year 2011. This could include the Mitsubishi i MiEV, which is shown above as an artist’s impression with Peugeot styling (look after the jump for a Citroen version).

PSA would benefit by getting electric car technology fast, while Mitsubishi would benefit from PSA’s vast distributor network in Europe, which would be beneficial for Mitsu’s coffers anyway since they are the supplier, despite the cars not having Mitsubishi badges.

Source


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© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Mitsubishi Motors has commissioned this interesting photoshoot featuring the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X and the Mitsubishi Racing Lancer MRX-09 side by side in static and action shots. Both are turbocharged and feature all-wheel drive, but they are totally different machines despite sharing the Lancer nameplate.

The Racing Lancer does not use the Lancer’s chassis, as you would already know looking at how much larger it is, or if you’ve been reading this blog’s previous coverage of the Racing Lancer. It’s actually built on a tube steel frame structure, with carbon fiber “skin” bolted on. It’s a hardcore rally machine that’s used as Mitsubishi’s entry in the Dakar 2009.

Powering it is not a variation of the 4B11T that powers the Lancer Evolution, nope. This one’s an oil burner! A 3.0 liter V6 mated to a Ricardo 5-speed sequential gearbox puts out 260 horsepower and a massive 650Nm of torque over a decent torque curve, or at least that’s what Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart’s driver Hiroshi Masuoka says. According to Hiroshi, the diesel engine outperforms its petrol-powered siblings in terms of controllability on a challenging terrain, and it also rushes faster out of corners and along straights.

One may wonder if Mitsubishi plans a “CrossLancer” by putting a higher suspension and offroader styling bits onto its Lancer hatchback by deriving the look from the Racing Lancer’s styling elements. Anyway, check out two more shots after the jump.

Related Posts:
Mitsubishi Racing Lancer MRX-09 for Dakar 2009
Mitsubishi Racing Lancer MRX-09 in action!
Mitsubishi Racing Lancer wins its maiden race!


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Click for enlarged image

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

After many years of going around in circles talking to companies such as PSA Peugeot Citroen, Volkswagen and GM, Proton has finally ended up at a familiar place, Mitsubishi Motors. Proton announced to Bursa Malaysia today that it has entered into a product collaboration program with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Japan. The following is the scope of the product collaboration:

• A Development Agreement, to develop a new Vehicle Model for PROTON based on details of work, target specifications, job sharing and time schedule as determined by both parties (”Licensed Product”).
• A Licence Agreement, where MMC grants PROTON a non-exclusive license to use technical assistance and patents solely for the purpose of utilization of technical information for restyling, modification and improvement work, manufacturing of local parts, assembling, selling and after sales services / support of the Licensed Product to be sold under PROTON’s trademark and styling; and
• An Engineering Services Agreement, wherein MMC will provide the work and services for PROTON’s manufacturing of the Licensed Product.

StarBiz revealed today that the Mitsubishi vehicle to be provided to Proton is the new Lancer, which will be used to replace the Waja. A quick check with sources inside Proton revealed that the vehicle would pretty much be a Lancer with only minor changes to the design, even less than what Mitsubishi Taiwan has done to their version of the Lancer.

The Lancer Fortis is shown in the image above, just compare it to the original Lancer (chopped by Theophilus with Proton badges) shown below, it’s a world of a difference! So the good news is our version will likely keep the Lancer’s original aggressive looks.

Click for enlarged image

The new Lancer-Waja will likely be priced at a higher price point than the current Waja CPS, but lower than the Perdana. We’ll also get the GEMA series of engines that comes with the Lancer, though it’s not clear at this moment which one. The GEMA engine is available in 1.8, 2.0 and 2.4 liter displacements.

Other proposed areas that Mitsubishi and Proton are in discussions about include the rebadging of the Persona and the 2009 Proton MPV as a Mitsubishi in certain markets and the joint development of an A-segment hatchback (a new Savvy-sized vehicle), but when contacted by this blog, sources in Proton indicated these additional projects are at best only in discussion stages only, and not something confirmed.

In fact, an A-segment hatch may not be such a good area for Proton to venture into right now, given how price sensitive the A-segment market is. Maybe later, if Proton gains enough technical know-how on how to build a car cheaply and once it has enough economies of scale to price it low yet make a sufficient profit.

The only two car manufacturers enjoying success in that market segment are Suzuki and Daihatsu, who are experts in small cars. It’s very hard to profit and with the current condition of Proton’s economies of scale, I doubt Proton could create an A-segment hatch that could have the right features, quality and price to enjoy a decent amount of success whether in Malaysia or overseas.

I doubt even accounting for the potential units sold under the Mitsubishi badge could help out there as Mitsubishi themselves do not have much successful experience in that area.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

Fujian-based Southeast Motor only sold Mitsubishi vehicles like the Zinger MPV in China, up to now. This is their very first self-branded car called the Southeast Motor V3 Lingyue, which uses the 4G15 Mitsubishi 1.5 liter MIVEC engine.

Dimensions of 4,405mm x 1,700mm x 1,415mm with a 2,500mm wheelbase make it slightly bigger (and heavier) than our own second generation Proton Saga. The 1.5 liter MIVEC engine it uses puts out a decent 109 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 134Nm of torque at 3,000rpm.

It’s priced between 60,000 yuan (RM31,850) to 80,000 yuan (RM42,450), depending on which model. Four models are available, but all of them come with 5-speed manual transmissions with no automatic available.

Looking at its dimensions, wheelbase and the detailing of the design it looks pretty much like the sixth generation Mitsubishi Lancer (the one the Evo4, Evo 5 and Evo 6 is based on) refreshed with a different front end and rear end and some technical updates.

Look after the jump for many more shots of the V3 Lingyue.

PHOTO GALLERY: Southeast V3 Lingyue – Interior features
click thumbnails to view larger photo

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

This is the Mitsubishi Zinger, sort of like a replacement for the MPV known as the Mitsubishi Kuda in Indonesia. It’s based on the Mitsubishi Challenger’s ladder-frame rear wheel drive truck platform.

In a nutshell, you could call it Mitsubishi’s equivalent to the Toyota Innova, a cheap way to put together a decently sized 7-seater people carrier that can be priced cheap and positioned lower than premium car-based MPVs such as the Grandis.

The Zinger usually comes with the 2.4 liter 4G64 engine that produces 136 PS at 5,250rpm, and a variant of this engine in a nearly similiar tune is also found in the Chery Eastar MPV. Quite an old design I must say, but in certain markets you can also get a newer model called the “Super Zinger” which features the newer 2.4 liter MIVEC 4G69 engine from the Grandis that produces 159 PS.

It’s currently being sold in Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Costa Rica and Indonesia. There are probably some other countries which I’ve left out. The most recent facelifted model with the 4G69 engine has just recently been launched in China by Southeast Motor.

Southeast calls it an not something simple as an SUV or an MPV… it gets a completely new term called an “MICS-RV”! The M is supposed to stand for Multi-purpose, the I for Interior Roominess and Ride Comfort, the C for Compact body size, the S for Sophisticated Styling, the R for Rough-road capability and the V for value for money. What a tongue twister… phew!

Looking at the success of cheap MPVs like the Nissan Grand Livina and the Toyota Innova here, and Mitsubishi’s uncanny ability to do magic with the pricing of its cars lately such as the massive price cut for Grandis and the Lancer having an unbelievable price for a CBU Japan car, could the Mitsubishi Zinger do well in Malaysia?

Look after the jump for more photos of the Mitsubishi Zinger.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.

The Mitsubishi Racing Lancer has emerged tops in its maiden race at the Baja Portalegre 500, piloted by Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret from France. It finished 515.16km of stages in 6 hours, 11 minutes and 48 seconds, winning by a margin of 4 minutes and 3 seconds.

According to Peterhansel, the 280 PS 3.0 liter V6 motor in the Racing Lancer is a huge improvement in all areas especially the strong torque that helps bring the Racing Lancer faster out of slower turns. He also commended the chassis and the suspension, which apparently was set up very well by Mitsubishi engineers.

Second and third place were BMW X3 SUVs. I wonder if those are actual X3s or tube frames with X3-like body panels just like the Racing Lancer.

Look after the jump for two more shots of the Racing Lancer.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 17:41:53 +0800.