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Mitsubishi Lancer EX – a very different kind of Lancer

July 16, 2010 at 10:35 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) has unveiled a new variant for their C-segment Lancer sedan. Called the Lancer EX, it’s not exactly a “low spec” Lancer that a first glance would lead you to believe, but a different kind of Lancer appealing to a different set of buyer from those of the Evo-styled Lancer GT. Here, out goes the sporty bits we love about the GT and in comes some nice equipment and a more pleasant cabin.

Let’s first look at the exterior. The most obvious change from the current Lancer GT is the deletion of the single chrome frame “jet fighter” grille – the EX uses the old split into two version of the pre-facelift GT. Also gone are the GT’s 18-inch alloys, replaced by 16-inch items wrapped with 205/60 Yokohama touring rubber. At the back, the trademark huge wing makes way for a slim, subtle spoiler on the boot edge, and there’s a strip of chrome below the badges. Chrome also appears on the door handles.

Inside, it feels almost like a different model. The main change here is the use of grey leather seats, which brightens up the cabin considerably. It’s not the “Nappa” leather found in the GT and the shape of the front seats also differ, focussing more on comfort than support. The main piece of trim that spans the dashboard has wood grain imprints in a classy grey tone.

Probe higher and you’ll find the 2-DIN touch screen ICE system, which also incorporates a GPS system (maps by Mapking). iPod and AUX jacks are in the glovebox, while the USB jack joins two SD card slots (one for GPS) on the interface. There’s a list of all Mitusbishi showrooms and service centres installed in the GPS and one can drag and drop to customise his/her four favourite functions.

The Lancer EX’s other highlight features include keyless entry and start – no start/stop button, but you twist a knob where the key hole normally is, like in the Nissan Latio hatchback and Suzuki Swift. Cruise control is also here, and its controls on the steering wheel make the wheel look better and full functioned.

With all these added kit, something’s got to give, and it’s the magnesium shift paddles that control the INVECS-III CVT. One can still access the 6-speed sports mode via the shift lever, though. Under the hood is the now familiar 4B11 2.0-litre engine with 153 bhp and 199 Nm of torque.

The Lancer EX is priced at RM117,676.10 (OTR without insurance), which makes it slightly cheaper than the RM120,598.10 Lancer GT. Available in two colours – black and white – the EX is covered by a 5-year/100,000 km warranty and comes with a 2-year/50,000 km maintenance free program.

Live images from the launch after the jump.
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Mitsuoka Like – electric car based on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV

June 23, 2010 at 4:11 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, International News, Mitsubishi

Ever thought that the cute Mitsubishi i-MiEV needed to be redesigned by people as eccentric as the creators of the Orochi? Well, if for some reason you have such thoughts you’ll be pleased to know that they have.

Mitsuoka, which have typically developed cars based on Nissans, has released a new five seat electric vehicle called the Like. Originally meant for four, Mitsuoka have stretched the length of the i-Miev by 175mm and have fitted another seat.

Apart from the 5 seats, the car features a more dragon-esque front end, while the front and rear bumper have new metal plating. Customers in Japan will have on option of five different colours for the body.

This has yet to be confirmed, but the Like will most likely also feature the i-MiEV’s powertrain capable of producing 63hp and an instantaneous 180Nm of torque. Whatever it is, an EV powertrain is definitely confirmed as the car will receive Japanese government subsidies meant only for EV cars.

Mitsuoka Japan are taking orders for the vehicle now and will start delivering the first Like in August 2010. The price for this pint-sized dragon will be 4,280,000 yen (RM 151,624), but the Japanese government will subsidize purchase of the EV by 1,140,000 yen (RM 40,386).

Picture gallery after the jump.
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PSA Peugeot Citroen may rebadge new Mitsubishi 1.0L to 1.3L compact car

June 6, 2010 at 4:42 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Citroën, International News, Mitsubishi, Peugeot


Mitsubishi Outlander

Apparently Mitsubishi and PSA Peugeot Citroen are working again on another project together, this time to produce compact cars with engines of between 1.0 litre to 1.3 litre capacity. An agreement is said to be announced by the end of this year.

Apparently Mitsubishi will start making this new compact car in Thailand by the end of Q1 2012, likely under Thailand’s eco car incentive program. Production will then expand to China, India and Brazil, which are widely hailed as new fast growing emerging markets that will save the bottom line for many fat auto manufacturers while they continue to trim their operations. The European markets are where PSA will come in – they will likely be sold as Peugeots and Citroens there.

Peugeot 4007
Peugeot’s rebadged Mitsubishi Outlander

Are we looking at a new Colt which will then be rebadged under the Peugeot and Citroen brands? The Japanese and French companies already have existing partnerships based on the Mitsubishi Outlander SUV and the Mitsubishi i MiEV electric car, both of which are rebadged and restyled into Peugeot and Citroen counterparts for the European market.

PSA’s relationship with Mitsubishi falls under the supervision of newel appointed Head of Asian Operations Gregoire Olivier. A big part of Olivier’s job will be to help the company shift the focus of its business away from Europe. He will also take care of the South East Asian market. PSA Peugeot Citroen is generally said to be over-reliant on the European market, where it sells about two thirds of its cars. Europe is already pretty much mature, however most of PSA’s products are tailored for the European market, where sales volumes aren’t expected to increase anytime soon.


Citroen’s rebadged Mitsubishi Outlander

PSA Peugeot Citroen has to develop strong products for emerging markets in order to increase its volume and using Mitsubishi’s “Asianised” products are a good stop gap measure to get a good emerging market vehicle to sell quick without incurring high development costs of developing these products by itself. An example of a Peugeot product that it developed for the Asian market recently is the Peugeot 408, which is a lengthened sedan version of the 308 that was unveiled in China recently.

Other than the car deals with Mitsubishi, PSA also cooperates with BMW and Ford for its petrol and diesel engines respectively, and with Fiat SpA for commercial vans and Toyota for the French versions of the Toyota Aygo. Rebadging to save development costs is happening all over the world and we shouldn’t take Proton rebadging a Mitsubishi product for a Waja replacement too negatively as it will help free up development funds for other segments with higher volumes.

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Two years free maintenance for new Mitsubishi vehicles

May 7, 2010 at 1:50 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) is offering a 2-Year Free Maintenance Program applicable to all Mitsubishi vehicles registered from 1 May 2010 onwards. Among the items included in the program are engine oil, oil filter, fuel filter, air cleaner, brake fluid, coolant, differential oil and transmission oil. Current Mitsubishi owners will also have something to cheer about as MMM has reduced parts pricing from 10% up to 80% for certain items.

“Introduction of the 2-Year Free Maintenance and Parts Price Reduction programs demonstrates our commitment to provide owners with complete driving pleasure of a Mitsubishi vehicle. Peak vehicle performance is achieved through regular scheduled service and the use of only genuine parts. This will ensure the long term safety, reliability and resale value of a Mitsubishi vehicle,” said Keizo Ono, CEO of MMM.

The program is offered on top of the manufacturer’s 3 or 5-year warranty, depending on model. As with all promotions, terms and conditions apply.

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PSA Peugeot Citroen to rebadge Mitsubishi ASX

April 27, 2010 at 6:01 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Citroën, International News, Mitsubishi, Peugeot

PSA Peugeot Citroen and Mitsubishi have announced that the Mitsubishi ASX (called RVR in Japan) will be built for PSA Peugeot Citroen. This comes as no surprise considering how many other “rebadge” deals PSA and Mitsubishi have been having in the past – the Outlander rebadged as the 4007 and C-Crosser as well as the i-MiEV rebadged as the Peugeot iOn and the Citroen C-zero.

The Peugeot and Citroen versions of the Mitsubishi ASX will have their own styling, much like what they did for the Outlander project. PSA Peugeot Citroen will be using its own 1.6 litre HDi turbodiesel for its versions of the ASX. They are targetting a fuel consumption of 4.7 litres per 100km for the two wheel drive version. An all-wheel drive version will also be available.

Look after the jump for pictures of the original RVR. The two photos you see above are Theophilus Chin‘s impressions of what Peugeot and Citroen versions of the RVR/ASX might look like.
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New 2WD variant of Mitsubishi Pajero Sport launched

April 16, 2010 at 12:59 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) has introduced a new variant of its Pajero Sport SUV. Called the Pajero Sport GL, it’s essentially a 2WD version of the seven-seater SUV that was launched mid last year (the original 4WD model is now officially known as the Pajero Sport GS). The GL is targetted to urban users who want the Pajero Sport’s macho image and substantial size, but not its off-road capability.

Without the GS’ Super Select 4WD system, the 1,935 kg GL is 105 kg lighter than its 4WD sister. Apart from that, the only other differences are rear drum brakes and 16-inch wheels as opposed to 17-inch items in the GS. The GL is powered by the same 2.5-litre commonrail diesel engine as the GS and Trition; the DOHC 16v unit makes 134 bhp and 314 Nm from 2,000 rpm. A four-speed INVECS-II automatic with manual mode does transmission duties.

From the outside, one can tell GL and GS apart by the former’s honeycomb grille design (chrome bars for the GS) and six-spoke rims. Oh, and the small ‘GL’ badge of course. Inside, the new variant comes with dark brown leather seats and trim (beige for GS) and does without faux wood inserts. Taking centrestage on the dashboard is an aftermarket 2-DIN stereo system with USB/iPod/Bluetooth connectivity. The Kenwood unit also incorporates a reverse camera. ABS, EBD and dual airbags are standard.

While the Pajero Sport is built on a rugged ladder frame, it’s more than just a Triton with a canopy. The pick-up truck’s rear leaf springs make way for 3-link coil spring rear suspension, so third row passengers won’t bounce like on trampolines. The GL is priced at RM145,467.80 (OTR without insurance), quite a bit cheaper than the RM158,609.80 GS.

At the event, MMM also announced the availability of genuine accesories for the Pajero Sport. Parts for sale are front and rear airdams, rear spoiler, cargo trays, scuff plate, mirror cover with LED indicator and rear garnish.

Official and live images from the event are after the jump.
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Mitsubishi joins recall party in the USA

March 12, 2010 at 1:54 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Mitsubishi

Better safer than sorry. In the wake of safety issues affecting auto makers, with the most high profile one being Toyota, other manufacturers are not waiting for something to happen before issuing a recall. The latest to join the party is Mitsubishi, involving the 2004 Endeavor SUV and 2010 Galant sedan in the US market. These cars could have corrosion issues that can cause flammable fluids to leak. This recall affects about 56,113 Endeavors and 2,307 Galants across America.

For the SUV, the issue is salt, road salt used to “de-ice” roads in winter to be precise. The road salt, when mixed with other debris, can become trapped between the Endeavor’s fuel filler pipe and reinforcing bracket, leading to possible corrosion and a fuel leak.

For the Galant, the oil cooler pipe for the automatic gearbox on some vehicles may have insufficient corrosion-preventing plating. Rust can lead to a hole where ATF fluid can leak out. The recall exercise starts in March for the Galant and July for the Endeavor, and will not cost owners a cent, of course.

Local owners need not demand Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia to explain – both models aren’t sold here and while we have plenty of potholes, our roads are not full of salt.

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Mitsubishi’s Ralliart division winds down operations

March 11, 2010 at 4:10 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under International News, Mitsubishi, Motorsports

Mitsubishi’s Ralliart is one of the more famous performance divisions, thanks to the brand’s rally winning exploits and the Lancer Evolution series’ cult following.

So it’s sad news to hear that Ralliart is the latest to succumb to the changed environment the automotive world had to face ever since the global financial crisis hit. It is winding down operations.

Mitsubishi’s quit the WRC in 2005, and more recently abandoned its Dakar Rally exploits last year, including all rally raid events. Mitsubishi is the most successful manufacturer in the Dakar, with 12 wins in 26 appearances, including a record seven back-to-back victories from 2001 to 2007. With this latest development, Ralliart will no longer lend support to motorsport customers and privateers. Also put to a stop is the planning, development and selling of Ralliart products.

“The business circumstance surrounding our company radically became worse and so, this time we have reached the conclusion that we Ralliart Inc, would scale down our business activities as of the end of March 2010,” according to Ralliart Inc’s president Masao Taguchi, in a “farewell letter” to customers, which you can read for yourself after the jump.
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Mitsubishi sells 100,000 i-MiEVs to a single buyer?

March 10, 2010 at 12:40 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Citroën, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Mitsubishi, Peugeot

Yes, that’s true, and the buyer in question is PSA Peugeot Citroën. Mitsubishi has announced the signing of a “Final Cooperative Agreement” that will see the French giant purchase 100,000 units of the i-MiEV electric car. PSA will market the rebadged i-MiEV as the Peugeot iOn and Citroen C-Zero. Both French badged cars will go on sale in Europe by the end of this year, starting with their domestic market.

This sealed deal comes just after both parties failed to agree terms for a capital alliance in the style of Renault and Nissan. Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko and PSA chief Philippe Varin met at Geneva and jointly released a statement that a capital tie-up would not be realistic although both companies would continue to expand business ties.

Besides this latest deal, which would help Mitsubishi achieve better economies of scale for an expensive project, PSA also bases its Peugeot 4007 and Citroen C-Crosser on the Japanese maker’s Outlander SUV.

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Mitsubishi RVR crossover launched in Japan!

February 22, 2010 at 10:48 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Mitsubishi

This is Mitsubishi’s new RVR crossover, which has been launched in Japan. The European version, to be called ASX, will make its debut at the Geneva show, as reported earlier. The five seater slots below the Outlander in Mitsubishi’s SUV family and comes with a 1.8-litre MIVEC engined (codenamed 4B10) which is a sibling of the GEMA World Engine unit found in our Lancer.

The RVR’s DOHC 16v unit makes 137 bhp and 172 Nm of torque at 4,200 rpm, and is paired to a CVT ‘box with six “ratios” controlled by shift paddles. Claimed fuel consumption, according to the Japanese 10-15 mode, is 15.2 km/l for the 2WD model and 15.0 km/l for the 4WD variant.

The RVR’s length, width and height of 4,295 mm, 1,770 mm and 1,615 mm respectively means its dimensions closely mirrors that of the Nissan Qashqai, which was recently given a facelift. The RVR’s wheelbase measures 2,670 mm, which is pretty long considering that the larger Honda CR-V has a 2,620 mm wheelbase.

In terms of looks, the RVR pictured here gets the Lancer’s shark nose but it isn’t fully blacked out like the ASX image we saw before. Inside, the RVR gets a very simple looking dashboard, and Lancer owners will be familiar with many of the elements.

Gallery after the jump.
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