Friday, July 29, 2011

Mitsubishi i-MiEV gets better EPA rating than Volt and Leaf

Mitsubishi is today boasting of a double whammy when it comes to its new electric car. It not only will be cheaper to buy, but it will cost less in electricity to run than its major competitors.

The i, Mitsubishi Motor's all-electric vehicle, has garnered an EPA-rated 126 MPGe (that's gas-mileage equivalency, meaning how its electricity use would compare if it ran on gasoline) for city driving and 99 MPGe for highway driving. These numbers compare to Chevrolet Volt's 95 city/90 highway when running on electricity alone without its gas engine, or the all-electric Nissan Leaf's 106 city/92 highway.

"It means our electric drive train is more efficient. We will cost you less to operate," says Mitsubishi spokesman Moe Durand. "It will make the best use of its electricity."

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Mitsubishi Motors Australia Creates the Ultimate ‘Love that Car’ Fan Tribute

To celebrate Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited’s (MMAL) 30th year in Australia, the company wanted to find out just how much Mitsubishi drivers really do ‘love that car’.

The call to find an image that perfectly captured the ‘love that car’ sentiment was put out across social media to Mitsubishi fans and owners. The aim: to illustrate the feeling of pride and passion that comes from owning a Mitsubishi.

There were more than 500 entries received Australia-wide, showcasing the versatility of the Mitsubishi range and highlighting how much Australians really do ‘love that car.’ The panel of judges felt that the entry from Stephen Humpage of Queensland – beach fishing from the back of his Triton – was a worthy winner.

But Mitsubishi decided to not let all those other fantastic shots go to waste, creating the ultimate ‘love that car’ tribute from the best of the rest. And what better canvas to show them off on than a Mitsubishi ASX! The Titanium coloured ASX is covered from bumper to grille in photos of Mitsubishi owners enjoying their car on the beach, in the snow at even at the wedding altar.

The ultimate ‘love that car’ ASX will be on display at the International Melbourne Motor Show from July 1st 2011. If you submitted an entry, come along and see if you can spot yourself!

Vietnam Mitsubishi plant starts making the Pajero Sport locally

July 26, 2011 (AsiaPulse) - Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (TSE:7211) on Monday began production of its Pajero Sport in Vietnam, where demand for sport utility vehicles is rising alongside the economy.

Locally produced Pajero Sports will be rolled out in the Vietnamese market in late August. Assembly has already begun at a plant on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City run by Vina Star Motors Corp., in which the Japanese automaker has a 25 per cent stake.

At present, Mitsubishi sells six models in Vietnam but only makes two there, neither of them SUVs. Making the Pajero Sport locally instead of importing it from Thailand is expected to enhance cost competitiveness.

Mitsubishi currently sells around 2,000 vehicles per year in Vietnam. By increasing to three the number of models produced there, it aims to boost Vietnamese sales by around 10 per cent.

Vietnam's new car market is around 110,000 vehicles per year, which is small compared to neighbors like Thailand and Indonesia. But the market is expected to grow for the medium to long term.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Mitsubishi Pajero Heart-in-Mouth Rally kick-starts from Ludhiana [IN]

HM-Mitsubishi Motors launched the first chapter of its much-talked-of Pajero ‘Heart-in Mouth’ rally from Ludhiana on Sunday. The adventurous and adrenaline-charged rally was organised to provide owners of the Mitsubishi Pajero a unique opportunity to explore and experience the outstanding off-roading capabilities of the iconic sports utility vehicle (SUV) which has the unique distinction of having won the world’s toughest car driving contest, the Dakar Rally, as many as 13 times.

A large number of Mitsubishi Pajero owners and aficionados from entire Punjab and Chandigarh gathered here to expose their mean machines to the challenge of extremely tough driving conditions. The rally was flagged off from the Hotel Sarovar Portico in Ludhiana at 8.30 a.m. The participants experienced 40.3 kms of intense off-road and extreme driving conditions through rocky and rugged terrains including dirt roads, mud, slush, loose sand, river beds of Sutlej with a water cross challenge, up-hill and downhill gradients etc.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback RA Edition [MY]

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia has announced the introduction of the Lancer Sportback RA Edition. Based on the Lancer Sportback 2.4, the edition features a slew of Ralliart enhancements and will be a limited run of 100 units.
Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback RA Edition

The accessory package for the five-door hatchback includes full Nappa leather seats, a rear diffuser, body art stickers and a reverse camera.

Also on are a Ralliart front bumper foil, front grille badge, fog lamp rings, scuff plates and Ralliart emblem. Meanwhile, the multi-spoke 18-inch wheels are now painted in a gun metal shade.
Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback RA Edition

No changes mechanically to the 2.4 litre four-cylinder MIVEC block, which of course offers 170 PS and 226 Nm for output figures. Available in three colours, these being Lightning Blue, White Solid and Black Mica, the Lancer Sportback RA Edition goes for RM137,980, on-the-road inclusive of insurance.

Source: PaulTan.org

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Nissan Navara to be manufactured in Mitsubishi's Thailand plant starting in 2012

Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors Expand Collaboration
Navara Pickup to be Manufactured at Mitsubishi Motors' Plant in Thailand

YOKOHAMA/TOKYO (July 13, 2011) - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation today announced that the two companies have agreed to manufacture the current generation Nissan Navara, a one-ton pickup truck, at Mitsubishi Motors' plant in the Laem Chabang Industrial Estate in Thailand. The production under this agreement is scheduled to commence in 2012.

This new production is part of an agreement signed in December 2010 to expand the scope of cooperation between the two companies. It follows a prior announcement in June 2011 regarding the establishment of the joint venture NMKV Co., Ltd, to develop both companies' minicar business in Japan. This new production agreement is expected to enhance the competitiveness of both companies.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Mitsubishi i-MiEV to be offered in two trims in Japan

Mitsubishi Motors introduces major improvements to i-MiEV new-generation EV
- Now available in two trim levels: Easily affordable "M" and Highly capable "G" -

Tokyo, July 6, 2011 - Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) announced today that it is to offer the i-MiEV new-generation electric vehicle in two trim levels. The entry-level "M" will be available at the readily affordable price of \1,880,000 after receipt of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's eco-car subsidy. The higher-level "G" will sport a more comprehensive equipment and trim specification with extended cruising range per charge and the "MiEV Remote System" that allows the owner to set the time he wants battery charging to start and finish and to pre-activate the climate control system before entering the car. The M model will debut in Mitsubishi dealer showrooms throughout Japan on July 25 and the G model in the middle of August carrying a price tag ranging from \2,600,000 to \3,800,000 consumption tax inclusive.

When MMC first started delivering the i-MiEV ultimate eco-car to corporate, governmental and local authority users in July 2009, it was the first auto manufacturer to offer a car that fully addresses the issues facing the automobile today and including environmental pollution, global warming and exhaustion of petroleum-based energy supplies. To promote EV ownership on Japan's roads, the company started sales of i-MiEV to individual customers in April 2010, reducing the ex-subsidy price from \4,599,000 to \3,980,000. Since then the company has sold around 4,000 units in Japan and has exported a total of over 10,000 units including those supplied to PSA Peugeot Citroen.

Reflecting the views and wishes of customers over two years of sales who were calling for a longer cruising range and lower price, the major change seen in the new i-MiEV is the introduction of two trim levels to give the customer a choice. In addition, basic vehicle performance and the equipment specification have been upgraded to realize a significant improvement in product content. The cruising range per charge has been extended by linking brake pedal usage to the regenerative braking system while Active Stability Control (ASC) is now fitted as standard. The "MiEV Remote System" factory-fitted option gives the owner the convenience of using late-night and other off-peak electricity to charge the battery.

In addition to the promotion of solar and wind power and other renewable energy sources and the near-future realization of the smart grid, much attention is also being focused on the power storage capability of high capacity EV batteries as a power source for use in major disasters and other emergencies. Today more and more people are looking to the EV both as a means to address environmental issues and also to address the pressures on the demand and supply of energy. To meet these expectations, MMC is pushing forward research and development into related technologies. The company currently offers, as a dealer-fitted option, the AC Power Supply EZ adaptor that allows i-MiEV's batteries to be used to power domestic electrical appliances up to a rating of 100W. And the company is aiming to bring to market during fiscal 2011 an adaptor that will enable i-MiEV's batteries to power domestic appliances up to a total rating of 1500W.

1. Trim levels
(1) Entry-level M

The newly offered M trim level is targeted as an entry-level model for a wide spectrum of drivers including minicar owners. The use of a 10.5 kWh drive battery and the careful tailoring of the equipment and trim specification have made it possible to offer M at a much more accessible price. (The actual price to the customer after receipt of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's eco-car subsidy will be \1,880,000.)
The M model delivers ample performance for everyday minicar use, such as running errands like local shopping and running children to school and back. (JC08-cycle range per charge: 120 km.)

(2) Higher-level G

Inheriting the original i-MiEV's specification, the G is offered as a higher capable trim level and targets customers with a keen interest in environmental issues and in advanced technologies. Product content has been significantly raised with the use of LED headlamps and rear combination lamps, 15-inch alloy road wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob and other high-grade equipment. G also features a navigation system and heated seats (driver and front passenger) as standard and offers all this at a price lower than that of the original i-MiEV. (The actual price to the customer after receipt of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's eco-car subsidy will be \2,840,000.)
Using the same 16.0 kWh battery as the original i-MiEV, G now realizes around 20 percent* increase in its single charge range (J08-cycle range of 180 km). Together with the expansion of charging facilities at expressway service stations and rest areas, this gives it fully practical day-trip capability. (*JC08-cycle comparison.)
Factory-fitted options available for the G model (on cars built in October onward) include a Premium Interior Package that further enhances the classy look and feel of the interior, and the "MiEV Remote System" that features "Timer Charging" and "Pre-activated Air Conditioning" which allows the owner to start up the climate control system before entering the car.