Mitsubishi Motors Europe and Pininfarina have begun production of the Colt convertible, known as the CZC version.
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It is assembled at the coachbuilder and contract vehicle assembler’s plant in Bairo, near Turin, and will compete in the growing European B-segment coupé-cabriolet market in Europe which grew 41.5% from 106,000 units in 2002 to 150,000 in 2005.
The Peugeot 206 which pioneered the segment – and not just in Europe – is ageing and has recently been joined by rivals such as Opel’s Tigra and Nissan Micra.
All components not built by Pininfarina are shipped to Italy from MME and its suppliers for final assembly.
The automaker’s NedCar plant in Born, The Netherlands, supplies body-in-white components and production engineering expertise.
NedCar produces body parts in its press shop in The Netherlands and sends them together with some small sub-assemblies (like the complete bonnet) to Italy. Most of these parts are shared with the Colt three- and five-door hatchbacks built in the adjacent assembly plant. Some convertible body parts are modified Colt three-door bits like the door panels and some, like the A-pillars, are unique to the drop-top.
Convertible engines come from Kölleda in Germany and MMC in Japan, the seats are from Faurecia in Sittard (The Netherlands), the front bumper assembly from Peguform (Germany) and cockpit components from Johnsons Controls (also The Netherlands). These are all shipped directly to Italy, without involvement from NedCar.
The Italian coachbuilder produces the structural reinforcements for the coupe-cabriolet conversion as well as the other specific parts (rear bumper, rear lamps, boot lid) welds the body-in-white assembly, paints and trims it and carries out final assembly.
OASys (Webasto) assembles the retractable hard-top at an in-plant facility within the Pininfarina factory – a similar supplier arrangement operates at Nissan’s UK plant which builds the rival Micra model.
The Colt CZC shares 65% of its parts with the hatchback versions.
